(Photo by John Kelley)
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Georgia Bulldogs to host Mercer on Tuesday at 6 PM ET before hitting the road to face 10th-ranked Mississippi State (14-6-1, 2-1 SEC) in a three-game SEC series starting Thursday night in Starkville.
Tuesday’s game versus Mercer and the entire Mississippi State SEC road series will be available on SEC Network+. All games will be carried on the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network from IMG.
The Bulldogs started last week with a road win over Kennesaw State and then an SEC-opening victory over Kentucky to run their winning streak to a season-best six games before the Wildcats claimed the Saturday and Sunday contests to take the series. Georgia’s pitching and defense in league action had a rough weekend, walking 20 batters and making eight errors while the offense scored 15 runs and batted .250 against the Wildcats.
Georgia’s best pitching performance of the week came from freshman LHP Kevin Smith as he improved to 3-0 in four starts with a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings following his latest win over Kennesaw State. Senior designated hitter Daniel Nichols was a bright spot at the plate last week, batting .429 with three home runs and four RBI. Nichols hit .500 (5-for-10) with a double and two home runs against Kentucky. Nichols has a six-game hitting streak. Junior C/RF Skyler Weber (.308-1-11) saw his career-best 13-game hitting streak end during the UK series, but he made an impressive leaping catch Sunday in the outfield that made ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. Junior RHP Robert Tyler (2-1, 3.42 ERA, 39 Ks, 11 BB, 26.1 IP) battled with his command last Friday, issuing a career-high seven walks in five innings but held the Wildcats to a pair of runs in picking up a 5-2 victory. Freshman catcher Michael Curry (.254-4-12) has moved in to the cleanup spot in the order and ranks second on the team in home runs. Sophomore LHP Bo Tucker (2-1, 3.68 ERA, 2 SV) notched a pair of saves last week. In 14.2 innings this year, he has 20 strikeouts and only five walks.
Junior LHP Andrew Gist (2-0, 3.20 ERA) will start for the Bulldogs against the Bears Tuesday while they counter with sophomore LHP Connor Herd (1-1, 10.05 ERA). Georgia registered a 7-6 win in 10 innings at Mercer on Feb. 24. Georgia’s SEC rotation for the MSU series will be announced later this week.
Upcoming Series Fast Facts
In records dating back to 1950, Georgia is 46-12 all-time against Mercer and 41-40 versus Miss. State. The Bulldogs are led by Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin. Georgia last faced MSU in 20014, dropping a series in Athens 2-1. Also, Georgia was eliminated by the Bulldogs at the 2014 SEC Tournament, 5-4 in 10 innings. Georgia’s last trip to Starkville came in 2010 when it went 1-2. Last week, Mercer swept a three-game series from Kennesaw State to snap a five-game losing streak while MSU won a road series over then No. 2 Vanderbilt to improve to 6-2 against Top 25 teams this year.
TV: SEC Network +: (Tues): Matt Stewart/Jason Jacobs; SEC Network: (Thurs./Sat). TBA
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College (David Johnston/Jeff Dantzler)
Stations: 960 AM-WRFC and selected affiliates (check your local listings), georgiadogs.com and via the Georgia Bulldogs app and TuneIn app.
Additional Coverage on Twitter: @BaseballUGA
Video Links For Georgia Baseball This Week (March 22, 24-26)
Tuesday vs. Mercer, 6 pm (SECN+)
http://es.pn/1MhRq5z
Thursday at Miss. State, 7:30 pm (SECN+)
http://es.pn/1pow4hS
Friday at Miss. State, 7:30 pm (SECN+)
http://es.pn/21vvdIg
Saturday at Miss. State, 3 pm (SECN+)
http://es.pn/1QY6evy
Foley Field Ticket Information
Reserved Seat Tickets: $8; General Admission Tickets: $5; Order online or by calling 1-877-542-1231
UGA Student Tickets: Free Admission with valid UGA Student ID Card; Note: UGA Student Gate is located off Rutherford Street; Foley Field Ticket Booth opens two hours before game time.