SEC Play Begins in Athens This Weekend Against No. 16 Missouri

#19/20 Georgia (19-2, 0-0)
vs. #16/18 Missouri (19-4, 0-0)
Dates: Friday, March 19-Sunday, March 21, 2021
First Pitch Times: 6 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. / 12:30 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium

Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Friday, Sunday)
   Play-by-play: Kaleb Frady
   Analysis: Karlie Smith
TV: SEC Network (Saturday)
   Play-by-play: Sam Gore
   Analysis: Kayla Braud
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

Southeastern Conference play begins this weekend when the 19th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs host No. 16 Missouri in a three-game series at Jack Turner Stadium.

First pitch of SEC play is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday evening. Saturday's 5:30 p.m. game will air on SEC Network. The finale is set for a 12:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Friday and Sunday's games will stream live on SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady (play-by-play) and Karlie Smith (analysis) will be on the call.
» Saturday's game will air live on SEC Network. Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Kayla Braud (analysis) will be on the call.
» Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available at the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.

2021 Georgia Softball Fan Attendance Policy
One hundred and fifty (150) free general admission seats will be available each SEC game to the public on a first-come, first-served basis at softball games. Gates will officially open one hour prior to first pitch. The player pass list will continue to be utilized for student-athlete families and guests at Jack Turner Stadium this season. Social distancing measures will be in effect while in the stadium and face coverings will be required. Only cashless payments will be accepted at Jack Turner Stadium for concessions. For more information: gado.gs/6jz.

SEC Softball Teams Go "All For Alex" On March 20
The SEC softball community will be united on March 20 when all 13 teams participate in the "All for Alex" campaign to honor the legacy of Mississippi State's Alex Wilcox. Wilcox was a member of the 2018 Mississippi State softball team who inspired the nation with her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. That fight ultimately took her life in the summer of 2018. The 13 SEC schools will join together to wear teal or teal accents on Saturday as the entire league recognizes her impact on the softball community nationwide and in the fight against ovarian cancer.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
» Georgia leads the all-time series 10-8
» In Athens, Georgia leads 4-2; Georgia won the last series in Athens in 2018
» Since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012, Georgia leads the series 9-6
» Missouri won the last series in 2019 in Columbia, taking the final two games of the three-game set

A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia is set to host Georgia Southern at Jack Turner Stadium in midweek action Wednesday. First pitch against the Eagles is set for 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will then travel to Oxford, Mississippi for their first SEC road series with Ole Miss. The three-game series begins Friday.

Coaching Connection
Missouri softball graduate assistant Brittany Gray will make her return to the Classic City this weekend. Gray was a 2018 All-America pitcher for Georgia. Gray donned the Red & Black from 2015-18. She ranks in a number of Georgia's top-10 career categories including ERA (2.06), wins (60), appearances (126), complete games (36), innings pitched (518.2), and strikeouts (495) just to name a few.

Putting the Streak on the Line
Georgia softball will carry a 16-game win steak into this weekend's SEC-opening series with Missouri. The streak is tied for sixth-longest (2008, 2013) in Georgia softball history and the longest since the Bulldogs tied the record of 25 in 2018.

Pitching Staff Locks In
The Georgia pitching staff has only given up three runs in the last seven games, recording five shutouts. The Bulldogs' 1.11 ERA ranks sixth in the nation and second in the SEC. Georgia's seven shutouts rank 11th in the country. The veteran trio of Mary Wilson Avant, Alley Cutting, and Lauren Mathis all own a sub-1.00 ERA.

Georgia in the Polls
The Bulldogs fell to No. 19 in the NFCA and rose to No. 20 in the USA Softball poll in week four. The Bulldogs came in at No. 19 in the D1Softball and rose to No. 18 in the Softball America poll to No. 19 last week.

Chambley for Three!
Freshman Sydney Chambley enters the weekend co-leading the nation with five triples. The number already ties for sixth-most in a season at Georgia. The record is 12 set by Nicole Barber in 2002. Barder holds the top-three spots in the single-season category (12, 10, 8) and holds Georgia's career record of 35.

Fields has a Field Day
On March 6, redshirt-sophomore Jaiden Fields had quite the day at the plate. Down 5-2 against UAB, Fields hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, her first career home run. The hit allowed Georgia to tie the game in the seventh and win 6-5 in 11 innings. In the next game against Mercer, Fields put the Bulldogs on the board with a two-run home run in the first. She followed it up with a grand slam in the fourth. She drove in eight runs on the day.

Bulldogs Dig the Long Ball
Georgia ranks 13th in the country with 1.71 home runs per game, hitting 36 home runs in 21 games. Individually, Lacey Fincher's eight home runs rank 18th in the nation and seventh in the SEC. Georgia's .581 slugging percentage is 18th nationally.

Avant Rules the Circle
Graduate pitcher Mary Wilson Avant has cemented herself as the Bulldogs' ace this season. She ranks sixth in the nation with nine victories in the circle and her 86 strikeouts ranks 14th. She's averaging 10.6 strikeouts per seven innings.

Georgia Picks Up 45^th and 46^th No Hitter
The Bulldogs' pitching staff has recorded a pair of no hitters this season. The first by Mary Wilson Avant (W), Madison Kerpics, and Britton Rogers, came on Feb. 19 against Longwood. The second by Lauren Mathis (W) and Alley Cutting came at Georgia State on Feb. 27.

Chambley Named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week
Outfielder Sydney Chambley was named the first SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 15. In her first weekend in the Red and Black, the Dallas, Georgia native hit .833 (5-for-6) on the weekend. All five hits went for extra bases and she drove in a total of six runs. She totaled 15 bases as she slugged 2.500 through two games.

25 Seasons of Georgia Softball
The 2021 season will be the 25th of softball in Athens. In 25 seasons, Georgia has accumulated more than 1,000 program victories, 17 40-win season, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, and four appearances in the Women's College World Series. 20 Bulldogs have earned All-American distinction and 17 have been drafted to the NPF.

Georgia Tabbed Seventh in SEC Preseason Poll
The Georgia softball team was picked seventh in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll with 78 points in the poll. Alabama drew nine of the 13 first-place votes en route to being named the SEC preseason favorite, as voted on by the league's head coaches. LSU, who picked up the two first-place votes, was picked second. Florida (one first-place vote), Tennessee, and Kentucky rounded out the top five in the preseason poll.

Kuma Tabbed a Top Sophomore by Softball America
Sophomore infielder Sydney Kuma was ranked No. 16 on Softball America's list of top 25 college sophomores. Kuma, who stated all 28 games at shortstop last season, led the Georgia offense with a .438 average with 32 hits, 28 runs, eight doubles, and 24 RBI as a rookie in 2020.

Trio of Bulldogs Earn Undergraduate Degrees
This season roster will feature three Bulldogs who all earned their undergraduate degrees in May 2020. Mary Wilson Avant (Marketing), Alley Cutting (Psychology), and Jacqui Switzer (Communications Studies) became UGA graduates. All three began work toward their Masters degrees in the fall semester.

Freshman Class Ranked High in Recruiting
This season's freshmen class was ranked by Extra Innings Softball as the fourth-best signing class in the nation last year as the class featured five of its Elite 100 players and eight on its list of top 200.

Georgia Signs Five Georgia Natives in Early Signing Period
The Bulldogs signed five home-grown recruits in November during the early signing period. The class includes infielder Faith Barth, catcher/first baseman Lyndi Rae Davis, and pitchers Kylie Macy, Rebecca Muh, and Sydney Osada.

SEC Play Begins in Athens This Weekend Against No. 16 Missouri

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Players Mentioned

Mary Wilson Avant

Sydney Chambley

Alley Cutting

Jaiden Fields

Lacey Fincher

Brittany Gray

Madison Kerpics

Sydney Kuma

Lauren Mathis

Britton Rogers

Jacqui Switzer