On Saturday, Georgia celebrated its annual letterman day before facing the Missouri Tigers. Foley Field cheered for alumni from every class that represented the Bulldogs at the College World Series. It was an emotional reminder of the heights the team from Athens has reached, including a national championship back in 1990.
Georgia also gave special awards to David Perno and Jeff Keppinger, both talented former baseball players.
“I tell our guys all the time, you need to be constantly aware of our alumni,” said head coach Wes Johnson following the game. “Because they made baseball important here.”
The good news for the Dawgs is that they have many more heroes on the rise. Georgia swept its series against Missouri, run-ruling the Tigers twice in three games. What’s more, the wealth was shared, with a bevy of talent making huge impacts throughout the weekend.
Junior infielder Ryan Wynn had potentially his best series of the season, going 6-for-8 with three doubles and four RBIs. Wynn transferred from Wofford this offseason and has emerged as a powerful bat for the Bulldogs in the second half of the season. He will be crucial to Georgia’s offensive success as the Bulldogs prepare for the postseason.
The struggling bullpen found its legs over the weekend, due in large part to the heroics of Justin Byrd. Byrd, a right-handed redshirt junior, pitched five innings on Saturday, setting a new personal high in strikeouts with nine. He allowed three runs, but allowed Johnson to deploy only two pitchers in the effort, which was shortened due to the run rule. Byrd has been flexible in his role all season, serving as a starter, long reliever, set-up man or closer. For a Georgia team that lacks a clear day three rotation man, his performance was very encouraging.
Shortstop Kolby Branch continued to be threatening in the nine-hole, picking up two home runs and a double. Two-way player Kenny Ishikawa went 3-for-8 with a triple, despite still recovering from a foot injury. Third baseman Tre Phelps also got in on the fun, going 5-for-11 over the course of the weekend and picking up five RBIs.
Right-hander Dylan Vigue attributes the team’s success to how they’ve survived on the road. Georgia is 10-3 as the away team, with a Southeastern Conference record of 18-6. They lead the loaded SEC.
“It’s like, if we can take down those guys, who can’t we take down?” said Vigue after his start.
Georgia has two more series left in the regular season, both against conference opponents. Johnson faces his former club, LSU, in Athens for a three-game series this weekend. Johnson is best known for his success as the pitching coach in Baton Rouge, helping develop Paul Skenes during their march to a national championship.
Johnson has his eyes set on another championship with another talented ballclub, and a reminder of the success Georgia baseball has seen before is just what the emerging stars needed.
