University of Georgia Athletics
The 2008 Georgia Baseball Preview
January 29, 2008 | Baseball
A veteran team featuring one of the conference’s best rotations and closer, the Georgia Bulldogs are primed for a successful season in 2008.
The Bulldogs welcome back 19 lettermen including five starters around the diamond and 11 pitchers who accounted for 94 percent of the innings pitched last year. The 2007 Southeastern Conference rotation is back in juniors Stephen Dodson, Nathan Moreau and Trevor Holder plus All-America closer senior Joshua Fields. Offensively, Georgia returns 76 percent of its home runs and 72 percent of the RBI including the team leader in those categories in junior shortstop Gordon Beckham (13 Home Runs and 51 RBI). The lineup should be better equipped to handle the ebb and flow of a full collegiate season after freshmen compiled 703 at bats last year.
David Perno enters his 12th season at Georgia including his seventh as head coach. After guiding Georgia to the College World Series in 2004 and 2006, Perno said he looks for the 2008 edition of the Bulldogs to make a deep postseason run.
“We have the potential to be a solid team, and we’re going to need to be ready to play each and every day because we’re facing one of our toughest schedules ever,” said Perno.
Along with a 30-game SEC slate, the Bulldogs have a season-opening series with top-ranked Arizona, a road series with two-time defending national champion Oregon State, a two-game set at Florida State, and the annual tilts with Clemson and Georgia Tech.
“The veterans and young guys showed good execution in the fall, and I feel like this is the right team to accept the challenge of playing the type of schedule we’ve lined up,” said Perno.
After hitting .279 with 42 home runs a year ago, Georgia’s offense must improve to compliment its pitching. At the top of the lineup, the Bulldogs have a trio of options starting with infielder Michael Demperio and outfielders Adam Fuller and Matt Cerione. The middle of the order returns in Beckham, first baseman Rich Poythress and outfielder Matt Olson. However, Fields, catcher Joey Lewis and third baseman Ryan Peisel staked a claim to a place in the middle of the lineup with their fall performance. Fields is the wildcard in the lineup as he aims to be a two-way player in his final year.
“Joshua is a phenomenal baseball player,” said Perno. “We all know what he can do as a pitcher and now he’s going to get a chance to hit too. He led us in home runs this fall, and the more at bats he gets, the more comfortable he will be at the plate. We’ve got a plan for him, and we’ll make sure he gets his rest to stay effective.”
Based on the volume of experience returning, Georgia’s strength should be pitching. Along with the aforementioned SEC rotation and closer back, the cupboard is stocked with Bulldogs who have experienced success in their Georgia career.
A healthy Nick Montgomery and Jason Leaver have been valuable in various roles along with the slew of sophomores in Justin Earls, Stephen Esmonde, Alex McRee, Ryan Woolley and Dean Weaver. With a uniform starting date to the season this year (Feb. 22), teams will be playing as many as five games a week, and Georgia has the depth for a five-man rotation.
With another ambitious schedule, Georgia looks to emerge as a major player in the 2008 postseason. The Bulldogs have shown in the past they know how to navigate the road to the College World Series. With nearly a dozen players on the roster with CWS experience, they are looking to lead this Georgia bunch back to Omaha.
The Bulldogs welcome back 19 lettermen including five starters around the diamond and 11 pitchers who accounted for 94 percent of the innings pitched last year. The 2007 Southeastern Conference rotation is back in juniors Stephen Dodson, Nathan Moreau and Trevor Holder plus All-America closer senior Joshua Fields. Offensively, Georgia returns 76 percent of its home runs and 72 percent of the RBI including the team leader in those categories in junior shortstop Gordon Beckham (13 Home Runs and 51 RBI). The lineup should be better equipped to handle the ebb and flow of a full collegiate season after freshmen compiled 703 at bats last year.
David Perno enters his 12th season at Georgia including his seventh as head coach. After guiding Georgia to the College World Series in 2004 and 2006, Perno said he looks for the 2008 edition of the Bulldogs to make a deep postseason run.
“We have the potential to be a solid team, and we’re going to need to be ready to play each and every day because we’re facing one of our toughest schedules ever,” said Perno.
Along with a 30-game SEC slate, the Bulldogs have a season-opening series with top-ranked Arizona, a road series with two-time defending national champion Oregon State, a two-game set at Florida State, and the annual tilts with Clemson and Georgia Tech.
“The veterans and young guys showed good execution in the fall, and I feel like this is the right team to accept the challenge of playing the type of schedule we’ve lined up,” said Perno.
After hitting .279 with 42 home runs a year ago, Georgia’s offense must improve to compliment its pitching. At the top of the lineup, the Bulldogs have a trio of options starting with infielder Michael Demperio and outfielders Adam Fuller and Matt Cerione. The middle of the order returns in Beckham, first baseman Rich Poythress and outfielder Matt Olson. However, Fields, catcher Joey Lewis and third baseman Ryan Peisel staked a claim to a place in the middle of the lineup with their fall performance. Fields is the wildcard in the lineup as he aims to be a two-way player in his final year.
“Joshua is a phenomenal baseball player,” said Perno. “We all know what he can do as a pitcher and now he’s going to get a chance to hit too. He led us in home runs this fall, and the more at bats he gets, the more comfortable he will be at the plate. We’ve got a plan for him, and we’ll make sure he gets his rest to stay effective.”
Based on the volume of experience returning, Georgia’s strength should be pitching. Along with the aforementioned SEC rotation and closer back, the cupboard is stocked with Bulldogs who have experienced success in their Georgia career.
A healthy Nick Montgomery and Jason Leaver have been valuable in various roles along with the slew of sophomores in Justin Earls, Stephen Esmonde, Alex McRee, Ryan Woolley and Dean Weaver. With a uniform starting date to the season this year (Feb. 22), teams will be playing as many as five games a week, and Georgia has the depth for a five-man rotation.
With another ambitious schedule, Georgia looks to emerge as a major player in the 2008 postseason. The Bulldogs have shown in the past they know how to navigate the road to the College World Series. With nearly a dozen players on the roster with CWS experience, they are looking to lead this Georgia bunch back to Omaha.
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