ATHENS -- Every eye in college baseball was on Foley Field Monday night as No. 7 Georgia and No. 10 N.C. State gathered for the deciding third game of the NCAA Athens Super Regional. They witnessed something never before seen in the history of the game.
The Bulldogs failed to advance to the College World Series.
That’s right. Before Monday, Georgia was a perfect 5-for-5 in games in which the winner advanced to Omaha, Nebraska - the site of Division I national championship baseball tournament. The Bulldogs are 5-for-6 now after falling to the Wolfpack 8-5 at home in the battle for the last remaining spot in the CWS.
The other seven spots in the 2024 CWS field already had been claimed by Sunday night. And with Monday’s win by N.C. State, the ACC will have four teams in the CWS, along with four teams from the SEC.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
As for the Bulldogs, their promising first season under coach Wes Johnson ends with a 43-17 record and a 33-7 mark at home. A raucous sellout crowd of 3,944 -- plus several hundred more cramming into the homemade bleachers on “Kudzu Hill” -- showed up in person to watch. As for the rest of the nation, it was the only college baseball game on television Monday night.
“I’ve coached in the big leagues and I’ve been in the playoffs in Yankee Stadium, and I say all that to say there’s nothing like what you saw tonight,” Johnson said after the game. “The fans were into every pitch. It was something I was glad to see tonight to help grow our game and show people that college baseball is something that’s fun to be at and worthy of the coverage we get.”
N.C. State’s 28-year coach Elliott Avent agreed.
“I’ve gotta tell you, the Georgia fans, they cheer for their team and they’re as rude as they can be,” said Avent, who is leading the Wolfpack to the CWS for the third time overall and second time in four years. “They say some things you wouldn’t say in front of your mama. But I love the fans here and came away with nothing but respect for the University of Georgia.”
The night started promisingly for Georgia. Tre Phelps, the electrifying freshman from Kennesaw, hit a foul ball to right field halfway up Kudzu Hill in the second inning. He turned and grinned at the Bulldogs’ bench, then cranked the next pitch on a line over the wall in center field for a two-run homer.
But Georgia’s 2-0 lead lasted only minutes. N.C. State starter Logan Whitaker got the Bulldogs’ next three batters 1-2-3 and the Wolfpack went 1-2 to start the third inning. That is, Eli Serrano’s base hit and Garrett Pennington’s line shot to center cleared the wall to tie the game at 2-2.
Starter Zach Harris was able to get Georgia out of that inning but not the fourth. The Wolfpack’s No. 8 batter, Matt Heavner, opened the frame with a double into the left-field corner. That was the eighth hit of the game, most of them the barreled-up variety, and Johnson had seen enough.
Johnson turned to Kolten Smith, somewhat of a surprise since Smith had been rocked in the first inning of Saturday’s 18-1 shellacking by N.C. State. Smith walked the first batter he faced, which brought up the white-hot-hitting Serrano. He executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to third base to move up the runners.
Georgia’s normally sure-handed catcher, Fernando Gonzalez, let a pitch get by to score the runner from third and give the Wolfpack its first lead of the day. After a strikeout, Alec Makarawicz’s single to left plated another run and made it 4-2.
The fifth inning felt a little like the ancient story, “When Mighty Casey Struck Out.” Georgia got exactly what it had wanted the entire postseason: Charlie Condon at the plate with the bases loaded with one out. The Wolfpack brought in their prized freshman pitcher, Jacob Dudan, just for the moment.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Condon -- the NCAA’s leader in home runs, slugging and batting average -- struck out. Game 2 hero Slate Alford followed with an eight-pitch at-bat that ended in a ground out to second base.
“What Jacob Dudan did right there was unbelievable,” Avent said. “Facing Charlie and Alford, that was unbelievable. I know that 18-year-old heart of his was probably racing.”
Georgia had other opportunities, the next-best one in the bottom of the seventh inning. Trailing 6-3, the Wolfpack changed pitchers and brought in their heralded freshman closer Derrick Smith when Alford came to the plate with two on and no outs. Alford brought the crowd to his feet with a hard-liner to the deepest part of the ball park. But Serrano, the Wolfpack’s MVP for the series, made the play of the game when he caught the ball just as he collided with the center-field wall.
“The catch was pretty cool,” Serrano said. “I kind of blacked out there, honestly.
The runners moved up and Dylan Goldstein made it 6-4 on a ground out to first. The threat ended on Phelps’ pop out to right field.
Condon hit a solo homer to right field with one out in the bottom of the ninth, waving to the adoring crowd as he rounded the bases but otherwise remaining stoically non-celebrant. It was his school record 37th homer of the season, but it was also the Bulldogs’ last run of the year. Georgia’s biggest baseball star since Gordon Beckham went 1-for-4 on the night and 2-for-11 in the super regional.
“It’s just a melting pot of emotions right now,” the former walkon said, fighting back tears as he spoke. “I’m proud of this group and proud of what we were able to accomplish. I’m really thankful to have been a part of it. It’s been a long ride since I got here.”
The game ended three batters later on Phelps’ fly-out to center field.
“For me, I have another game here,” said Phelps, who went 3-for-5 and scored twice. “This was all about these guys (Condon and the seniors). This was their last game at Foley Field. It sucks to be the last out, but somebody has to do it.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
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