The Georgia softball team will host the 8th annual Bulldog Invitational this weekend at Jack Turner Stadium featuring teams from Central Connecticut State, Michigan State, and UNC Wilmington.
Earlier this week, inclement weather forced Wednesday’s home game versus Kennesaw State to be canceled for the 16th-ranked Georgia softball team who are 14-3 on the season. The Lady Diamond Dogs will look to get back in the swing of things starting with the three-day Bulldog Invitational. The action will start out with a doubleheader this afternoon. Game 1 will be against the University of North Carolina-Wilmington at 3:00 p.m. ET. Game 2 of the doubleheader will feature Georgia facing off against Central Connecticut State.
Day two of the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday will feature another doubleheader with game 1 matching the Bulldogs with Central Connecticut State once again starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. Game 2 will pit Georgia against Michigan State. The weekend’s tournament will conclude on Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. ET game versus Michigan State.
Friday and Saturday’s games will be featured on SEC Network+/WatchESPN while live stats will be available for all games. Links can be found on georgiadogs.com.
GAME NOTES
For the complete game notes for the Georgia softball team’s 8th Annual Bulldog Invitational, CLICK HERE.
LOOKING BACK ON WEEK 3
Georgia went on the road for the first time this season, heading out west for its annual trip to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Bulldogs went 2-3 for the weekend, defeating Northwestern and Cal State Fullerton while falling to No. 23 BYU, No. 4 UCLA and a nationally-recognized Notre Dame squad. Senior Sydni Emanuel led the bats with a .474 average, posting nine hits and a trio of runs, while freshman Ciara Bryan followed in the hits total column with six. Junior Brittany Gray earned the wins in the circle while freshman Mary Wilson Avant led the staff with 14 strikeouts.
COACH HARRIS-CHAMPER POSTS 1000TH CAREER WIN
Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer recorded her 1,000th career win after the Bulldogs took down Cal State Fullerton 6-4 on Saturday night. Harris-Champer is in her 21st season coaching after spending the first four seasons split between Nicholls State and Southern Miss while she is in year 17 in Athens. Her teams have been to five Women’s College World Series, nine Super Regionals and 19 Regionals. Harris-Champer also hit the landmark in her home state of California.
CORTNI ON WAY TO 100 CAREER STOLEN BASES
Junior Cortni Emanuel is closing in on 100 career stolen bases, as the Missouri City, Texas, native is 98-104 in swiped bags. C. Emanuel is 20-21 this season, leading the nation in total stolen bases. Last season, the outfielder had 33 while in her freshman campaign, C. Emanuel posted 45, the most by a Georgia player since 2007. Her 98 career bases is third in Georgia history behind Michelle Tyree’s 99, but C. Emanuel has some work to do to catch Nicole Barber’s 257 stolen bases, as it still holds as first in NCAA history since Barber’s departure in 2004.
LEADING THE WAY IN THE SEC AND NCAA
Georgia’s stats are some of the best in the league and nation so far this season. The team’s .394 batting average is first in the SEC while trailing Drexel for the best nationally, though Drexel has played just two games to Georgia’s 17. The Bulldogs are also first among all teams with 169 hits and tied for first with Marshall at 42 stolen bases. Georgia also has a few individuals sitting at the top of stat categories. Gray leads the nation and conference with nine wins in the circle while Alyssa DiCarlo leads all players with 26 RBI while tied with eight home runs. C. Emanuel’s speed has her with 20 stolen bases to lead all Division I players.