[su_spacer size=”40″] Bulldog freshman left-hander Bo Tucker (1-1, 2.55 ERA) will make his first career start Tuesday. He has made 14 relief appearances this year covering a span of 24.2 innings with 13 walks and 27 strikeouts. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in the first meeting with Tech. Last week at Clemson and Alabama, he combined to pitch 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one walk and six strikeouts. Wednesday’s starter is TBA. Tech will start sophomore left-hander Ben Parr (5-1, 3.92 ERA) while the Owls will go with freshman right-hander AJ Moore (1-1, 5.23 ERA).
[su_spacer size=”40″] Earlier this season in Athens, Tech posted a 13-6 win over Georgia while the Bulldogs defeated the Owls 9-5. Georgia and Tech will play the final game of the annual series at Turner Field on May 12th to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Tech claimed a home series over No. 25 Virginia in Atlanta this past weekend while the Owls swept Northern Kentucky and the Tigers won a home series over Auburn.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In records dating back to 1950, Georgia leads the series with Tech 115-101 and 9-7 over the Owls. LSU holds a 62-21-3 edge over the Bulldogs. KSU and LSU have one midweek contest before facing Georgia.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs went 2-2 this past week, posting a road win over Clemson and then going 1-2 in an SEC series with Alabama at the Hoover (Ala.) Metropolitan Stadium. The top Bulldog hitters in the Alabama series were freshman left fielder Keegan McGovern (5-for-9) and junior first baseman Daniel Nichols (7-for-14). This season, McGovern (.281-3-17) is batting a team-best .314 in SEC games. For the year, Nichols is batting .299-4-20 overall and .311-1-9 in league play.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Bulldog sophomore centerfielder Stephen Wrenn (.331-5-21) has reached base safely in all 37 games this season. He is one of the top defensive centerfielders in the SEC and ranks among the SEC leaders in stolen base with 20. In SEC action, Wrenn is batting .297-3-7 with nine stolen bases. Last week, Wrenn batted .412 (7-for-17) including his third leadoff home run of the year, all coming on the road.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia junior LHP Ryan Lawlor (4-4, 2.96 ERA) evened the Alabama series with a dominating 8-1 win this past Saturday. He went seven innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Lawlor has already surpassed his strikeout total from a year ago as he’s got 62 in 48.2 innings. Last year, he finished with 56 strikeouts in 81 innings.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia is batting .276 with 29 home runs and is 52-for-61 in stolen base attempts. The Bulldogs have a 4.24 ERA and are fielding .970. This past Tuesday, the Bulldogs welcomed back junior right-hander David Sosebee (2-1, 1.80 ERA, 25 IP) and senior reliever Taylor Hicks (0-0, 1.04 ERA, 17.1 IP) after both had been sidelined for a month with an injury. They combined to throw the first three innings in a 3-2 win over Clemson. In the series finale with Alabama Sunday, Sosebee pitched three scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts. Georgia is hopeful of getting sophomore ace Robert Tyler (1-0, 3.86 ERA, 14 IP, 22K, 6 BB) back this season. He has been out since late February with a forearm strain.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia’s co-captains are having splendid senior seasons. Catcher Brandon Stephens is batting .330 after entering the year as a career .255 hitter. Also, he has a five-game hitting streak. First baseman/pitcher Jared Walsh is batting .308-2-19 and is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA on the mound. Entering his final season, Walsh was a career .251 hitter and was 3-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 21 appearances. Earlier this season, Walsh had a career-best 15-game hitting streak.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia Baseball Video Links For Games This Week
Tuesday at No. 24 Tech, 7 pm (ESPN3)
http://es.pn/1DFHRN6
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Wed. at KSU, 5 pm – None scheduled at this time
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Friday vs. No. 2 LSU at 7:05 pm (SEC Network+)
http://es.pn/1PjyDum
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Saturday vs. No. 2 LSU at 2:05 pm (SEC Network+)
http://es.pn/1FgzuZU
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Sunday vs. No. 2 LSU at 1:05 pm (SEC Network+)
http://es.pn/1Isq6TY