University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Baseball vs. Youngstown State Preview
February 16, 2009 | Baseball
YOUNGSTOWN STATE (0-0) at #14 GEORGIA (0-0)
Foley Field Athens, Ga.
Friday, Feb. 20 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21 2 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 22 2 p.m.
TELEVISION
None
RADIO
Georgia Bulldog Radio Network: Jeff Dantzler and David Johnston
Local Station: WRFC AM 960 The Ref all three games
On the internet: www.georgiadogs.com; GXtra to provide video broadcast for all three games (free on Friday)
TICKETS
Reserved Seat Tickets: $8
General Admission Tickets: $5
UGA Students: Free admission with UGA ID.
Available online www.georgiadogs.com and by phone 1-877-542-1231
Game-Day Ticket Window opens two hours before first pitch
PROMOTIONS
Friday: First 1,000 fans receive 2009 Georgia Baseball Schedule Magnet
GEORGIA OPENS 2009 SEASON AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Georgia begins its 122nd baseball season with a three-game series against Youngstown State at Foley Field. The Bulldogs are coming off a runner-up finish in the College World Series last season and return 18 lettermen off the 2008 SEC Championship squad that posted a 45-25-1 record and a consensus number two final ranking in the national polls. It was Georgia’s third trip to Omaha in five years.
In addition to four returning lettermen, Georgia’s probable starting lineup on opening day features five true freshmen: Colby May (Guyton, Ga.) at third, Levi Hyams (Stafford, Va.) at second, Johnathan Taylor in left (Acworth, Ga.), Zach Cone in center (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Chase Davidson (Alpharetta, Ga.) in right. Five true freshman in the opening day starting lineup would be the most in the David Perno era. Georgia started four true freshmen (Joey Lewis, Matt Cerione, Mike Freeman and Luke Stewart) in the 2007 opener.
The Bulldogs’ probable lineup also includes junior Rich Poythress at first, junior Michael Demperio at shortstop, senior Bryce Massanari at catcher and junior Joey Lewis as the DH. Georgia’s starting rotation will feature senior Trevor Holder, junior Alex McRee and sophomore Justin Grimm.
A LOOK AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State returns six position starters and two starting pitchers from the 2008 squad that finished third in the Horizon League with a 23-33 overall record and a 13-12 league mark. The Penguins were led on the mound by Aaron Swenson (6-3, 3.55 ERA), who was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year. Youngstown State was picked to finish third in the Horizon League again in 2009 by Collegiate Baseball, and Swenson was picked to repeat as the league’s pitcher of the year. Joe Iacobucci led the Penguins in 2008 with a .369 average, .500 slugging percentage, .440 on-base percentage and 33 RBI as a freshman.
GEORGIA ALL-TIME VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Bulldogs and Penguins have met once before with Youngstown State winning 4-3 on March 26, 1987.
GEORGIA VS. THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Georgia’s game against Youngstown State in 1987 is the Bulldogs’ only contest against a team from the Horizon League. The Bulldogs have faced current Horizon League member Cleveland State seven times, most recently in 1979, but the Vikings didn’t join the conference until 1994. Youngstown State is one of two Horizon League opponents on Georgia’s 2009 schedule as Wright State will visit Athens on March 24.
GEORGIA IN SEASON OPENERS
Georgia is 9-2 in its last 11 season openers including 5-2 under David Perno. The Bulldogs are looking for their first season opening series win since sweeping UNC-Greensboro to start the 2006 season. Georgia downed No. 1 Arizona in the first game of the 2008 season, but the Wildcats won games two and three to take the series. Fifteenth-ranked Oregon State earned a season-opening sweep over the Bulldogs in 2007.
Season Openers In The Perno Era
2002: Georgia 10, North Carolina 8
2003: Gardner-Webb 6, Georgia 5
2004: Georgia 10, Bethune Cookman 3
2005: Georgia 9, Elon 1
2006: Georgia 7, UNC-Greensboro 6 (11 innings)
2007: #15 Oregon State 10, Georgia 8
2008: Georgia 9, #1 Arizona 7
POYTHRESS, McREE NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Georgia junior first baseman Rich Poythress and junior lefthander Alex McRee earned spots on Baseball America’s Preseason All-America team.
Poythress was selected to the second team while McRee made the third team. Baseball America annually polls scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and major league potential. In the past, the preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success. For example, members of the 2008 first team made up eight of the first 12 picks in the draft last June. In all, 15 of last year's preseason All-Americans were drafted in the first round, and 11 of them played for teams that reached the College World Series.
MASSANARI, POYTHRESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES
Senior Bryce Massanari and junior Rich Poythress were named to the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Former Bulldog Gordon Beckham was a finalist for the award last year won by Florida State's Buster Posey.
POYTHRESS RACKS UP PRESEASON HONORS
In addition to being named to Baseball America’s Preseason All-America team and the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List, Rich Poythress was also named to Louisville Slugger’s Preseason All-America second team. He became the second Bulldog in school history to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove in 2008. 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. He was second on the team with a .374 average, 15 home runs and 75 RBI. He was also named to the All-SEC Defensive Team.
CLOSING TIME
Junior Dean Weaver will step into the closer’s role this year, replacing 2008 NCBWA National Stopper of the Year Joshua Fields, who recorded 18 saves as a senior in 2008. Weaver went 6-1 with a 4.24 ERA and one save last season as a key middle reliever.
DEMPERIO RETURNS
Junior Michael Demperio missed the last 24 games of the 2008 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in a win over Ole Miss May 4. At the time of the injury, Demperio had a .963 fielding percentage and was batting .238-2-16. He started Georgia’s first 47 games last year.
HOLDER IS BACK
Trevor Holder, a 10th-round pick of the Florida Marlins in 2008, returns for his senior season after serving as the ace for the College World Series finalists and SEC champion Bulldogs last year. A 6-3, 195-pound native of Birmingham, Ala., Holder is a three-time Academic All-SEC selection majoring in finance. He went 8-4 with a 4.41 ERA as a junior.
Holder wasn’t the only Bulldog to delay his professional career. Five members of the 2008 recruiting class favored Georgia over offers from MLB teams. Chase Davidson and Zach Cone were drafted in the third round by the Astros and Angels, respectively, Michael Palazzone was an 18th round pick by Atlanta, Jeff Walters went in the 30th round to Cleveland, and the Braves tabbed Cecil Tanner in the 36th round.
McREE MAKES A MOVE
Junior lefthander Alex McRee was a middle reliever for the Bulldog bullpen in 2008, but will move into the No. 2 spot in the rotation in 2009. McRee has made six starts in his Georgia career: three in 2007 and three in 2008. He was second on the team last year with a 7-1 record and was named a preseason All-American by Baseball America.
MAY EMERGES AS OPTION AT THIRD BASE
Freshman Colby May had an impressive fall campaign, hitting .405 while playing third base. The Bulldogs have a new left side of the infield this season with former third baseman Ryan Peisel and shortstop Gordon Beckham now playing professional baseball. From 2006-2008, the Peisel-Beckham tandem started 197 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.
TOUGH ON D
Georgia has had its five highest fielding percentages in school history with David Perno at the helm:
Best Fielding Georgia Teams
1. .972 2003
2. .971 2008
2. .971 2008
4. .969 2005
5. .968* 2006
*The 1989, ’90 and ’99 teams all fielded .968. Perno’s 2002 team fielded .963; the ’07 team was .964.
PERNO THIRD ON UGA WINS LIST
Last season, David Perno passed former Georgia coach W.P. White (1921-33) and moved into third on the all-time wins list. Steve Webber (1981-96) is first with 500 wins followed by Jim Whatley (1950, 52-75) with 336 wins and Perno with 251 wins. Perno and Whatley are tied for the most SEC Championships (2) and Perno is the leader in College World Series appearances (3).
BULLDOGS LEAD SEC WITH TOP COLLEGE PROSPECTS
Georgia juniors Alex McRee, Rich Poythress and Dean Weaver along with senior Trevor Holder are among the top 100 college prospects for 2009 as compiled by Baseball America. Georgia led all SEC schools with four on the list followed by Ole Miss and Tennessee with three apiece.
The publication listed McRee as the No. 26 college prospect in the nation followed by Poythress at No. 33, Weaver at No. 85 and Holder at No. 92.
McRee is the fourth highest rated left-hander, trailing only Vanderbilt junior Mike Minor (No. 5), and the Oklahoma State junior duo of Andrew Oliver (No. 8), and Tyler Lyons (No. 19). Poythress is one of only three first basemen in the top 40. North Carolina junior Dustin Ackley (No. 4) and Clemson junior Ben Paulsen (No. 24) are the other first basemen.
There were only five seniors on the list with just two ahead of Holder. Pitcher Scott Bittle of Ole Miss was at No. 39 followed by Texas A&M righthander Kyle Tebeau at No. 87.
SIXTEEN BULLDOGS ON DIRECTOR’S HONOR ROLL
Sixteen members of the Georgia baseball team posted a grade point average of at least 3.0 for 2008 fall semester and were honored for their accomplishments by being named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. The group includes Zach Cone, John Herman, Michael Palazzone, Earl Daniels, Chase Davidson, Steve Esmonde, Adam Fuller, Justin Grimm, Trevor Holder, Zach Laughlin, Tyler Maloof, Alex McRee, Kevin Ruiz, Miles Starr, Johnathan Taylor and Peter Verdin.
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW
The 2008 Bulldogs set team records for hits (787), total bases (1,225), and saves (19) and 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). The Bulldogs also won a school record 20 SEC games and drew a record 2,517 fans per home game.
GEORGIA A POPULAR PICK IN THE PRESEASON
The Bulldogs were picked to win the SEC Eastern Division with 10 first place votes in the preseason poll voted one by league coaches. Georgia received on vote to win the overall league title, while LSU was the favorite with 10 votes. The Bulldogs were also picked to win the SEC East by Rivals.com.
The Bulldogs are ranked in the top five in three different preseason polls: Collegiate Baseball (4), ESPN/USA Today (4) and NCBWA (5). Georgia is ranked No. 6 by PG Crosschecker and No. 14 by Baseball America.
GEORGIA AT FOLEY FIELD
Georgia begins its 44th year playing at Foley Field where the Bulldogs own a 421-225-1 record since the 1990 renovation. The largest crowd to watch a game at Foley Field was 4,302 on June 6, 2006 when sixth-ranked Georgia topped No. 15 South Carolina, 11-5 in the NCAA Super Regional. The stadium’s capacity is 3,291.
DOGS ON THE TUBE
Georgia is scheduled to appear on television 17 times during the 2009 regular season including games on Fox Sport South, CSS, SportSouth and Cox Cable. Every Georgia baseball game is broadcast on 960 AM The REF and available for a premium on GXtra via www.georgiadogs.com. Georgia’s broadcast team is Jeff Dantzler and David Johnston.
ON DECK
Georgia plays host to Presbyterian Tuesday, Feb. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Foley Field. The Blue Hose open the season this weekend at Georgia Southern.