Wednesday, March 10
Athens, Ga.
6:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

vs

Georgia State

Lauren Mathis 2021
Photo by: Tony Walsh

No. 18 Bulldogs Tussle with Georgia State Wednesday

March 09, 2021 | Softball

#18/21 Georgia (14-2)
vs. Georgia State (10-7)

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021
First Pitch: 6 p.m., ET
Location: Athens, Ga.  
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium
 
Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+ 
   Play-by-play: Karlie Smith 
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball
  
The 18th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will host Georgia State at Jack Turner Stadium Wednesday. First pitch of the midweek match-up is scheduled for 6 p.m. 
 
Follow the Bulldogs
» Wednesday's game against Georgia State will stream live on SEC Network+. Karlie Smith 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
Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, guests will be permitted through a "Player Pass List" only. Admission will not be open to the general public. For student-athlete families and guests, 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 this season for concessions.
 
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
Georgia State
» Georgia leads series the 17-4
» Georgia leads the series in Athens 11-4
» The Bulldogs and Panthers faced off in Atlanta on Feb. 27; Lauren Mathis and Alley Cutting combined to no-hit Georgia State in the contest and win 7-0
 
A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia will host the UGA Classic this weekend at Jack Turner Stadium, the final tournament of the regular season. East Carolina and North Dakota will come to Athens for the six-game tournament beginning Friday. The Bulldogs will travel to Kennesaw State for a midweek game next Wednesday before opening Southeastern Conference play against No. 17/18 Missouri at home March 19-21. 
 
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 eighth in the country with 1.88 home runs per game, hitting 30 home runs in 16 games. Individually, Sydney Kuma's seven home runs tie rank 15th in the nation and seventh in the SEC and Lacey Fincher's six rank 25th in the country. Georgia's .605 slugging percentage is 13th nationally. 
 
Avant Rules the Circle
Graduate pitcher Mary Wilson Avant has cemented herself as the Bulldogs' ace this season. She ranks third in the nation with eight victories in the circle and her 75 strikeouts ranks ninth. She's averaging 10.5 strikeouts per seven innings. 
 
Georgia Picks Up 45th and 46th 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. 
 
Welcome to the Sydney Show
Sophomore Sydney Kuma and freshman Sydney Chambley have made immediate impacts in the Bulldogs' lineup this season. The two have combined for 12 of Georgia's 30 home runs and 35 RBI. Their combined 17 extra base hits comprises 31 percent of the teams total. They each hit two home runs against Kent State Feb. 20. 
 
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. Her first Bulldog hit came in her second at-bat, an RBI triple to center. Her second hit of the game was a two-run home run to straight-away center in the sixth inning. In Saturday's game against Virginia, Chambley tied a Georgia single-game record with two more triples. She is only the third Bulldog to triple twice in a game and the first since Alex Hugo did it against Illinois in 2015. She concluded her three-hit day with a two-RBI double in Georgia's go-ahead fifth inning.
 
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 in the Polls
The Bulldogs rose to No. 18 in the NFCA and held at No. 21 in the USA Softball poll in week four. The Bulldogs rose in the D1Softball and Softball America polls to No. 19 from No. 24 last week. 
 
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. 
 
Roster Breakdown
The 2021 roster carries 27 student-athletes including 12 upperclassmen. Graduates Mary Wilson Avant and Alley Cutting returned for their final season after being granted another year of eligibility. The rest of the upperclassmen feature seven seniors and a trio of juniors. The roster offers a good mix of experience and youth with five sophomores and a 10-member freshmen class.
 
A Look a the Schedule
The 2021 schedule features 55 total games, 39 of which are set to be played at Jack Turner Stadium. The Bulldogs will host four non-conference tournaments to begin the season. Home SEC series include Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, and Alabama. Georgia will also host Oklahoma on April 20 in a midweek doubleheader. 
 
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.
 
 

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