The Diamond Dawgs hit the road, traveling to Macon to take on the undefeated Mercer Bears for a 6:00 p.m. college baseball game.
 
 
Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin announced that senior left-hander Andrew Gist (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start for the Bulldogs. Mercer will counter with sophomore left-hander Austin Cox (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Gist pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in the season opener. Last year, he went 3-2 with a 5.18 ERA in 15 appearances including six starts.
 
 
Here’s a few tidbits regarding Tuesday’s matchup:
 
 
Georgia leads the all-time series with Mercer 46-13 in records dating back to 1950. Last year, Georgia won 7-6 in 10 innings in Macon while the Bears posted a 3-1 win in Athens. In the Bulldog win, Blakely Brown made his debut as he inherited a bases-loaded situation with one out in the bottom of the ninth and picked up the victory with 1.2 IP and 3K. Georgia’s pitching staff issued 11 walks and had five wild pitches but struck out 14. The bullpen allowed just one run over the final 7.2 innings. Logan Moody’s sacrifice fly provided the go-ahead run in the 10th.
 
 
Georgia dropped its season-opening series to College of Charleston and avoided a sweep this past Sunday with a 9-8 thriller over the Cougars. The Bulldogs entered the ninth Sunday leading 9-7 and sent freshman OF/LHP Tucker Bradley to the mound for his pitching debut after playing the first eight innings in centerfield. He issued back-to-back walks and then an RBI-double, and on the play, the Bulldogs threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the first out, as the batter took third. With one out, Bradley struck out the Cougars cleanup hitter, and then freshman Christian Ryder made his debut and struck out the next hitter for the save! Meanwhile, Mercer swept a three-game set from Maryland Eastern Shore, outscoring them 36-6.
 
 
Fifteen Bulldogs made their debut this past weekend including 12 freshmen. Georgia started five freshmen on Opening Day (2B, 3B, SS, CF, LF), the largest group since 2009 when five started.
 
 
Bulldog sophomore 1B Adam Sasser led the offense with an SEC-best .667 average (6-for-9) with two home runs and three RBI. He had one home run in 55 at bats last year. Freshman C Austin Biggar made two starts and batted .571 (4-for-7) with a double, home run and four RBI. In Sunday’s win, freshman 3B Aaron Schunk drove in five runs as part of a 3-for-4 day. For the weekend, Georgia batted .314 with eight doubles and four home runs, however, the pitching staff surrendered 32 runs with 19 walks and eight wild pitches.
 
 
PITCHING MATCHUP

For Georgia: Andrew Gist, senior, LHP (0-0, 0.00)
vs.
For Mercer: Austin Cox, sophomore, LHP (1-0, 0.00).
 
 
TV and RADIO

TV: None

Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College (Jeff Dantzler/David Johnston)

Stations: 960 AM-WRFC and selected affiliates (check your local listings), georgiadogs.com and via the Georgia Bulldogs app and TuneIn app.
 
 
CLICK HERE for the Georgia versus Mercer game notes.