Bulldogs Getting Set For NCAA Regional At Foley Field

Saturday, June 2

12:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

Campbell

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Bulldogs Getting Set For NCAA Regional At Foley Field

May 30, 2018 | Baseball

ATHENS-----Georgia senior Chase Adkins will be on the mound for the No. 8 national seed Bulldogs when they open NCAA Regional action Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Campbell.

Georgia (37-19), ranked as high as seventh in the national polls this week, returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. The Bulldogs are serving as a regional host for the first time since 2008. That year, the Bulldogs were a No. 8 national seed and claimed a regional and super regional in Athens and ultimately advanced to the College World Series Finals. This marks the fourth time in school history that the Bulldogs have earned a national seed for the NCAA Tournament. Adkins is 5-0 with a 4.12 ERA in 15 starts for the Bulldogs. He has been Georgia's game one series starter since early March and has 30 career starts for the Bulldogs. The Camels have not announced a game one starter.

The Bulldogs are playing host to No. 18 Duke (40-15), Troy (41-19) and Campbell (35-24) in a four-team regional June 1-4. On Friday, Duke will face Troy at 2 p.m. (ESPN3) followed by Georgia against No. 4 Campbell in the nightcap (ESPN3). On Saturday, the losers meet at 1 p.m. and then the winners square off at 7 p.m. Sunday's games are slated for noon and 6 p.m. while Monday's if necessary game would be at 4 p.m. Regional play is double-elimination. The winner of the Athens Regional will face the winner of the Texas Tech Regional. The Red Raiders (39-17) are playing host to Louisville (43-17), Kent State (39-16) and New Mexico State (40-20). Super Regional play will be June 8-11 and the College World Series (CWS) begins June 16-27.

Here's a few notes on the Bulldogs:

*Georgia's 3.78 ERA is the best in 50 years (3.66 in 1968). The current .979 fielding percentage would be a school record (The record is .978 in 2012). Georgia's .281 batting average is the highest in eight seasons, and the 55 home runs are the most since a record 109 in 2009. Georgia's Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin and assistant Scott Daeley are in their fifth season at UGA while pitching coach Sean Kenny and volunteer coach Pete Hughes are in their first season.

*The Bulldogs tied for the second-best league record in the SEC at 18-12 with Western Division co-champions Ole Miss and Arkansas while Florida won the league (20-10). Georgia is averaging 6.2 runs a game while batting .281 with a 3.78 ERA and a .979 fielding percentage.

*All-SEC Honors: Senior outfielder and biology major Keegan McGovern was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as First Team All-SEC. McGovern is the first Bulldog to earn Scholar Athlete-of-the Year honors since All-American Gordon Beckham in 2008. Juniors Michael Curry (DH) and Adam Sasser (1B) made Second Team All-SEC while Mason Meadows (C) was selected to the SEC All Freshman squad.

*Georgia's top hitters have been All-SEC senior outfielder Keegan McGovern (.325-15-44) along with second team All-SEC junior designated hitter Michael Curry (.315-10-47) and second team All-SEC junior first baseman Adam Sasser (.321-9-42). The Bulldogs have a pair of two-way standouts in sophomore third baseman/closer Aaron Schunk (.304-3-36 and 2-2, 2.57 ERA, 8 Saves) and freshman LHP/OF C.J. Smith (1-1, 1.32 ERA and .304-1-8). Recently, Schunk had a career-best 22-game hitting streak which was the third longest in school history.

*Georgia's rotation this season has featured senior RHP Chase Adkins (5-0, 4.12 ERA), freshman RHP Emerson Hancock (6-4, 5.10 ERA) and junior LHP Kevin Smith (8-1, 3.17 ERA). Freshman LHP/OF C.J. Smith (1-1, 1.32 ERA and .304-1-8) has made the most recent midweek starts. There have been only four other Bulldogs to make starts this year: RHP Tony Locey (6-2, 4.50 ERA), LHP Ryan Webb (1-5, 4.59 ERA, 3 SV), RHP Tim Elliott (1-0, 3.86 ERA) and Will Proctor (3-2, 2.4 ERA, 2 SV).

2018 NCAA Baseball Athens Regional Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Friday, June 1
Game 1 - No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 vs. Troy at 2 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 2 – No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Campbell at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, June 2
Game 3 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 at 1 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 3
Game 5 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 at Noon
Game 6 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 at 6 p.m.
Monday, June 4
Game 7 (if necessary) – 4 p.m.