University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Baseball Reflects On Memorable 2008 Campaign
July 14, 2008 | Baseball
SEC Champion Georgia Finishes As NCAA Runner-Up, Memorable 2008 Campaign Ends In CWS Finals
When the 2008 baseball season began, Georgia insiders knew the Bulldogs had a majority of the pieces in place to entertain thoughts of returning to the College World Series (CWS). While every program talks about getting to Omaha for the CWS, the Bulldogs deliver when reaching the postseason.
Under head coach David Perno, the Bulldogs now have made three trips to Omaha in the past five years including playing for the 2008 national championship after reaching the CWS Finals. Georgia posted a 45-25-1 record and earned a consensus number two final ranking in the national polls, marking the second best finish in school history. Perno became only the 12th coach in NCAA history to take three teams to the CWS in his first seven seasons at the helm.
Few outside the program considered Georgia a title contender in 2008. After all, they were coming off a 23-33 campaign where the offense batted just .279 and mustered 42 home runs. Despite welcoming back 19 lettermen including five starters and 11 pitchers, the Bulldogs were not on the national radar and began the year unranked. Then, there was arguably the nation’s toughest schedule to contend with as well. Georgia had a season-opening series with top-ranked Arizona, road series with two-time NCAA champion Oregon State and Florida State, the annual tilts with Clemson and Georgia Tech plus the 30-game Southeastern Conference schedule.
In his 12th season at Georgia including his seventh as head coach, Perno knew if the Bulldogs could be at or above .500 entering league play, his team would be poised for a memorable campaign. His leaders would have to produce on and off the field, and they did just that. Shortstop Gordon Beckham and closer Joshua Fields enjoyed two of the greatest seasons ever by a Bulldog. They were named All-Americans, SEC Player and Pitcher of the Year and eventual First Round draft picks by the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners respectively. Beckham’s school record 28 home runs led the country, as did Fields’ school record 18 saves. Seniors Ryan Peisel, Matt Olson, Jake Crane and Nick Montgomery were consistent contributors, and the SEC rotation remained the same the whole year in juniors Trevor Holder, Stephen Dodson and Nathan Moreau. The Bulldog offense tallied a .309 batting average and 96 home runs and the defense fielded .971.
Following an SEC-opening loss to No. 21 Arkansas in Fayetteville that gave the Bulldogs a 6-7 overall record, Georgia’s veterans stepped forward. In the fifth inning of game two with Arkansas, Georgia found itself trailing 10-1. The Bulldogs had enough losing and mounted a thunderous comeback, winning 15-11 and continued the thrashing in the series finale, taking game three 13-2. The Bulldogs would roll out to a 14-3-1 SEC start before dropping a series at Florida, but the league title was already in sight. With a week to go in the SEC season, Georgia went ahead and clinched the SEC title at No. 16 Vanderbilt, giving the Bulldogs three league crowns this decade, the most by any school. Georgia concluded SEC play with a school record 20-9-1 mark and headed to the SEC Tournament as the top seed. With a few holes in its lineup and rotation due to injuries, Georgia made a quick exit, dropping two straight and headed home for an NCAA Regional.
The Bulldogs garnered one of the 16 host regional sites and with their SEC title picked up the number eight national seed. Staying true to the regional format, the rival Yellow Jackets were the two seed at Foley Field with Louisville and Lipscomb rounding out the field. Georgia was stunned by the Bison 10-7 in the opening round and now had to win four straight to capture the regional or its season would be over. The Bulldogs responded with four victories including beating Ga. Tech twice, the first time via an 8-0 shutout and then an 18-6 rout for the title. Montgomery tossed Georgia’s only complete game of the year and in shutting out Tech secured his place in Bulldog lore. It was Georgia’s first shutout of Tech since 1969 and only the third ever in Bulldog postseason history. Next, Georgia welcomed No. 15 N.C. State to Athens for a Super Regional. After taking the opener 11-4, the Wolfpack ensured more Foley Field drama by taking game two 10-6. In the pivotal game three with the winner advancing to the CWS, Georgia used a nine-spot in the first inning to cruise to a 17-8 victory. A record 93,152 fans came to Foley Field in 2008 and were a part of this memorable season.
Georgia would stay awhile in this CWS trip, 16 days to be exact, winning their first four contests. The Bulldogs won their bracket, beating top-ranked Miami and then seventh-ranked Stanford twice. In the CWS Finals against eighth-ranked Fresno State, Georgia rallied for a 7-6 win before falling in the next two games, 19-10 and 6-1 to leave Omaha one victory short of a national title. What a difference a year makes.
Eight teams advance to the CWS annually, and only one team walks off the field for the last time with a victory. The Bulldogs didn’t leave Omaha with that final win, but they were winners nonetheless, capturing the hearts of legions of Georgia fans across the country.
Georgia Milestones in 2008
*As the College World Series finalist, Georgia was a consensus number two in the final national polls; the second highest finish in school history with only the 1990 national champions one better in the top spot.
*Overall, Georgia posted a 45-25-1 record, winning the SEC title, the NCAA Athens Regional, the NCAA Athens Super Regional and a second place finish at the College World Series.
*Georgia made a school record 31 television appearances, going 18-12-1 including 6-3 on ESPN/ESPN2.
*Georgia set a school record with a 20-9-1 SEC mark en route to the 2008 league title, the third crown this decade, the most by any school. Georgia led the SEC with 37 games against Top 25 opponents, going 24-13.
*Georgia became the first school in SEC history to sweep the annual league honors as voted on by the coaches: SEC Player of the Year (Gordon Beckham), SEC Pitcher of the Year (Joshua Fields), SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year (Beckham), and SEC Coach of the Year (David Perno).
*Team Records: At Bats (2,547), Hits (787), Total Bases (1,225), Saves (19), Innings Pitched (634.0) and tied mark for Games Played (71). Georgia had a 12-game stretch in SEC action when the bullpen pitched 40 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
*For the first time since 1987, Georgia had a pair of MLB first round draft picks in SS Gordon Beckham (8th overall to Chicago White Sox) and RHP Joshua Fields (20th overall to Seattle Mariners). They became the seventh and eighth first round selections in school history.
*Georgia tied a school record with six players selected in the annual MLB draft (1987, 2001 and 2005 teams had six drafted) and for the second year in a row tied a school mark with eight members of its incoming recruiting class getting drafted.
*Georgia set school records for Total Attendance and Average Attendance at Foley Field. Georgia drew 93,152 fans in 37 dates and averaged 2,517. Georgia’s NCAA postseason record at Foley Field is 21-7 including 16-0 in elimination games.
Bulldog Milestones in 2008
*Shortstop Gordon Beckham and pitcher Joshua Fields were consensus All-America selections as well as MLB first round draft picks. Also, Beckham was a 2nd team Academic All-American. It marked the first time that Georgia had a pair of first team All-Americans in the same year in school history.
*Joshua Fields earned the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given to the nation’s top closer as voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He is a finalist for the Clemens Award (winner announced July 23).
*Gordon Beckham was one of five Golden Spikes Finalists and was one of three finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award.
*Rich Poythress became the second Bulldog in school history to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove as voted on by the American Baseball Coaches Association. With the award, Poythress was named the nation's top defensive first baseman and one of just nine Division I players to receive a Gold Glove.
*Gordon Beckham became the first shortstop to lead the nation in home runs since 1996. This year, Beckham and LSU first baseman Matt Clark hit 28 apiece. In 1996, Illinois shortstop Josh Klimek hit 26 to share the national honor with first basemen Eddy Furniss (LSU) and Tommy Peterman (Ga. Southern).
*Joshua Fields set a single season record and led the nation with 18 Saves. Fields also holds the Bulldog career record with 41 saves and 114 games pitched.
*Gordon Beckham: Became only the 10th player in school history and first since 1982 to bat over .400 in a season. Beckham hit .411, the highest average since Rick Fuentes (.411) and Buck Belue (.447) joined the .400 club in 1982. Beckham became the first Bulldog since Jeff Keppinger in 2001 to notch the team’s “Triple Crown” (Batting Average-Home Runs-RBI) after hitting .411-28-77.
*Prior to 2008, Georgia had just three players record at least 100 hits in a season. The Bulldogs had two do it in 2008 in Gordon Beckham (113) and Ryan Peisel (106).
*Gordon Beckham, Ryan Peisel and Matt Olson tied a school record with 71 games played in 2008. Furthermore, Beckham and Peisel started every game the past three seasons, a streak of 197 contests.
*Gordon Beckham set single season records with 97 Runs Scored, 113 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 77 RBI and 221 Total Bases plus set the Career Home Run Record with 53.
*Defensive Records: Lyle Allen became the latest outfielder to complete an errorless season as he recorded 119 putouts and two assists in 121 total chances; Ryan Peisel registered a record 51 putouts at third base while Rich Poythress had 55 assists at first base.
*Gordon Beckham and Ryan Peisel were named to the CWS All-Tournament Team. In six games, Beckham batted a team-best .522-2-5 with a .960 FLDG% while Peisel hit .407-2-7 with a .933 FLDG%.
*Gordon Beckham, Ryan Peisel, Rich Poythress, Bryce Massanari, Matt Olson and Nick Montgomery made the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team and Olson was the Most Outstanding Player after batting a school record .692 (18-for-28) with 10 runs scored, one home run and six RBI in a five-game span.
*All-SEC Bulldogs: Gordon Beckham (SS), Bryce Massanari (C), Joshua Fields (RP); 2nd Team All-SEC: Trevor Holder (P), Stephen Dodson (P); SEC All Defensive Team: Rich Poythress (1B).
*SEC Baseball Community Service Team: Matt Olson
*SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll: Gordon Beckham, Matt Cerione, Stephen Dodson, Steve Esmonde, John Herman, Trevor Holder, Jason Leaver, Alex McRee, Nick Montgomery, Robbie O'Bryan, Matt Olson, Ryan Peisel, Miles Starr, Ryan Woolley.
*SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll: Drew Haggard
*MLB Draft Picks: Gordon Beckham (1st Round, Chicago-AL), Joshua Fields (1st Round, Seattle), Trevor Holder (10th round, Florida) Stephen Dodson (10th Round, Colorado), Nathan Moreau (11th Round, Baltimore), Ryan Peisel (12th Round, Colorado). Also, a pair of seniors signed free agent contracts in pitcher Nick Montgomery (New York Yankees) and outfielder Matt Olson (Kansas City Royals).
