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BSB: Dawgs Advance to SEC Tournament Semifinals
Fourth-ranked and SEC champion Georgia advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals after posting a 5-3 win over No. 14 Mississippi State Thursday at the Hoover Met.
Georgia (44-12) will play Saturday at 1 p.m. ET against either Florida or Alabama. Those two teams are playing their quarterfinal contest Thursday evening.
Fast Facts
- Junior right-hander Joey Volchko (9-2) started and went five innings for his ninth win. He allowed a pair of runs on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.
- Georgia jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly by senior Kolby Branch, scoring Rylan Lujo.
- In the fourth, senior Brennan Hudson broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run blast for his 17th home run of the year.
- Senior right-hander Matt Scott tossed the final four frames for his fifth save, allowing only a solo home run in the ninth to Noah Sullivan.
- With one more home run Thursday, Georgia increased its NCAA-leading total to 148 home runs on the year.
- Georgia notched its first win at the SEC Tournament since 2021. The SEC Champion Bulldogs have reached the semifinals for the first time since 2019.
- Georgia improved to 4-0 against MSU this season including a sweep in Starkville in early April that was a top five showdown.
Key Quotes
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson
On Thursday’s victory…
“I thought Joey’s (Volchko) fastball command was really good and he executed a lot of pitches. He landed some sliders when we needed them. Then, we turned the game over to Matt Scott and he settled in and threw the ball really well. He was exceuting his cutter. On the offensive side, Kolby Branch got us our first run. He does what older players in this league do, he took the sacrifice fly to get us on the board. Then Brennan (Hudson) gets off a great swing to put one in the seats in the fourth and that settled the game down for us. Also, I want to point out it’s hard to walk sometimes and Kenny Ishikawa drew a bases-loaded walk for our final run and the temperature in the dugout is a little lower when you’re up three compared to just one or two runs.”
Joey Volchko, Jr., RHP
On the SEC Tournament win and Matt Scott’s save…
“I’ve played with Matt (Scott) for three years now and I know how he goes about his business, and there’s nobody I trust more to come out there and finish the game. If I pass it to him in the sixth or seventh, it doesn’t matter. After having all these road starts this season, it’s been fun, and one of the reasons I’m sitting in this chair is because I’m a competitor and I want to win.”
Up Next
Georgia (44-12) plays Saturday at 1 p.m. ET against either No. 9 Florida or No. 10 Alabama. The SEC Tournament semifinal game will be available on SEC Network and the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network.
Report From Day One of the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors Spring Meeting
The largest philanthropic commitment in UGA Athletics history, another impressive academic year for Bulldog student-athletes and updates on numerous sports highlighted the first day of the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors spring meeting that was held Thursday at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds.
Thursday’s meeting also included a presentation from AMPLOS Performance Psychologist Drew Brannon and Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott, who touched on the importance of the football team’s “skull” sessions.
Highlights of Remarks from J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks
*Adam Wexler, founder of PrizePicks and CEO of The Hidden Jams, announced a $10 million commitment to Georgia Athletics with a focus on the men’s basketball program. It is the largest donation in Bulldog history.
*Georgia student-athletes boasted a 3.26 GPA this spring after a record-setting 3.30 in the fall.
*Bulldog football finished with a 3.00 GPA, marking the program’s highest term GPA since 2020. Women’s tennis earned the highest GPA among women’s athletics teams with a 3.65, while men’s cross country tallied the highest on the men’s side with a 3.58.
*Football’s 2021 roster has now had 45 players taken in the NFL Draft, a new record for one team in college football history.
*Brooks focused on the success of the Georgia men’s basketball program, which set the new program record with 22 regular season wins and back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for just the fourth time in program history.
*Mike White has totaled the most wins through his four years for a Georgia men’s basketball coach. Wes Johnson has totaled the most wins in the first three years for any Bulldog baseball coach.
*Women’s tennis and women’s track and field won national titles during the indoor season, while gymnastics finished No. 6 nationally, its best finish since 2016.
*Brooks highlighted new women’s basketball coach Ayla Guzzardo and the head coach of Georgia gymnastics Cecile Canqueteau-Landi.
*This successful spring athletics seasons includes a record-setting year for baseball, a NCAA Super Regional berth by softball and men’s golf’s trip to the NCAA Championships. Women’s track and field is ranked No. 1 and men’s track and field is ranked No. 3 nationally.
*Women’s tennis earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Championships and advanced to the semifinals for the fourth-straight year. Georgia also hosted the NCAA Tennis Championships, welcoming close to 10,000 spectators to Athens.
*On the fundraising side, all active and completed capital projects for Georgia Athletics have been fully funded.
*Active projects include the football practice complex, the Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium culvert maintenance and sanitary sewer project and Sanford Stadium’s master plan.
*Brooks congratulated the entire UGA staff on a successful Live Between the Hedges concert and announced the Soccer in Sanford game, which will take place Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
*Brooks concluded his remarks by highlighting the new Georgia football radio team of Jeff Dantzler and Jon Stinchcomb.
ICYMI: Adam Wexler, Made the Largest Philanthropic Commitment in UGAAA history
Adam Wexler, a proud 2007 graduate of the University of Georgia, founder of PrizePicks and CEO of The Hidden Jams, has made the largest philanthropic commitment in UGA Athletic Association history in support of Bulldog men’s basketball, it was announced Thursday.
The $10 million commitment will be used for personnel and operating expenses within the Georgia men’s basketball program, with a portion going toward the Athletic Director Excellence Fund. This places Wexler among the university’s most significant benefactors and reflects an enduring investment in the future of Georgia Athletics. The gift is expected to serve as an anchor commitment supporting the continued evolution, long-term competitive standing and national ambitions of the Georgia Basketball program.
Wexler attended the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business before going on to build industry-leading consumer platforms and category-defining businesses.
“The University of Georgia has always meant a tremendous amount to me and my family,” Wexler said. “Watching my father’s lifelong connection to this university shaped my appreciation for what Georgia represents: opportunity, culture, and excellence. There has never been a more interesting time in the history of collegiate athletics for donors to make a difference, and I’d love for this to be the start of something much bigger for the Bulldog community.”
Wexler’s connection to the university runs deep. His father, Alan Wexler, was a two-sport student-athlete at Georgia who competed alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton and under Olympic champion and track coach, Spec Towns. He was also the former editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, creating a lifelong family connection to the Bulldog community and the university’s athletic tradition.
“This gift will leave a lasting impact on the Athletic Association and, specifically, the men’s basketball program,” J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks said. “We are deeply grateful for Adam’s extraordinary generosity and commitment to Bulldog Athletics. His investment will further elevate our program and continue to enhance the student-athlete experience.”
Wexler, who lived in Athens for nearly a decade, from his undergraduate years through the early stages of his entrepreneurial career, has remained closely connected to the state. His support for Georgia Athletics reflects both a belief in the basketball program’s future and a broader commitment to investing in institutions that shape leadership, culture, and opportunity across the state.
“From the day we arrived in Athens, the focus of our program has been growth,” Bulldog Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike White said. “Our ultimate goal is to grow Georgia Basketball into a program that regularly competes at the highest levels. Georgia Basketball is very important to Adam Wexler, and his incredibly generous gift will assist us greatly in our pursuit to reach that standard.”
Additional details regarding the impact of the gift and future program initiatives will be announced at a later date.
About the University of Georgia Athletic Association
A top-20 public university in the U.S. for 10 straight years, the University of Georgia boasts an athletic program that has won 54 national team championships and 186 Southeastern Conference titles. Georgia student-athletes have a long tradition of excellence that has placed the University of Georgia among the nation’s most elite academic and athletic powerhouses.
About Adam Wexler
Adam Wexler is a serial entrepreneur and recognized leader across sports, entertainment, and technology. A graduate of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and member of the inaugural class of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Program, he founded PrizePicks, now the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America. Earlier in his career, Wexler served as a digital consultant to the Atlanta Hawks during the franchise’s record-breaking 2014-2015 season after being brought in by Hawks CEO Steve Koonin to help shape the organization’s digital and fan engagement strategy. Today, Wexler is returning to his music roots through The Hidden Jams, a nonprofit music discovery platform focused on connecting music fans to their next favorite song.
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