No. 17 Georgia Set for First Road Test of SEC Play at Ole Miss

#17/18 Georgia (21-3, 2-1)
at Ole Miss (19-10, 3-3)
Dates: Friday, March 26-Sunday, March 28, 2021
First Pitch Times: 7 p.m. / 5 p.m. / 2 p.m. (all times Eastern)
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Stadium: Ole Miss Softball Complex

Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Friday, Sunday)
TV: SEC Network (Saturday)
   Play-by-play: Mike Couzens
   Analysis: Kayla Braud
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

Georgia softball is set for its first Southeastern Conference road test of 2021 this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to Oxford, Mississippi for a three-game series with Ole Miss.

The series kicks off Friday under the lights at 7 p.m., ET. Saturday's game on SEC Network is set for 5 p.m., ET. The series finale will begin at 2 p.m., ET, on Sunday.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Friday and Sunday's games will stream live on SEC Network+.
» Saturday's game will air live on SEC Network. Mike Couzens (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.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
» Georgia leads the all-time series 48-11
» In Oxford, the Bulldogs are 23-4
» The Bulldogs have won four-straight games including sweeping the series in Athens in 2019
» The Rebels won the last series in Oxford in 2018. It was Georgia's lone SEC series loss that season

A Look at What's Ahead
The Bulldogs will close the month of March with a midweek game against Furman at Jack Turner Stadium Wednesday, March 31. Georgia will then host rival Florida in a three-game set beginning Saturday, April 3. The series will air on the networks of ESPN in its entirety.

Coaching Connection
Ole Miss assistant coach Katie Rietkovich Browder played for the Bulldogs in 2010 and 2011. She was part of Georgia's WCWS Final Four appearance in 2010.

Fields Named SEC Newcomer of the Week
Jaiden Fields went 5-for-10 against Missouri including a double and a home run. She drove in four runs on the weekend. Her three-run home run in the bottom of the first of Saturday's game sparked three-straight home runs for Georgia. She later provided a sacrifice fly in the fourth to bolster Georgia's lead on the Tigers. Her leadoff double in the fifth inning of Sunday's game led to Georgia's seventh run of the day.

Kearney Picks Up SEC Freshman of the Week
Jayda Kearney went 4-for-8 in two games against Missouri. Her first-career home run came at the end of Georgia's three-straight homers in the first inning Saturday. She contributed a two-RBI double in the third to widen the Bulldogs' lead to 10-3. On Sunday, Kearney's RBI single in the third was part of Georgia's six-run go-ahead inning in the third. Georgia won Sunday's rubber game on an error, which Kearney put the ball in play on.

Georgia's Win Streak Ends
Georgia softball snapped a 16-game win steak after falling to Missouri in the SEC opener on March 19. The streak tied for sixth-longest (2008, 2013) in Georgia softball history and was the longest since the Bulldogs tied the record of 25 in 2018.

Pitching Staff Locks In
The Bulldogs' 1.12 ERA ranks 11th in the nation and third in the SEC. Georgia's seven shutouts rank 19th in the country. The veteran trio of Mary Wilson Avant, Alley Cutting, and Lauren Mathis all own a sub-1.25 ERA.

Bulldogs Dig the Long Ball
Georgia ranks seventh in the country with 1.88 home runs per game, hitting 45 home runs in 24 games. The Bulldogs tied a season-high five home runs against Missouri (3/20) including four in the first inning. The Bulldogs hit three-straight in the inning, the first time since 2018 against Florida. Individually, Lacey Fincher's 10 home runs rank 10th in the nation and second in the SEC. Georgia's .600 slugging percentage is 13th nationally.

Georgia in the Polls
The Bulldogs rose across all four polls after beating then No. 16 Missouri last weekend. Georgia rose to #17 in the NFCA and D1Softball polls, 18 in the USA Softball poll, and #16 in the Softball America poll.

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.

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 11 victories in the circle and her 101 strikeouts ranks 16th. She's averaging 9.8 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.

No. 17 Georgia Set for First Road Test of SEC Play at Ole Miss

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Players Mentioned

Mary Wilson Avant

Sydney Chambley

Alley Cutting

Jaiden Fields

Lacey Fincher

Jayda Kearney

Madison Kerpics

Sydney Kuma

Lauren Mathis

Britton Rogers

Jacqui Switzer

University of Georgia Athletics