#11 Georgia (19-1, 0-0) Arkansas (16-2, 0-0)
Dates: Mar. 10-12, 2018
Times: 1/6/7 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium
Media Information
TV: SEC Network (Saturday, Monday); ESPNU (Sunday) Play-by-play: Pam Ward Analysis: Carol Breggeman
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
Radio: WUOG 90.5 FM/WUOG.org (Saturday) Play-by-Play: Myan Patel
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball
#11 Georgia opens Southeastern Conference play this weekend against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jack Turner Stadium. The series begins Saturday at 1 p.m. on the SEC Network and will run through Monday evening.
This Weekend’s Promotions
» Admission to every Georgia home game is FREE
» Saturday, Mar. 10
– National Mario Day – First 200 fans receive a Mario-themed t-shirt
– Postgame autographs
» Sunday, Mar. 11
– First 500 fans receive a Christie Hamilton bobblehead
– Georgia great Christie Hamilton will be in attendance to throw first pitch
» Monday, Mar. 12
– Red Georgia beanie cap giveaway
Follow the Bulldogs
» Georgia’s conference-opening weekend will air on the SEC Network (Saturday, Sunday) and ESPNU (Sunday). Pam Ward will provide play-by-play and will be joined by Carol Bruggeman providing analysis.
» All games can also be viewed online through ESPN and the ESPN app.
» Saturday’s game will be broadcast on WUOG 90.5 FM and online at WUOG.org. Myan Patel will be on the call.
» Live stats will be available for all games of the Georgia Classic. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule on GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available all season long at @UGAsoftball.
Georgia Softball Notebook
Series History
Georgia leads 34-18 (.625)
» The Bulldogs lead the series in Athens, 18-8
» Georgia has won five of the last six meetings
» Georgia won the series a season ago in Fayetteville, winning
the final two games, 6-2, 10-0
» The last series in Athens in 2015, Georgia swept the Razorbacks in the three-game set
A Look Back
Georgia extended it’s winning streak to 18 games on Wednesday with a 6-0 shutout of Western Carolina. The Bulldogs were one out away from recording their fourth no-hitter of the season, surrendering a two-out base hit to right in the seventh. The Georgia pitching staff has allowed one hit or less in 11 games this season, recording 13 shutouts in 20 games.
Keep Ringing the Bell
Georgia softball widened its winning streak to 18 with a shutout of Western Carolina on Wednesday. The streak ties for the third-longest in program history and the longest since 2006. The record, set from May 6, 2001 to Mar. 3, 2002, is 25 games.
Georgia in the Top 25
The Bulldogs continued climbing to #11 in both the week four USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball Coaches Polls. The Bulldogs entered the season with a preseason #25 ranking and sat at #17 in the week one polls.
Despite finishing last in the SEC a season ago with a 6-18 record, the Bulldogs dropped out of the NFCA Poll only one week. It was the first time Georgia had been outside the top 25 since 2013.
A Look Ahead
Georgia welcomes Bucknell to Athens for a doubleheader on Wednesday. The twin bill is set to begin at 4 p.m. at Jack Turner Stadium. SEC preseason favorite and second-ranked Florida makes the trip to Athens for a three-game conference series beginning Mar. 16.
Missed It By That Much
Junior shortstop Alyssa DiCarlo fell just a single shy of hitting for the cycle in the Western Carolina game Mar. 7. She flew out to right in her final at bat of the game.
Head of the Pack
At the plate, Georgia leads the SEC in nine offensive categories including batting average (.403), slugging (.664), on-base percentage (.469), runs scored (168), hits (216), RBI (153), doubles (38), home runs (30), and total bases (356).
In the country, Georgia’s team batting average is tops in the nation. The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in slugging and scoring (8.4 runs/game) as well.
The RUNdown
The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 168-17 in 20 games this season. Nationally, Georgia ranks first in scoring with 8.4 runs per game. Georgia’s .403 batting average is the best in the NCAA.
Entering the weekend, six individual Georgia student-athletes have scored the same amount or more runs than the Bulldogs’ opponents combined (17).
Zoom, Zoom
Senior Cortni Emanuel tied a Georgia record with five stolen bases against Charleston on Saturday, Feb. 24. Her mark tied Kellie Middleton’s record vs. McNeese State on Feb. 11, 2007. Emanuel swiped 12 total bags in four games of the Georgia Classic. Now in her fourth season, she has 145 stolen bases, a figure that ranks second all-time at Georgia. Her 1.2 stolen bases per game this season leads the country.
Mowing Them Down
Brittany Gray picked up her 400th career strikeout in the Feb. 23 game against Charleston. In her next start on Feb. 24 against ETSU, Gray worked a complete-game shutout while setting a new career-high 14 strikeouts in the seven-inning affair. Her 441 strikeouts moves her into sixth all-time at Georgia. Her 11.6 strikeouts per seven innings ranks third nationally.
Over the Edge
Georgia has hit 30 home runs in 19 games in 2018. In 2017, Georgia had 28 in 58 games. Georgia’s 1.53 home runs per game average ranks third all of NCAA DI softball teams.
Solid in the Circle
The Georgia pitching staff has been sharp to start the season, recording a 0.66 ERA through 20 games and 127 innings. Georgia’s ERA ranks second in the SEC, third in the nation. The staff has struck out 169 opposing hitters, allowing only 12 earned runs and putting 13 shutouts in the books. Kylie Bass and Brittany Gray have been staples in the circle, pitching a combined 90.2 innings. Together, they have struck out 129 batters.
No Runs For You!
The pitching staff has recorded 13 total shutouts this season. The Bulldogs recorded six-consecutive shutouts from Feb. 17-24, tying a program record set twice, first in 2003 then again in 2016.