ATHENS — Georgia once again proved why it was one of the nation’s top teams.
The No. 3 national seed Bulldogs rolled through the NCAA Athens Regional baseball tournament this past weekend with three consecutive victories, outscoring opponents 30-5 and earning a spot in the Super Regional round.
Georgia defeated Long Island and twice topped Liberty to advance to a June 6-8 matchup with Mississippi State at UGA’s Foley Field.
The Bulldogs opened the regional with an 18-2 victory over LIU. The game began on May 29 but was suspended in the seventh inning due to severe weather, then concluded the following day.
Junior right-hander Joey Volchko struck out 10 batters across six innings while allowing just one run.
“[Volchko] was really good and set the tone early,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said. “Anytime you’re in a regional, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing; there needs to be a lot of energy to start the first game, or you’ll see things get sideways.”
Georgia’s offense provided plenty of support, belting nine home runs while breaking the program’s single-season record with its 160th long ball of the year.
Johnson praised his team’s offensive approach, particularly after the team returned from the weather delay.
“We thought our offense did a really good job of staying in their approach, attacking the strike zone,” Johnson said. “I’m really proud of the way our guys came out after the delay. Brennan Hudson obviously got the restart going with a nice swing, and Ryan Wynn got another one, and there were a lot of good offensive things that we did.”
Georgia’s winner’s bracket matchup against Liberty required a different formula.
After starter Dylan Vigue exited in the second inning, senior Matt Scott delivered one of the most important performances of the regional. The veteran right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit as the Bulldogs earned a 6-2 victory.
Johnson said Scott’s outing changed the momentum of the game. “I thought what Matt [Scott] did today was elite. It’s what big-time players do,” Johnson said. “He came into the game when things were a little sideways, and there was some momentum leaving our side. Sometimes, as a coach, you have to go out there and make a change.”
Liberty fought its way back through the loser’s bracket to earn a rematch with Georgia in Sunday’s regional championship game, but the Bulldogs once again came out on top.
The Flames grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning and held Georgia scoreless through five frames. The breakthrough finally came in the sixth when Tre Phelps launched a two-run home run to put the Bulldogs ahead for good. Phelps was ejected for excessive celebration while rounding the bases, and Johnson was ejected after arguing with the umpires in defense of his player.
Georgia added four more runs in the eighth inning to pull away. Michael O’Shaughnessy homered, Ryan Wynn delivered a two-run single, and Rylan Lujo capped the scoring with an RBI double.
Right-hander Caden Aoki turned in a strong performance, allowing one run over six innings while helping keep Liberty’s offense in check.
“I thought the game was, man, one to remember,” Johnson said. “For those first six innings, I thought their starter (Cooper Harrington) came out, threw the ball well, and kept us off balance. We just kept grinding and didn’t give in, and made it hard on them. Then, obviously, what Caden Aoki did tonight was phenomenal.”
With the regional title secured, Georgia now turns its attention to Mississippi State in the Super Regional round. The Bulldogs will host the best-of-three series at Foley Field beginning June 6, with a trip to the College World Series on the line.