Roundup of Georgia Softball Preseason Team, Player Rankings

ATHENS, Ga. – The 2023 season will be the 27^th of Georgia softball in Athens and the second under the direction of head coach Tony Baldwin.

The Bulldogs have received significant praise heading into the new season, both as a team and individually.

Georgia will open the season ranked No. 15 in USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. The 2023 preseason rankings are the highest since 2019 when Georgia opened the season No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Georgia is ranked No. 10 in the D1Softball poll and No. 12 in the Softball America poll.

Top 25 Poll	Ranking
USA Today/NFCA	15
ESPN.com/USA Softball	13
D1Softball	10
Softball America	12

Last Wednesday, USA Softball announced senior Sara Mosley and junior Jayda Kearney as two of 50 on its watch list for the Collegiate Player of the Year award.

The trio of Mosley, Kearney, and Sydney Kuma were all named Preseason All-Americans by Softball America. Mosley appeared on the second team while Kuma and Kearney landed on the third team.

Four Bulldogs appeared on preseason top 100 player rankings heading into the season including Mosley, Kuma, and Kearney along with graduate transfer Shelby Walters.

	D1Softball	Softball America	Extra Inning Softball
Sara Mosley	33	22	39
Sydney Kuma	79	50	84
Shelby Walters	73	NR	NR
Jayda Kearney	NR	43	NR

Georgia's transfer class of graduate right-handed pitcher Walters (Duke), outfielder Dallis Goodnight (Alabama), and graduate catcher/utility Ally Kurland (Penn State) was ranked the fifth-best transfer class by D1Softball in the fall.

Additionally, freshmen Jaydyn Goodwin and Destin Howard were two of D1Softball's '55 Freshmen Names to Know Heading into 2023.' Goodwin will bring plus-speed both in the field and the base paths while Howard will bolster the Bulldogs' pitching staff this season.

A total of 14 student-athletes returns from last season's roster including seven position players from the starting lineup and five members of the pitching staff. 2022 NFCA All-American Mosley headlines Georgia's returners along with All-SEC performers Kearney and Kuma and All-Region award winner Sydney Chambley.

The 2022 team broke the program record for home runs in a season, blasting 107 last year. The 2023 team returns 74 percent of both its home run power and its run production. The offense finished last season top 10 nationally in home runs per game, on base percentage, slugging, and scoring while finishing 11th with a .323 team batting average.

Georgia opens the season in Orlando, Florida Feb. 9. The Bulldogs will face No. 18 UCF on opening night. Georgia will play UCF, Ohio State, Boise State, and UMass in five games of the round robin Black and Gold Classic at the UCF Softball Complex to begin the 2023 season.

# @UGAsoftball #

University of Georgia Athletics

Roundup of Georgia Softball Preseason Team, Player Rankings

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Players Mentioned

Sydney Chambley

Dallis Goodnight

Jaydyn Goodwin

Destin Howard

Jayda Kearney

Sydney Kuma

Ally Kurland

Sara Mosley

Shelby Walters

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