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BSB: Dawgs Even Series with Arkansas
Fifth-ranked Georgia evened its series with 14th-ranked Arkansas Friday with a 5-3 win in front of a crowd of 10,593 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Fast Facts
- With tonight’s win, Georgia remains in first place in the SEC with a 12-5 league mark and improves to 31-9 overall.
- Bulldog junior Dylan Vigue started and went two scoreless innings with four strikeouts before warming up in the third and had to leave the game due to cramps.
- Graduate Caden Aoki came in for Vigue to start the third and provided five innings with four strikeouts to earn a victory and move to 5-0 on the year.
- Georgia took a 1-0 lead when Henry Allen led off the second with a mammoth blast that traveled a season high 477 feet. It was the longest home run hit in the Wes Johnson era, eclipsing Daniel Jackson’s 465 foot shot against Florida Gulf Coast last season. It was Allen’s 12th home run this year.
- The Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-0 in the third on run-scoring singles by Jordy Oriach and Michael O’Shaughnessy.
- Justin Byrd notched his fourth save by pitching two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
- Arkansas got a two-run home run from Damian Ruiz to cut Georgia’s lead to 4-2 in the sixth, and then Bulldog junior Rylan Lujo responded with a solo home run in the seventh to make it 5-2. It was his sixth home run of the year.
- With two more home runs Friday, Georgia now has an NCAA-leading 104 home runs on the year.
Key Quotes
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson
On Friday’s win to even the series…
“This league is really hard and crazier than it’s ever been. We didn’t do some things well enough on the mound Thursday. I told our guys we just have to flush it and come out today. Our game is a new day, no runs or mistakes carry over. You have to attack the strike zone. We needed to score early and we did. The moment was not too big for Caden (Aoki) coming in for Dylan (Vigue) and Justin( Byrd) threw the ball well too down the stretch.”
On update of Dylan Vigue who left the game after two innings…
“He was cramping. I tell these guys all the time that somebody has to be the adult in the room in a situation like this. I’m always going to put a player’s health above anything else. He was fighting me pretty hard out there to stay in the game, but I said, no Dylan, we got a lot ahead of us and you have a long career ahead of you, and you’re going to come back to the dugout with me.”
Caden Aoki , Gr., RHP
On getting loose to fill in for Dylan Vigue and his relief outing…
“I was just feeling out in my head and in my body to get ready. It was so sudden when you get that call. You really have to slow down and I was honestly treating it like I was starting. The fans are heckling you, saying I’m going to go home if you’re taking so long and all this stuff. It was awesome. I made sure I took my time and to get in the right mental space because I knew I was going to be out there for an extended part of time.”
Up Next
Georgia (31-9, 12-5 SEC) concludes the SEC series against the Razorbacks (26-14, 9-8 SEC) on Saturday with first pitch set for 2 pm ET. The game will be available to stream on SEC Network+ and the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network.
SB: UGA Hosts Texas This Weekend
The No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs are set to host the No. 5 Texas Longhorns this weekend at the Jack Turner Stadium. Georgia enters the series at 32-11 (9-6), and Texas is 33-6 (10-5).
No. 13/15 Georgia
vs. No. 5/5 Texas
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Jack Turner Stadium
Date: Apr. 18-20, 2026
First Pitch: Saturday – 4:00 p.m. ET, Sunday – 12:00 p.m. ET, Monday – 7:00 p.m. ET
General Admission Gates: 1 hour before first pitch
Promotions:
Saturday: 500 Pink Visors presented by Piedmont Health
Sunday: Dad & Daughter Day
Monday: 500 Fuzzy Socks
Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network (Saturday & Monday); ESPN2 (Sunday)
PxP: Beth Mowins; Analyst: Michele Smith
Live Updates: GeorgiaDogs.com
X Updates: @UGASoftball
Leading Off
Georgia is set to host No. 5 Texas this weekend in Southeastern conference play after holding off Kennesaw State on Wednesday night at Bailey Park.
Series History
Texas
– Georgia and Texas have met on three prior occasions, and this will be the first meeting in SEC action
– The Bulldogs own a 2-1 all-time record against Texas
– The two schools met last in 2015, and the Longhorns defeated the Bulldogs 5-0
– Georgia last defeated Texas in 2010 when the two schools met in Austin. Georgia won both games, 9-0 (5 inn.) in the first and 11-5 in the second
Georgia in the Polls
Georgia in the Polls: Week Ten
– NFCA/GoRout: 15
– ESPN/USA Softball: 13
– D1Softball: 12
– Softball America: 13
Opponent Outlook
Texas enters this weekend’s series coming off a series loss in the Red River Rivalry at Oklahoma. Sitting at 33-6 (10-5), the Longhorns were idle during the midweek before making the trip to Athens.
Teagan Kavan has paced Texas in the circle this campaign with 113.1 innings pitched to go with a team-high 143 strikeouts. She owns a 15-3 record to go with a 2.78 ERA, and on the year, has allowed 102 hits, 45 earned runs and 39 walks. Two other Longhorns command sub-three ERAs with Cambria Salmon at 2.10 with a 5-0 record and Citaly Gutierrez at 2.36 with a 6-1 record. Hannah Wells has made the second most appearances this season for Texas at 15 with a 3.13 ERA and 5-2 record. As a staff, the Longhorns boast a 2.66 team ERA with 236 strikeouts, 95 walks and 92 earned runs.
Offensively, junior Katie Stewart leads Texas in numerous categories including a .490 average, 51 hits, 22 home runs, 51 RBIs and a 1.163 slugging percentage. Kayden Henry has a team-best 59 runs on the season and ranks second on the team with 49 hits while leading the team with 15 doubles. In total, the Longhorn offense is batting .356 with 315 runs, 357 hits, 64 doubles, 68 home runs and 293 RBIs.
Head coach Mike White is in his eighth season at the helm of the Longhorn program and is coming off the school’s first national championship last season. During his time in Austin so far, White has led Texas to three Women’s College World Series and six NCAA super regionals. Across his 16-year career as a head coach (including his time at Oregon), he has led his team to an NCAA regional appearance in every opportunity.
Conference Stat Leaders (as of Thurs, Apr. 16)
Jaydyn Goodwin
The junior from Paris, Ky. is among the top ten in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Triples: Tied Seventh – 3
Sarah Gordon
The senior from Louisville, Ky. is among the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Doubles: Tied Sixth – 13
Presley Harrison:
The freshman from Baxley, Ga. is in the top ten in the conference in two statistical categories:
Holds: First – 3
Saves: Tied Fifth – 3
Bailey Lindemuth:
The sophomore from Burleson, Texas is in the top ten in the conference in two statistical categories:
Assists: Fifth – 85
Fielding Double Plays: Tied 10th – 12
Marisa Miller
The senior from Suwanee, Ga.is in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Caught Stealing By: Second – 6
Gabi Novickas:
The freshman from Chicago, Ill. is in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Fielding Double Plays: Eighth – 15
Natalie Ray:
The senior from Covington, Ga. is in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Batting Average: Third – .474
Randi Roelling:
The junior from Modesto, Calif. ranks in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Wins: Tied Eighth – 13
Games Started: Tied Ninth – 18
Keirstin Roose:
The graduate from Wolcottville, Ind. ranks in the top ten in the conference in one statistical category:
Fielding Double Plays: Tied 10th – 12
NCAA Stat Leaders (as of Thurs, Apr 16)
The Bulldogs remain one of the nation’s best defensive teams with a .986 team fielding percentage to go with just 16 errors – third in the conference.
Individually, Natalie Ray is tied 18th in the nation with a .474 batting average. Tyler Ellison sits 34th in the nation with a .547 on-base percentage. Jaydyn Goodwin is 45th in the nation with just five strikeouts in 129 at-bats. Randi Roelling is tied 40th with 13 wins on the year.
Transfers in the Mix
Several members of Georgia’s 2025 transfer class are starring for the Bulldogs this season.
In the circle, RHP Addisen Fisher sits at 9-4 with a team-best 2.27 ERA. She has one shut out on the season, as well as two saves. Through 61.2 innings pitched, she’s surrendered just 20 earned runs with 40 strikeouts.
In the order, Keirstin Roose has impressed in the lead-off role for the Bulldogs. She has a team-best 12 home runs on the season while also driving in 29 runs. Delani Sullivan, while being a threat at the plate, has been a consistent presence in outfield recording 39 put-outs this season with a perfect fielding percentage. Bailey Lindemuth has flashed her glove at the hot corner this season with just three errors through 43 games and a team-best 85 assists. Natalie Ray has batted a team-best .474 overall and .500 in conference play, as well as co-leading the team in conference home runs with three.
Roelling is Rolling
LHP Randi Roelling is on pace for her best season as a Bulldog through 22 total appearances. She currently has allowed 35 earned runs – just above one per game. In 2025, through 22 appearances, she had allowed 47 earned runs – a 25% decrease at this stage.
More, her 93 strikeouts this season surpasses her 72-strikeout mark last season – a 29% increase – through 22 appearances. Further, she has dropped her walks from 58 last season to just 34 this year – a 41% decrease
Impressively, last weekend against Missouri, Roelling pitched two complete game shutouts to go 2-0 on the weekend with 13 strikeouts across 12.0 inning pitched.
Freshman at First
Gabi Novickas has made 39 appearances this season including 28 starts at first base. In those appearances, she’s batted at a .403 clip – fourth best on the team – while recording 29 hits, 21 runs, 18 RBIs, six doubles and five home runs – including a grand slam against USC Upstate.
More, she’s recorded a team-best 201 put-outs with a perfect fielding percentage.
Lindemuth Looking Up
In conference play, sophomore Bailey Lindemuth has batted at a .318-clip, good for third-best on the team. She’s recorded 14 hits and nine runs with one double, one triple, three home runs and nine RBIs during SEC action. In the last 10 games, Lindemuth’s average has spiked up to .367.
A Ray of Light
Last weekend against Missouri, senior Natalie Ray led the team in batting average (.714) going 5-7 with a double and two RBIs while slugging .857. She leads the Bulldogs with a .500 average in conference play to go with 11 hits, four runs, three doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs.
More from Miller
The senior catcher’s bat has come alive in conference play. Batting .271 through the first 23 games of the season, Miller has bumped her average up to .326 in games played since the start of conference action. Strictly in SEC play, Miller is batting .294 with 10 hits, three runs, three doubles, one home run and seven RBIs.
Midweek Breakdown
On Wednesday night, Georgia held off a late Kennesaw State rally to defeat the Owls 7-5 on the road.
Jaydyn Goodwin was 3-4 at the plate with two runs, a double and a triple – just a home run shy of the cycle. Addisen Fisher earned her ninth win of the season, and Presley Harrison struck out all three batters in the seventh to earn her third save of the season.
Missouri Recap
Georgia took the series last weekend over Missouri with wins in games one and three.
On Friday night, Georgia run-ruled the visiting Tigers, 8-0 (5 inn.), to take a 1-0 lead in the series. LHP Randi Roelling made the start in the circle and pitched the complete five inning game with four strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Gabi Novickas was 2-3 at the plate with a solo home run and two RBIs. The Bulldogs scored eight runs off eight hits in the win.
Missouri evened the series on Saturday afternoon with a 4-3 decision that saw Georgia climb back from being down 4-0 to make it a one-run game in the seventh. Starter Addisen Fisher went 4.2 innings in the loss with RHP Presley Harrison and LHP Ada Little pitching in relief.
In the Sunday rubber match, Roelling returned to the circle with another complete game shutout, this time going seven innings with four hits and a season-high nine strikeouts. Tyler Ellison and Jaydyn Goodwin each homered in the game as the Bulldogs saw off Missouri, 4-0, to take the series.
Texas A&M Recap
Georgia dropped a road series at Texas A&M last weekend to slide to 7-5 in conference play.
The Aggies took game one, 3-2, on Thursday night to kick off the series. Down 2-0 going into the sixth inning, senior Marisa Miller stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run homer to left field to tie the game. Texas A&M was able to jump back in front with a base hit in the bottom of the frame.
Due to weather in the area that weekend, the two schools played a doubleheader on Friday. Georgia raced out to a 9-2 lead through five innings thanks to home runs from Gabi Novickas, Bailey Lindemuth and Keirstin Roose, and the Bulldogs held on to win 10-6 in game two.
In the rubber match that night, after the Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead off Emily Digby’s solo home run, the Aggies jumped back in front 2-1 in the fourth inning and held on for the series-sealing victory.
April Position Rankings
In Softball America’s April position rankings, four Bulldogs were included in their respective fields.
Keirstin Roose came in as the No. 11 2B, Emily Digby as the No. 15 SS, Sarah Gordon as the No. 5 UTL, and Tyler Ellison as the No. 7 UTL.
SEC Player of the Week
Outfielder Natalie Ray was selected as the SEC’s player of the week for games played between Tuesday, Mar. 24 and Monday, Mar. 30.
Outfielder Natalie Ray batted a team-best .714 this past week while also leading the team in RBIs (11), home runs (2), slugging percentage (1.714) and on-base percentage (.750). On Wednesday against Mercer, she was 2-3 at the plate and blasted a two-run home run to go with an RBI single in the Bulldogs’ 18-1 (5 inn.) win over the Bears. On Friday night against Kentucky, she launched a three-RBI double as a pinch hitter to put Georgia up 10-2 and in position for the six-inning run-rule victory. On Saturday, Ray recorded her 100th career hit in dramatic fashion with a grand slam to put Georgia up 4-0 over the Wildcats. She went 2-3 on the afternoon with five RBIs.
MBB: Kemauri Millender Signed with UGA
Kemauri Millender, who helped New Mexico Junior College reach the Round of 16 in the 2026 NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship, has signed to continue this college career with the Georgia Bulldogs, head coach Mike White announced on Friday.
Millender, the older brother of current Bulldog Marcus “Smurf” Millender, is a 6-0, 180-pound rising junior guard who started all 34 games for New Mexico Junior College and contributed 9.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Millender posted 16 double-figure scoring outputs for the Thunderbirds, including a season-high 22 points against Frank Phillips College. NMJC lost to Howard College, the eventual national champions, in the semifinals of the Region V Tournament. The Thunderbirds opened the NJCAA Tournament by defeating Barton Community College before falling to No. 2 seeded College of Southern Idaho in the Round of 16 to finish the season at 22-7.
Millender played his freshman season at Hill College in Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas, where he was named first-team All-NTJCAC (North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference). He started 24 of 26 games played and posted 22 double-figure scoring tallies, including eight 20-point performances. He led the Rebels and finished fourth among Region V scoring leaders at 16.1 points per game and also chipped in 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest.
The Millender brothers played together at Clear Brook High School for three seasons, helping the Wolverines to a combined 76-22 record from 2019-22. Kemo scored 1643 points (19.1 ppg), grabbed 168 rebounds (4.9 rpg), delivered 168 assists (2.0 apg) and collected 147 steals (1.7 spg) over his Clear Brook career. Both Kemo and Smurf were named first-team all-district in 2022 when the Wolverines finished 28-8.
With Millender, Georgia’s 2026-27 roster now features nine players.
The Bulldogs will welcome back six returnees, including 80 percent of its starting lineup in:
• Blue Cain, a 6-5, 195-pound rising senior guard from Knoxville, Tenn., who became Georgia’s 49th 1,000-point scorer – but first since 2017 – in the regular-season finale and is currently the Bulldogs’ career record holder for best free throw percentage (.846).
• Kanon Catchings, a 6-9, 220-pound rising junior forward from Brownsburg, Ind., who was the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer in SEC play at 13.7 points per game and was named SEC Player of the Week on March 9 after averaging 27.5 points in key late-season wins over No. 16 Alabama and Mississippi State to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid.
• Marcus “Smurf” Millender, a 5-11, 175-pound rising senior guard from Houston Texas, who led the Bulldogs in assists and became the ninth player in school history with 100 assists and 50 3-pointers in the same season.
• Kareem Stagg, a 6-8, 230-pound rising sophomore forward from Chesapeake, Va., who emerged as a starter and key contributor during Georgia’s late-season surge to earn an NCAA bid by averaging 6.9 points per game over the final 10 contests of the season.
In addition, Georgia has signed three newcomers. In addition to Millender, the Bulldogs will welcome:
• Freddie Dilione V, a 6-5, 195-pound senior guard from Fayetteville, N.C., who was Penn State’s leading scorer both overall and in Big Ten play last season while averaging 14.0 ppg in 32 outings and 14.1 ppg in league action.
• David Ugonna Ike, a 7-0, 235-pound freshman post player from Owerri, Nigeria, who prepped at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. Earlier this year, Ike averaged 24.3 points and 12.3 rebounds while helping NBA Academy Africa compile a 3-0 record at the Advance Global Cup.
Georgia won a school-record 22 regular-season games during the 2025-26 season. The Bulldogs also broke school scoring records for both total points (2,951) and scoring average (89.4 ppg). Georgia notched its third straight 20-win campaign and earned a second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. In addition, the Bulldogs finished ranked among the NCAA’s top-5 teams in four stats, leading the nation in both fastbreak points (19.8 ppg) and ranking No. 3 in blocked shots (6.0 bpg), No. 5 in scoring offense (89.4 ppg) and No. 5 in bench points (34.7 ppg).
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