On Wednesday night, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated USC Upsated for their third win of the season. But the win was not without its cost. Two-way standout Kenny Ishikawa suffered an injury after being hit by a pitch that had him in a boot following the game. The timeline for Ishikawa’s return is unclear.
Georgia loses not only Ishikawa’s steady bat that’s hit 3 for 6 thus far but also a steady leader on the mound. Ishikawa made his pitching debut for the Dawgs last weekend, tossing 4 1/3 of one-hit baseball. The rotation that garnered so much offseason attention took a hit.
In the midst of the disappointing injury, Joey Volchko reminded everyone why the rotation was the talk of the offseason with a strong second start of the season in a matchup against Samford.
Volchko, a preseason second-team All-American, pitched six innings of one-run baseball, striking out eight and surrendering just three hits. His lone blemish was a home run to center, surrendered in the second inning. Volchko collected his second win of the season in as many appearances.
“I’m super confident where I’m at, as far as stuff, competing in the zone, and also being able to expand when I need to,” explained Volchko after the game.
It’s Volchko’s first season with the Dawgs after transferring from Stanford. He looks right at home in Athens, showing a confident demeanor on the mound. In two starts, he’s struck out 13 batters in 10 innings pitched. Georgia has outscored their opponents 24-2 when Volchko is starting, invoking the run rule in both cases.
Volchko has always impressed with velocity, averaging mid 90s. But in his second start, he found himself more reliant on his secondary pitch, the sweeper.
“It feels great, looks great, I’m getting more comfortable competing with that in the zone and then also expanding,” Volchko said.
Volchko felt that Samford’s offense had effectively planned for his renowned fastball. Head coach Wes Johnson agreed, saying they needed to pitch backwards. But the junior didn’t miss a beat, slowing the game down and completing an excellent outing.
“Those guys who go on to have success have the ability to manipulate the baseball like he did today,” explained Johnson.
Johnson, who has previously served as an MLB pitching coach, feels Volchko is emulating the command and precision that’s on display in the big leagues.
“He can do it at the next level,” Johnson said.
Matt Scott will pitch in place of the injured Ishikawa in Game 2. But after a strong outing by Volchko that only forced Johnson to use one reliever, the pitching situation is in a great position. In light of Ishikawa’s injury, Johnson expressed nothing but confidence.
“We’ll throw the ball fine,” he said.
