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BSB: Dawgs Open Road Series with Arkansas
Fifth-ranked and SEC-leader Georgia (30-8, 11-4 SEC) opens a road series with No. 14 Arkansas (25-13, 8-7 SEC) Thursday on ESPNU. First pitch will be at 8 p.m. ET and be available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
Game two of the series will be Friday at 7 ET (SECN+) and Saturday’s action begins at 2 pm ET (SECN+).
Georgia ranks among the top offensive teams with an NCAA-leading 100 home runs to go with a .324 batting average, a .622 slugging percentage while averaging 9.6 runs a game. The Bulldogs are fielding .983. The Razorbacks, winners of five straight, are batting .275 with 53 home runs and averaging 7.1 runs a game. Arkansas is fielding .975.
The Bulldogs are 5-1 on the road in SEC action this season, winning series at No. 21 Texas A&M and sweeping then No. 5 Mississippi State. Georgia won its first four SEC series before dropping its latest to then No. 21 Florida last weekend in Athens two games to one. Georgia’s 11-4 SEC start is its best since 2009 when it posted an 11-4 record through the first half of league play.
In the series history versus UA, Georgia trails 38-30 dating to 1987. Georgia’s last visit came in 2021, and it went 1-2. Last year, Georgia won a series 2-1 in Athens on a 12th-inning walk-off solo home run by Henry Hunter. The teams first met at the 1987 College World Series.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are led by a trio of the league’s top hitters in junior infielder Tre Phelps (.393-14-39), junior catcher Daniel Jackson (.384-16-52) and sophomore outfielder Rylan Lujo (.365-5-23). The Bulldogs have six regulars with at least 10 home runs. Phelps has been hit by a pitch an NCAA-best 24 times while Jackson is closing in on a 20-home run-20 stolen base season as he leads the club in home runs (16) and stolen bases (18). Meanwhile, Lujo ranks as the SEC’s top hitter in league play with a .422 batting average and an OPS of 1.211.
The Razorbacks are 16-8 at home. Last weekend in the SEC, they swept No. 8 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. They have been on the road in the SEC the past two weeks with their last home series coming against Florida to end March as the Gators registered a sweep (9-4, 7-4 and 7-6) at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson is a native of Sherwood, Arkansas. He began his coaching career in the Arkansas high school ranks and later served as the pitching coach at Central Arkansas, Southern Arkansas as well at the University of Arkansas under Dave Van Horn from 2017-18. Now in his third season with UGA, the Bulldogs are perennial NCAA Regional hosts, and he owns a career record of 116-42 (.734).
Georgia-Arkansas Pitching Rotation
Game 1: Joey Volchko (6-1, 3.38 ERA), RHP, Jr., vs. Hunter Dietz (3-2, 3.61 ERA), LHP, RSo.
Game 2: Dylan Vigue (3-1, 2.63 ERA), RHP, Jr., vs. Cole Gibler (3-0, 2.78 ERA), LHP, So.
Game 3: TBA vs. TBA
*The Bulldogs have a 4.54 ERA with 400 strikeouts and 160 walks. Opponents are hitting .235.
*Volchko and Vigue have been Georgia’s top two starters in SEC action this season while the game three starter has been either sophomore Kenny Ishiksawa (1-1, 11.08 ERA) or senior Matt Scott (5-0, 3.45 ERA, 2 SV).
*Graduate Caden Aoki (4-0, 2.55 ERA, 3 SV) and Scott have excelled out of the bullpen this year with redshirt junior Justin Byrd (2-1, 4.19 ERA, 3 SV) and redshirt sophomore Paul Farley (4-0, 4.28 ERA, 1 SV) also involved in high-leverage situations.
*UA has a 4.01 ERA with 378 strikeouts and 130 walks. Opponents are hitting .233.
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson On The Upcoming Series
On Georgia’s success on the road this season:
“You have to find a way to focus, and at least on our first two trips on the road, the guys have been able to do that. We need to continue to do that. Sometimes when I was coaching in the Big Leagues and we went on the road, it helped guys. They got away from everything that is at home and were able to just focus on baseball. For some guys, that helps, and hopefully, it will again this weekend.”
On the Arkansas Razorbacks:
“They are a classic Arkansas club. They can really pitch, got some power in the middle of their lineup and a couple guys that can really run. Obviously, I know Dave (Van Horn) really well; I worked for him and I know what his style is. It’s going to be another tough SEC series just like all of them and especially being on the road.”
Links To Follow The Bulldog Series
Thursday @ 8 pm ET
Radio/TV: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston): https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4992&type=Live
ESPNU (Tom Hart & Lance Cormier): https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a7b20721-9da1-48a7-979b-f018945c61e6
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=629823
Friday @ 7 pm ET
Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston): https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4993&type=Live
SECN+ (Josh Haley & Troy Eklund): https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/91ebc63d-0d70-45f3-a81b-18e43350fc71
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=629824
Saturday @ 2pm ET
Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston): https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=5025&type=Live
SECN+ (Brett Dolan & Troy Eklund): https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/6d258b9e-a175-456f-9926-08493d6f698f
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=629825
MBB: Jonas Hayes Joined Mike White’s Staff
Jonas Hayes, who sports more than a decade of previous experience as an extremely successful player and coach with the Georgia Bulldogs, has joined the Bulldogs’ staff as an assistant coach, head coach Mike White announced on Wednesday.
“I have respected Coach Hayes for a long time and am extremely excited to have him join our staff,” White said. “We’ve never worked together, but he’s someone who immediately makes you feel comfortable. It quickly becomes apparent what the University of Georgia means to him. His love for the state of Georgia, UGA, the Athens community and Georgia Basketball is palpable. I know how excited he is to be back at Stegeman, and I’m confident he will make an immediate and sustained impact as our program continues to grow.”
Hayes has spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Georgia State and the four seasons prior to that on the staff at Xavier, including a stint as interim head coach when he led the Musketeers to the 2022 NIT title.
“I’ve respected and admired Coach White for quite sometime,” Hayes said. “I have so much respect for him as a man, and the success he’s had as a coach speaks for its self. Georgia is home.This place helped shape me as a man, as a player, and as a coach. Having the opportunity to return means everything to me. I’m incredibly grateful to Coach White for trusting me to be part of what he’s building at my alma mater. And I speak fluent Bulldawg!!”
An Atlanta native, Hayes played an integral role in many of Georgia Basketball’s greatest success during the 2000s. In the Bulldogs’ 11 combined seasons with Hayes as a player or member of the staff, Georgia earned seven postseason bids and declined an additional postseason opportunity.
Hayes was a three-year letterwinner and started 41 of 88 games played for the Bulldogs from 2001-04, averaging 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds during his career. He was a member of teams that earned bids to the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Tournaments and the 2004 NIT. As a coach, he helped Georgia earn bids to the 2015 NCAA Tournament and the 2014, 2016 and 2017 NITs.
Hayes was on the Xavier staff for NIT appearances in 2019 and 2022. He was an assistant coach for three seasons before being promoted to associate head coach in 2021. He was tabbed interim head coach in March 2002 and went on to lead the Musketeers to victories over Florida, Vanderbilt, St. Bonaventure and Texas A&M en route to capturing the 2022 NIT Championship.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs’ staff, Hayes spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Belmont Abbey from 2007-12. He also was an assistant coach at South Carolina State and Morehouse. He originally returned to Georgia as operations coordinator for the 2012-13 season and moved into a slot as an assistant coach a year later.
Immediately after Hayes’ became an assistant coach, the Bulldogs posted three consecutive 20-win finishes, just the second time Georgia accomplished that feat. The Bulldogs also posted their winningest four-year SEC total (42 victories from 2014-17) during Hayes’ tenure. Hayes played a major role in the development and production of Georgia’s post players, including Marcus Thornton, a 2015 All-SEC performer, and Yante Maten, a two-time All-SEC honoree and the 2018 AP SEC Player of the Year.
A decade prior to his stint on the Georgia staff, Hayes was a prominent player on three successful Bulldog teams between 2001-04. Hayes scored 759 points, including a career-best 25 in a double OT win over No. 3 Georgia Tech as a senior, and pulled down 435 rebounds for Georgia. Hayes and his twin brother, Jarvis, played at Western Carolina as freshmen before transferring to Georgia in 2000. Jonas averaged 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while connecting on 63.0 percent of his shots from the floor in his one season with the Catamounts. Per NCAA rules, the Hayes twins practiced but did not play for the Bulldogs during the 2000-01 season when Georgia earned a bid to “March Madness.”
When he returned to action, Jonas helped Georgia reach postseason competition twice, with invitations to the 2002 NCAA Tournament and 2004 NIT. He averaged 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds as a sophomore and contributed 6.7 points and 4.4 boards as a junior. Jonas then started 29 of 30 games played as a senior and averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.
The Hayes twins starred at Atlanta’s Douglass High, where they led the Astros to the semifinals of the 1999 Class 4A State Tournament as seniors. Jonas averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds that season, while Jarvis averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds.
SB: Dawgs Hold Off Kennesaw
The No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs held off a late Kennesaw State push for a 7-5 win on Wednesday night at Bailey Park. Georgia improves to 32-11 on the season while the Owls slide to 7-33.
SOFTBALL | vs. Kennesaw State | W, 7-5
Winning Pitcher: Addisen Fisher (9-4)
Losing Pitcher: Leah Jannakos (6-11)
Save: Presley Harrison (3)
Fast Facts:
- RHP Addisen Fisher made the start in the circle for the Bulldogs going 3.0 innings with three strikeouts to one walk and one hit allowed for her ninth win. LHP Ada Little pitched 0.2 innings with three hits, one earned run, a walk and one strikeout before RHP Destin Howard stepped in going one inning with two hits and two strikeouts. RHP Maddie Johnson went 1.1 innings in relief before RHP Presley Harrison closed the seventh inning striking out all three batters for the save.
- Natalie Ray kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the first. Georgia added two more runs in the second frame off Goodwin’s RBI triple and a fielding error. A four-spot in the fourth inning built the Bulldog lead to 7-0.
- Senior Jaydyn Goodwin was 3-4 at the plate with two runs, two RBIs, a double and a triple – just a home run short of the cycle.
- The home side scored three runs in the fourth inning off a fielding error and an RBI single before adding another run off an RBI double in the fifth inning.
- Georgia improves to 11-2 all-time against Kennesaw State.
Key Quote:
#2 Jaydyn Goodwin | Sr. | OF
On the performance…
“Glad we could come out with a road dub. Proud of Addi [Fisher] for giving us a chance from the jump and dominating in the circle, allowing us to go up there and just be able to trust our training to get runs on the board.”
#11 Addisen Fisher | So. | RHP
On the win…
“We were just going out and just playing softball. We didn’t want to make it any bigger than it was or anything like that.We were just trying to go out and compete like we always do. I think that was just the biggest piece we were focusing on today.”
Up Next:
No. 13 Georgia returns home to host the No. 5 Texas Longhorns this weekend at the Jack Turner Stadium. This weekend’s series is the ESPN series of the week slated to kick off a with a 4:00 p.m. ET first pitch on Saturday, followed by 12:00 p.m. ET and 7:00 p.m. ET first pitches on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
Saturday’s game is a ‘Pink Out’ at The Jack. The first 500 fans will receive free pink visors presented by Piedmont Health. Sunday’s game is Dad & Daughter Day, and on Monday, the first 500 fans will get free fuzzy socks.
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