Georgia baseball’s season came to a sudden halt last month as the COVID-19 outbreak spread rapidly across the country, and their hopes of making it back to Omaha were ended abruptly. The quick demise of the 2020 season left lots of looming questions in regard to eligibility, the status of the MLB Draft, and more.
Entering the season, Georgia’s Emerson Hancock was one one of the most highly regarded pitchers in the country. FanBuzz says the junior has the potential to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s upcoming MLB Draft, and Hancock had started off the season on a good note. The Preseason All-American began going 2-0 in his first four starts with a team-high 34 strikeouts in just 24 innings.
On Monday, he joined former UGA student Michella Chester on NCAA Digital, and shared what he was doing in his off time.
“I’m at home right now enjoying that time with my family,” Hancock said. “I’m staying in shape, I’m working out, I’m throwing. Really just trying to find things that I can do with my parents, whether that’s being out in the yard, walking around the neighborhood with them. We’re doing good.”
Hancock also added that the time spent at home with his family has been a blessing since he rarely gets to see them during this time of the year. Usually April is the ‘meat and potatoes’ part of the schedule for Georgia, and the team is fully immersed in SEC play. During that time, he has limited interaction with them and rarely has any free time, but now he has lots. Hancock continued to say that a lot of that free time has been used to play golf with his brother, which is something he picked up last summer.
As far as baseball goes, Hancock said he misses spending time with teammates, and especially the grind of the conference schedule. Additionally, he specifically mentioned missing his roommates and fellow UGA players, Chaney Rogers and Ryan Webb.
All three guys played a vital role in helping the Bulldogs get off to a 14-4 start and helping Georgia land that No. 2 spot in the USA Today Sports Top 25. In fact, it is the highest finished finished by a Georgia team since 2008 when the Bulldogs lost in the finals of the College World Series to Fresno State.
Hancock now faces a huge decision in regards to if he will be entering the MLB Draft or not. He has all the tools to be a first-round pick, but he may want to return to Georgia for his senior year to try and make another run at the CWS. But for right now, Hancock says he hasn’t made that decision yet.
“Right now I’m just trying to take every day that I have with my family, enjoy that time, see some loved ones that you don’t get to see a lot and spend some time with them. Really just cherish every day.”