At the start of each week throughout the regular season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will take a closer look at the Georgia baseball team. Here’s a breakdown of the Bulldogs going into the seventh week of the campaign:
Record: 22-6, 4-5 SEC
Streak: Lost 2
Rankings: No. 23
Last Week (1-2)
Tuesday: vs. Mercer postponed due to weather
Friday: Win at Tennessee 16-2 (7)
Saturday: Lost at Tennessee 16-11
Sunday: Lost at Tennessee 7-0
This Week
Tuesday: vs. Georgia State (15-12)
Friday: at Mississippi State (19-10, 4-5 SEC), 7 p.m.
Saturday: at Mississippi State, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Sunday: at Mississippi State, 2 p.m.
Week in review
Even though the Bulldogs were unable to win the series against No. 5 Tennessee, it was not an awful weekend, overall. It’s a long SEC season and being 4-5 in the league through three series is a place from which much success can be had.
Once again, Georgia made a statement with its bats, run-ruling the Vols in seven innings on Friday night and keeping the Vols on the ropes until late in Saturday’s game.
The Bulldogs, who lead the nation in home runs, clubbed four more to give them 78 on the season and run-rule the Vols for the first time ever in league play. Corey Collins, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, hit two two homers and drive in six runs to lead a 14-hit attack.
Pitching was the difference both Saturday and Sunday. The Vols got to Georgia’s bullpen and hit two grand slams to rally from behind in Saturday’s 16-11 final. Then the Bulldogs simply could not muster anything against Tennessee starter Zander Sechrist, who pitched the first six innings of Sunday’s 7-0 shutout. It was the first run-less game for Georgia this season.
The Bulldogs had a chance to get to Sechrist early. But Slate Alford was gunned out at home plate in the fourth inning on the third of three straight singles, the last of which bounced off the wall and provided a perfect carom for the throw-out.
Georgia pitchers held their own. Led by starter Christian Mracna (3-2), who had seven strikeouts and zero walks, held their own with 13 strikeouts two walks. But the Vols made the most of their scoring opportunities.
Week ahead
The Bulldogs beat Georgia State 15-0 in a run-rule victory earlier this year in Atlanta. Something similar would be helpful as Georgia prepares for the SEC road for a second consecutive weekend.
The No. 22-ranked Maroon Bulldogs (19-10, 4-5) just did the same, dropping two of three in back-to-back road series against Florida and Texas A&M. They play Central Arkansas Tuesday night.
There’s little doubt that State will be still stinging from the way their last SEC outing went down. Florida star Jac Caglianone hit a two-run blast to lift the Gators to a 4-3 win in the rubber of game of their series Sunday in Gainesville.
They said it
“You have to get better at this game every single day and that will be our challenge moving forward.” – Georgia coach Wes Johnson
