Bulldogs Host Georgia Southern Wednesday

No. 12/9 Georgia (31-8)
vs. Georgia Southern (14-20)
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium
Admission: FREE (no tickets required // seating is first come, first served)

Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+
   Play-by-Play: Kaleb Frady
   Analysis: Mary Wilson Avant
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

The 12^th-ranked Georgia softball team returns to the friendly confines of Jack Turner Stadium to host in-state foe Georgia Southern on Wednesday. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Wednesday's game will stream live on SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady (play-by-play) and Mary Wilson Avant (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 on the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.

Upcoming Promotions at Jack Turner Stadium
» Admission to every home regular season Georgia softball game is FREE. No tickets are required. Seating is first come, first served. The UGA clear bag policy is in effect.
Wednesday, April 12
- UGA Student Appreciation Night: The first 150 UGA students will receive a t-shirt, pizza, and 1,000 Commit to the G points.
- Kids fifth grade and younger can run the bases after the game

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
» Georgia leads the all-time series 31-1
» The Bulldogs are 30-0 in Athens in the series
» Georgia came out on top of a 12-7 battle in 2022 in Athens; prior to that, the teams had not met since 2019
» Georgia split a doubleheader on the road in 2000, the only meetings outside of Athens since the series began in 1997

Recapping Action
Georgia won its fifth SEC series last weekend, taking two-of-three on the road at No. 8 Arkansas. Down two in the seventh, Jayda Kearney provided a three-run home run to lift the Bulldogs to a 4-3 victory in the opener. Shelby Walters spun a two-hit shutout in game two as Georgia blanked the Razorbacks 4-0 to take the series. Arkansas came back from a three-run deficit in the finale to win the finale 4-3 and evade a sweep by the Bulldogs.

A Look at What's Ahead
The Bulldogs are back on the road this weekend for a three-game series at SEC rival No. 15 Florida. The series kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Saturday's game is slated for a 2 p.m. start with the finale set for Sunday at 12 p.m. All three games will stream live on SEC Network +.

Georgia in the Polls
Georgia's rankings after Week 9:
     - USA Today/NFCA: 12
     - ESPN/USA Softball: 9
     - D1Softball: 6
     - Softball America: 7
     - RPI: 15

Coaching Connections
Georgia Southern head coach Sharon Perkins was a member of the Georgia coaching staff under Lu Harris-Champer for six seasons from 2001-06. During her time in Athens, the Bulldogs won the 2003 and 2005 SEC regular season titles. Perkins' coaching career started as a student coach under Harris-Champer at Nichols then followed her to Southern Miss then on to Athens. Perkins left Athens following the 2006 season to become the head coach at Georgia Tech.

Shout Outs for Shutouts
The Bulldogs pitching staff has recorded 14 shutouts (10th most in the country) in 2023 including five in SEC play. Georgia's three-straight SEC shutouts was the longest streak since 2006 (4). Shelby Walters and Madison Kerpics had combined to pitch 24-straight scoreless innings entering the Kentucky series. Earlier in the season, Georgia closed out the month of February shutting out six-straight opponents. That scoreless-inning streak reached 40 innings.

Improving in Game Two
The Bulldogs have made significant improvement in the second game of SEC series compared to 2022. Currently, Georgia is 5-0 in the second game of SEC series this season compared to 2-3 through five series a season ago. Georgia has already topped its number of series wins this season, winning five compared to a total of four a year ago. Georgia and its opponents squared off in a game three rubber match five times last year.

The Dogs Can Swing It
Georgia is currently slugging its way to the top of the SEC, leading the league with a .592 team slugging percentage (ranks fourth nationally). Additionally, UGA leads the Conference with 341 hits, 63 home runs, 14 triples, and 58 doubles. Georgia (616) has over 100 more total bases than the second-place team in the league (Florida, 514).

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Players Mentioned

Jayda Kearney

Madison Kerpics

Shelby Walters