Georgia won its series against Kentucky this weekend with a 12-6 win on Friday night and a 17-10 win on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs scored a total of 36 runs against the Wildcats and slugged 11 home runs. Henry Hunter led the way with a home run in each game, including two in Sunday’s win.
As for pitching, most of the damage came early. The Wildcats scored at least one run in the first inning in all three games. The relievers held strong and secured the wins, allowing just one run past the sixth inning all weekend. Following the 10-7 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, the Bulldogs’ 17-game win streak came to an end, but the feat broke the program record that was set back in 1908. While the run was surely going to break, this is a great sign of what’s to come this year for the Diamond Dawgs.
Coming into this season, Bulldog Nation was expecting another high-flying offense, even with the departure of Charlie Condon to the Colorado Rockies organization. With players such as Henry Hunter, Tre Phelps, and Slate Alford returning, the lineup has been off to a hot start. The team batting average sits at .317 with 57 home runs, propelling the Bulldogs to another record-breaking start. The most impressive of all has been transfer Ryland Zaborowski, who leads the team in nearly every batting category with 12 home runs and an OPS of 1.647. If the offense can keep up this pace, the Diamond Dawgs have a great chance of bringing home the program’s first national title since 1990.
While Johnson’s offense has been hitting the ball extremely well, the same cannot be said about the pitching staff so far, especially the starters. The staff as a whole has given up five or more runs in eight straight games. JT Quinn is the only pitcher on the roster who has started a game and has an ERA below 3.00.
Georgia continues to show their greatness by winning games, but if the team wants to contend in a conference that has four other teams ranked inside the top ten nationally, the starting rotation will need to keep their opponents from lighting up the scoreboard.
As for the relievers, they’ve been much more impressive. Fan-favorite Brian Curley has led the charge with a 0.90 ERA and two saves. DJ Radtke has been the most relied on pitcher of all with eight appearances and an impressive 0.77 ERA. As the season goes on, a reliable bullpen can go a long way in locking down big games down the stretch.
The offense is doing their part, but this shaky rotation that puts the offense in comeback mode from the start could keep this team from accomplishing their long-term goals. While the team’s record of 21-2 shows that their brand of baseball produces wins, the Diamond Dawgs could be a nearly unbeatable squad if they can just keep the other team off the scoreboard early.
This weekend, the Bulldogs travel to Gainesville to take on the Gators in a three-game series. Florida sits at seventh in the nation with a record of 16-5.
Tune in to SEC Network+ on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21, to watch Georgia face Florida.