Daily Dawg Thread: March 08, 2024

Home >

Daily Dawg Thread: March 08, 2024

Jump To Top of Page

Daily Dawg Thread: March 08, 2024

BSB: UGA hosts a four-game series with Northern Colorado starting today at Foley Field

Watch a fullscreen slideshow HERE.

The Bulldogs (12-1) are enjoying one of the best starts in school history in this year one of the Wes Johnson era. Sophomore All-America Charlie Condon headlines an offense that leads the NCAA with 35 home runs. He ranks among the national leaders with a .531 batting average, nine home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.224 slugging percentage. Condon has made starts at third base, first base, left field and centerfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 35 chances.

This past Wednesday, Georgia defeated Stetson 11-5 at Foley Field as the Bulldog pitchers combined to register 17 strikeouts and no walks. Three of the Hatters five hits were home runs. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs smashed four home runs including a grand slam by sophomore shortstop Kolby Branch who now has a team-best 20 RBI. Condon hit his team-best ninth home run and then drew three walks including two intentional passes. 

 

 

 

 

Splendid Start: Georgia’s best start in the modern era came in 2009 when the Bulldogs raced out to a 14-0 mark. After the UNC series, the Bulldogs will have played 17 games, and the 2009 bunch was 15-2 at that point. The 1992 and 2019 squads were 15-2 after 17 games as well.

 

 

 

 

About The Bears: Northern Colorado (0-12), led by Mike Anderson, have had a rough start, dropping a trio of four-game road series to Louisiana Tech, Tarleton State and New Mexico State. Two of the Bears losses came in 12 innings. UNC is a member of the Summit League. The Bears are batting .251 with nine home runs and are 22-for-26 in stolen base attempts. Sophomore Kai Wagner, a transfer from Utah, is batting a team-best .356-3-8.

Series History: This marks the first meeting the Bulldogs and the Bears of Northern Colorado.

Pitching Matchups Georgia’s rotation will feature graduate LHP Charlie Goldstein (2-0, 2.00 ERA) on Friday. His last start came at Georgia Tech with the Bulldogs leading 9-3 when play was suspended in the bottom of the fifth. He had struck out a career-high eight through four innings.

      Saturday’s starter for game one of a doubleheader will be sophomore RHP Leighton Finley (1-0, 3.72 ERA) and TBA for the second game. Finley’s last start came versus Tech at Coolray Field (2.2 IP, 4H, 4R, 0ER, 2BB, 1K) in Lawrenceville and resulted in a no decision.

      On Sunday, the Bulldogs will start sophomore LHP Jarvis Evans (1-0, 1.80 ERA). Evans started this past Tuesday against Georgia Southern at SRP in N. Augusta, S.C. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on two hits with a career-high eight strikeouts but got a no decision. UNC has not announced their rotation.

On Deck: After the UNC series, the Bulldogs face Iowa (6-6) Tuesday at Foley Field and then open Southeastern Conference play on the road with a series against No. 25 Kentucky (12-1) March 15-17.

Rutherford Street Closure: Please note this season that one hour before game time, Rutherford Street, next to Foley Field, will be closed to vehicle traffic until 30 minutes post-game. 

Friday vs. UNC at 3:02 p.m. ET (SECN+)

Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston)

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/cab3b390-37a8-48e7-b348-045a28535164

TV: SECN+ (Kaleb Frady & Jason Jacobs): https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/b0ea7f15-b277-4e01-99c1-a9de38f53a79

Live Stats: https://georgiadogs.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary

Saturday DH vs. UNC at 1:02 pm & Est. 5:02 p.m. ET (SECN+)

Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston)

Game 1 of DH: https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4572&type=Live

Game 2 of DH: https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4573&type=Live

Game 1 of DH: SECN+ (Kaleb Frady & Jason Jacobs)

Game 2 of DH: SECN+: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2c8ac801-bd72-4bd6-9ce6-83b164f008f7

Live Stats: https://georgiadogs.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary

Sunday vs. UNC at 1:02 pm (SECN+)

Radio: 960TheRef (Jeff Dantzler & David Johnston) 

https://georgiadogs.com/watch/?Live=4574&type=Live

SECN+ (Kaleb Frady & Jason Jacobs): https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/7f1dbb7f-62a5-4616-a541-058953646144

Live Stats: https://georgiadogs.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary

SB: No. 7/6 Georgia returns to Jack Turner Stadium for the 15th Annual Bulldog Classic

Dates: Friday, March 8-Sunday, Mach 10, 2024

Participating Teams:

   No. 7/6 Georgia (15-3)

   RV Miami (Ohio) (13-3)

   Jacksonville State (7-13)

   Furman (10-9)

   Admission: FREE (no tickets required / seating is first come, first served)

Bulldog Classic Schedule

Friday, March 8

   1 p.m. – Miami (Ohio) vs. Jacksonville State

   3:30 p.m. – Furman vs. Jacksonville State

   6 p.m. – Miami (Ohio) vs. Georgia

Saturday, March 9

   10:30 a.m. – Jacksonville State vs. Furman

   1 p.m. – Jacksonville State vs. Georgia

   3:30 p.m. – Miami (Ohio) vs. Georgia

   6 p.m. – Miami (Ohio) vs. Furman

Sunday, March 10

   10:30 a.m. – Furman vs. Miami (Ohio)

   1 p.m. – Jacksonville State vs. Georgia

   3:30 p.m. – Furman vs. Georgia

Media Information

Streaming: SEC Network+ 

   Play-by-play: RJ Taylor

Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com

Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

Follow the Bulldogs

– Every Georgia game of the Georgia Classic will stream live on SEC Network+. RJ Taylor (play-by-play) will be on the call.

– Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule page on GeorgiaDogs.com.

– Live Twitter updates will be available on the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.

Fan Information and Upcoming Promotions at Jack Turner Stadium

– Admission to every regular-season home game is free; no tickets are required to enter Jack Turner Stadium. Seating is first come, first served. Gates open one hour prior to first pitch or one hour before the first game of the day for home tournaments.

– For the 2024 season, parking is available in the lot closest to S. Milledge Ave. The back lot is closed due to construction.

– The UGA Clear Bag Policy is in effect.

Series Histories

Miami

– Georgia leads the all-time series 1-0

– The Bulldogs won the lone meeting at Georgia State in 2021 9-1 in five innings

Jacksonville State

– Georgia leads the all-time series 6-1

– Georgia is 3-1 against the Gamecocks in Athens in the series

– The Bulldogs and Gamecocks last met in 2018 in Athens

– Georgia has won the last six straight meetings

Furman

– Georgia leads the all-time series 21-1

– Georgia is 19-1 in Athens in the series

– The Bulldogs have won the last 18 meetings

Georgia in the Polls

Georgia in the Poll: Week 4

     – USA Today/NFCA: 7

     – ESPN/USA Softball: 6

     – D1Softball: 8

     – Softball America: 6

     – RPI: 2

Recapping Action

Georgia flew out to Palo Alto, California last weekend to take part in the 2024 DeMarini Invitational. The Bulldogs began action defeating No. 20 Cal and Boise State on Friday. The win over Boise State was the 100th in the career of head coach Tony Baldwin. Georgia fell to the Cal Bears on Saturday, snapping a six-game win streak. Sunday’s showdown between the Bulldogs and No. 11 Stanford was one for the ages. The pitchers’ duel went to Stanford in the ninth inning on a walk-off home run, 3-1. Lilli Backes pitched a career-long eight innings tying a career-high 10 strikeouts while walking none in the game.

A Look at What’s Ahead

Georgia’s 10-game homestand continues this week when in-state rival Georgia Tech comes to Athens for a midweek matchup on Wednesday. Fans are encouraged to wear red and the first 250 fans will receive a red Georgia softball t-shirt. Georgia then turns its attention to SEC play when the Alabama Crimson Tide roll into town for a three-game series beginning March 15.

Baldwin Notches 100th Victory

Head coach Tony Baldwin recorded his 100th victory as head coach when Georgia beat Boise State at Stanford on March 1.

A February for the Books

Georgia concluded the month of February with a 13-1 record. This is the ninth time Georgia finished the month with one or no losses and the first since the 2019 season (2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2024).

WTEN: Georgia travels to Florida and South Carolina this weekend

 After opening Southeastern Conference action 2-0, the No. 10 Georgia women’s tennis team will remain on the road for the weekend to face No. 18 Florida on Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. ET in Gainesville, Fla., followed by No. 22 South Carolina on Sunday, March 10 at 1 p.m. ET. in Columbia, S.C.

Riding on a five-match winning streak, the Bulldogs (7-3, 2-0 SEC) will compete against both the Gators (5-6, 1-1 SEC) and Gamecocks (8-3, 0-2 SEC) for a second time this season.

Georgia previously knocked off South Carolina 4-1 in the ITA Kickoff Championship match relocated to Clemson, S.C., punching the Bulldogs’ ticket to the ITA DI Women’s National Team Indoor Championships.  

Less than two weeks later, Georgia defeated Florida 4-1 in the first round of consolation action at the ITA Indoor Championships.

Despite the Bulldogs trailing the all-time series against the Gators 20-51, Georgia has won each of the last seven meetings dating back the 2017 season.  

Against South Carolina, the Bulldogs lead the all-time series 53-17, having won the last five meetings and 22 of the last 24 matches between both programs.

No. 10 GEORGIA vs No. 18 FLORIDA

Date: Friday, March 8

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Location: Gainesville, Fla.

Venue: Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex

Live Video/Scoring: https://gado.gs/1ww

No. 10 GEORGIA vs No. 22 SOUTH CAROLINA

Date: Sunday, March 10

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Columbia, S.C.

Venue: Carolina Tennis Center

Live Scoring: https://gado.gs/bhr

Live Video: https://gado.gs/bis

T&F: UGA’s 11th-ranked women and 14th-ranked men begin the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships today

Caryl Smith Gilbert > Director of UGA Track and Field

When Do The Dogs Start?: Sophomore Christopher Morales Williams will start the meet for UGA in the semifinal round of the 400-meter dash on Friday at 4:30 p.m.  Morales Williams is coming off a Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships where he broke the facility, meet, school, collegiate and Canadian records with the fastest indoor 400m (44.49) in world history. 

Sophomore Kaila Jackson is first up for the Lady Bulldogs in the 60m semifinal on day one at 7:18 p.m. 

All of Georgia’s qualifiers in five field events will compete on Saturday.  Junior Elena Kulichenko and true freshman Riyon Rankin will begin the women’s high jump and the men’s high jump, respectively, at 1 p.m. on day two.  Morales Williams will be on the track first for the Bulldogs on Saturday in the 400m final at 4:20 p.m.

Where To Catch The NCAA Championships

Live streaming of the NCAA meet will air on ESPN+ (subscription site) starting on Friday and continuing through Saturday.  The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O’Brien, Larra Overton and John Anderson. 

A tape delay special of the Championships will air on ESPNU on Monday at 9 p.m.

Friday (6:58 p.m.): http://gado.gs/bhu

Friday (9:28 p.m.): http://gado.gs/bhv

Saturday (11:30.a.m.): http://gado.gs/bhw

Saturday (6:55 p.m.): http://gado.gs/bhy

Live Results

For results throughout the weekend, please visit: http://gado.gs/bha

Coach Caryl’s Comments: “We know from last year’s pair of top-five finishes at this meet that it doesn’t take a big team at Nationals to have success, it just takes repeating elite performances that have already been done,” said Bulldog head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert.  “I am excited for this mixture of experienced veterans and promising underclassmen to do our best to keep Georgia’s tradition going of vying for one of the top-four trophies at the end of the meet.  The competition at NCAAs never gets easier so it will be a battle, but I believe in our eight individuals and relay team who qualified and can’t wait to see what they accomplish.  Go Dawgs!”

Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread

 

 

 

 

share content

Author /

Greg is closing in on 15 years writing about and photographing UGA sports. While often wrong and/or out of focus, it has been a long, strange trip full of fun and new friends.