ATHENS — If the Georgia baseball team continues to track the way it has, it could pose an interesting study for the NCAA selection committee at the end of the season.
The Bulldogs (24-21, 13-8 SEC) sit only three games above .500, but they’ve done that against the nation’s most difficult schedule. They’ve played 27 games against ranked teams, winning an SEC-best 13 of them. They took two of three from 14th-ranked Arkansas this past weekend.
This has not been lost upon the people who quantify such things. Georgia carries a RPI rank of 12 into this weekend’s series at Auburn.
“We’re a little bit unique in the sense of the overall record,” Georgia coach David Perno said Thursday. “But I’ve seen teams get in [to the NCAA tournament] with 29, 30 regular-season wins. If we’re above .500, I don’t think there will be any negotiations about it. Our RPI is too good; our strength of schedule is too good; our standing in the toughest conference in the country is too good. I think it becomes scary if our overall dips below .500. We’re aware of that.”
If Georgia closes the regular season at its overall clip for the season — a .533 winning percentage — it will win six of the next 11 games and finish at 30-26 (not including the SEC tournament). But that rate includes a horrific 3-8 start, during which it lost starting center fielder Johnathan Taylor to a life-altering neck injury.
The Bulldogs have played much better of late. They have won five of their past six games and five of their past six SEC series.
“Our record doesn’t show how we play,” said shortstop Kyle Farmer, who ranks among SEC leaders with 44 RBIs. “I think we’re just as good as anybody in the country. As my dad always told me, winning takes care of everything, and that’s what we plan to do.”
Georgia has been particularly effective in SEC play, thanks in no small part to pitcher Michael Palazzone. The 6-2, 197-pound junior from Marietta was named SEC pitcher of the week after tossing eight shutout innings en route to a 3-0 win over Arkansas on Saturday. It was his fifth victory over a ranked opponent this season as he improved to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA. He is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.74 ERA in SEC play this season.
“He’s been huge all year, but especially gigantic the last month because we’ve lost on Friday nights [the past three weekends],” Perno said. “We’ve needed somebody to pick us up on Saturday, and he’s been much obliged to do so. That’s where it’s been biggest. It’s allowed us to rest our bullpen on Saturday for the most part.”
Next for Georgia
Who: at Auburn
When: 7 p.m. today, 4 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Radio: 1230
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