University of Georgia Athletics
Tuesday, May 21
Hoover, Ala.
10:30 a.m. ET
University of Georgia
vs
LSU
Georgia Opens SEC Tournament With LSU Tuesday
May 20, 2024 | Baseball
ATHENS-----Nationally-ranked Georgia opens the SEC Tournament Tuesday against LSU with first pitch at 10:32 a.m. ET. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs are 39-14 and earned the sixth seed after posting a 17-13 mark in league play under first-year Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. The Tigers are 36-20 and are the 11th seed after going 13-17 in SEC action.
*The 2024 Bulldogs: Georgia, winners of nine of its past 11 games, aims to improve its NCAA resume and chances of being a top eight national seed for the NCAA Tournament. Currently, the Bulldogs are No. 6 in the RPI with a No. 9 SoS (Strength of Schedule). This year, Georgia finished 22-1 (.957) out of conference during the regular season, which is the best winning percentage in those games in school history. The Bulldogs have made 14 NCAA Playoff/Regional appearances. Georgia has been a national seed five times: No. 4 in 2019; No. 6 in 2001, No. 7 in 2006 and No. 8 in 2008 and 2018. They have made six trips to the CWS (1987-90-01-04-06-08), and the Bulldogs were the first SEC baseball team to win the national title. The NCAA Tournament field of 64 will be announced on Monday, May 27.
*Stay Hot: The Bulldogs rank third nationally with a school record 140 home runs. Also, this year's squad has hit a school record 11 grand slams. Georgia is third nationally with a .605 slugging percentage and fourth in on base percentage at .438. The Bulldogs are batting .307 with a 5.58 team ERA and a .973 fielding percentage. Georgia has posted double-digit runs in seven of its past nine SEC games.
*Top Hitters To Watch: The Bulldog offense is headlined by redshirt-sophomore All-America Charlie Condon. The potential top draft pick in 2024, he leads the NCAA with a .451 batting average, a school record 35 home runs (2nd in SEC history and most in the BBCOR era), 219 total bases, and a 1.063 SLG%. He has a .567 OB% (third nationally) with 50 walks (23 intentional) and 75 RBI. He has a team-best 24-game hitting streak, which matches his longest last year. Condon has smashed a school record 60 career home runs in only 109 games. Senior Corey Collins is enjoying a fine year at .361-18-52 while ranking second in the country with a .586 OB%. He ranks fifth nationally with an SEC-leading and school record 25 HBP this year. Freshman Tre Phelps checks in at .370-9-33.
*Top Pitchers To Watch: Georgia's top starting pitchers of late have been sophomore RHP Leighton Finley (5-1, 4.18 ERA, 69K, 24BB, 64.2 IP) and sophomore RHP Kolten Smith (9-2, 4.40 ERA, 94K, 13BB, 61.1 IP) while graduate LHP Charlie Goldstein (4-1, 3.72 ERA, 43K, 13BB, 36.1 IP) has pitched just 7.2 innings since beating then No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville on March 29. His last action came against No. 13 Vanderbilt on May 4 but left after 2.2 scoreless innings due to a triceps cramp. Georgia's starter for the SEC Tournament opener is TBA.
*Hired This Man: Selected by J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks to lead the Bulldog baseball program last June, Ike Cousins head coach Wes Johnson already has set the school record for most overall wins and most SEC wins by a Georgia baseball coach in his first season. Also, he will be only the second Georgia baseball coach in school history to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, joining David Perno who did it in 2002. Georgia was picked to finish sixth in the East in a preseason poll of SEC coaches, however the Bulldogs tied for fifth overall in the league and third in the East behind co-champions UT and UK.
*SEC Tournament History: Georgia, the No. 6 seed, will be making its 29th appearance at the SEC Tournament where the Bulldogs are 31-50. Georgia's best finish has been second (1985, 1986, 1989). The Bulldogs went 1-2 in 2021 but have lost their opener the past two years. Tuesday's action is a single elimination round while double elimination begins on Wednesday.
Georgia opens with LSU (36-20, 13-17 SEC) who it did not play during the regular season (along with Auburn and Arkansas). Georgia went 15-12 against the 2024 SEC Tournament field. LSU holds a 72-26-2 edge over Georgia in the all-time series that dates to 1975 including 9-3 in SEC Tournament matchups. The last SEC Tournament meeting came in 2021, and the Bulldogs won 4-1.
If Georgia beats the Tigers, the Bulldogs face SEC Co-Champion Kentucky (39-12, 22-8 SEC) on Wednesday at 10:30 am ET. The Wildcats swept Georgia in Lexington to open league play. Georgia is 3-2 against the Wildcats when meeting in the SEC Tournament.
Radio/TV/Live Stats Links
Tuesday at 10:32 a.m. ET (SEC Network
Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston)
https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4622&type=Live
TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal & Lance Cormier)
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/3291b3cc-2f51-4e7b-9cbb-e463e71e8ba8
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=527521
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: For the latest Georgia baseball news, visit www.georgiadogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on X (@BaseballUGA), Facebook (@GeorgiaBaseball) and Instagram (@baseballuga).
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs are 39-14 and earned the sixth seed after posting a 17-13 mark in league play under first-year Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. The Tigers are 36-20 and are the 11th seed after going 13-17 in SEC action.
*The 2024 Bulldogs: Georgia, winners of nine of its past 11 games, aims to improve its NCAA resume and chances of being a top eight national seed for the NCAA Tournament. Currently, the Bulldogs are No. 6 in the RPI with a No. 9 SoS (Strength of Schedule). This year, Georgia finished 22-1 (.957) out of conference during the regular season, which is the best winning percentage in those games in school history. The Bulldogs have made 14 NCAA Playoff/Regional appearances. Georgia has been a national seed five times: No. 4 in 2019; No. 6 in 2001, No. 7 in 2006 and No. 8 in 2008 and 2018. They have made six trips to the CWS (1987-90-01-04-06-08), and the Bulldogs were the first SEC baseball team to win the national title. The NCAA Tournament field of 64 will be announced on Monday, May 27.
*Stay Hot: The Bulldogs rank third nationally with a school record 140 home runs. Also, this year's squad has hit a school record 11 grand slams. Georgia is third nationally with a .605 slugging percentage and fourth in on base percentage at .438. The Bulldogs are batting .307 with a 5.58 team ERA and a .973 fielding percentage. Georgia has posted double-digit runs in seven of its past nine SEC games.
*Top Hitters To Watch: The Bulldog offense is headlined by redshirt-sophomore All-America Charlie Condon. The potential top draft pick in 2024, he leads the NCAA with a .451 batting average, a school record 35 home runs (2nd in SEC history and most in the BBCOR era), 219 total bases, and a 1.063 SLG%. He has a .567 OB% (third nationally) with 50 walks (23 intentional) and 75 RBI. He has a team-best 24-game hitting streak, which matches his longest last year. Condon has smashed a school record 60 career home runs in only 109 games. Senior Corey Collins is enjoying a fine year at .361-18-52 while ranking second in the country with a .586 OB%. He ranks fifth nationally with an SEC-leading and school record 25 HBP this year. Freshman Tre Phelps checks in at .370-9-33.
*Top Pitchers To Watch: Georgia's top starting pitchers of late have been sophomore RHP Leighton Finley (5-1, 4.18 ERA, 69K, 24BB, 64.2 IP) and sophomore RHP Kolten Smith (9-2, 4.40 ERA, 94K, 13BB, 61.1 IP) while graduate LHP Charlie Goldstein (4-1, 3.72 ERA, 43K, 13BB, 36.1 IP) has pitched just 7.2 innings since beating then No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville on March 29. His last action came against No. 13 Vanderbilt on May 4 but left after 2.2 scoreless innings due to a triceps cramp. Georgia's starter for the SEC Tournament opener is TBA.
*Hired This Man: Selected by J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks to lead the Bulldog baseball program last June, Ike Cousins head coach Wes Johnson already has set the school record for most overall wins and most SEC wins by a Georgia baseball coach in his first season. Also, he will be only the second Georgia baseball coach in school history to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, joining David Perno who did it in 2002. Georgia was picked to finish sixth in the East in a preseason poll of SEC coaches, however the Bulldogs tied for fifth overall in the league and third in the East behind co-champions UT and UK.
*SEC Tournament History: Georgia, the No. 6 seed, will be making its 29th appearance at the SEC Tournament where the Bulldogs are 31-50. Georgia's best finish has been second (1985, 1986, 1989). The Bulldogs went 1-2 in 2021 but have lost their opener the past two years. Tuesday's action is a single elimination round while double elimination begins on Wednesday.
Georgia opens with LSU (36-20, 13-17 SEC) who it did not play during the regular season (along with Auburn and Arkansas). Georgia went 15-12 against the 2024 SEC Tournament field. LSU holds a 72-26-2 edge over Georgia in the all-time series that dates to 1975 including 9-3 in SEC Tournament matchups. The last SEC Tournament meeting came in 2021, and the Bulldogs won 4-1.
If Georgia beats the Tigers, the Bulldogs face SEC Co-Champion Kentucky (39-12, 22-8 SEC) on Wednesday at 10:30 am ET. The Wildcats swept Georgia in Lexington to open league play. Georgia is 3-2 against the Wildcats when meeting in the SEC Tournament.
Radio/TV/Live Stats Links
Tuesday at 10:32 a.m. ET (SEC Network
Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston)
https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4622&type=Live
TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal & Lance Cormier)
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/3291b3cc-2f51-4e7b-9cbb-e463e71e8ba8
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=527521
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: For the latest Georgia baseball news, visit www.georgiadogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on X (@BaseballUGA), Facebook (@GeorgiaBaseball) and Instagram (@baseballuga).
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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