The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA powers way to 4-0 week
Dramatic victory in series opener leads to sweep of Tide.
ATHENS — At the start of each week throughout the regular season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will take a closer look at the Georgia baseball team. Here’s a breakdown of the Bulldogs going into the sixth week:
Record: 21-4, 3-3 SEC.
Streak: Won 4.
Ranking: No. 14 (NCBWA).
RPI: No. 8.
Last week (4-0): Tuesday, beat Wofford 18-6 (8 innings); Friday, vs. Alabama, postponed due to weather; Saturday doubleheader, beat Alabama 9-5 and 6-5; Sunday, beat Alabama 10-5.
This week: Today vs. Mercer (14-9), 5 p.m.; Friday at Tennessee (21-4, 3-3 SEC), 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at Tennessee, 5 p.m. (SEC Network); Sunday at Tennessee, 2 p.m.
Week in review: It was a bounce-back week for the Bulldogs. After getting smacked in the mouth in a road sweep at the hands of Kentucky in Week 1 of SEC play, Georgia came back with a perfect 4-0 week highlighted by a drama-filled weekend sweep of No. 14 Alabama.
Game 1 could not have been more electrifying. With a capacity crowd filling every nook and cranny of Foley Field, shortstop Kolby Branch hit a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Bulldogs to a 9-5 victory.
A first-year transfer from Baylor, Branch tossed his helmet in the air in jubilation right before being mobbed by his teammates at home plate. However, the umpiring crew hit Branch with an unsportsmanlike penalty for breaking the league rule against throwing helmets. As a result, Branch had to sit out the second game. That broke a streak in which Branch had started every game of his collegiate career.
Branch’s home run was just one of seven on the twogame afternoon for the Bulldogs, including three from All-American Charlie Condon. Condon’s 442-foot, two-run home run over the batter’s eye in center field gave Georgia a 5-4 lead in the eighth. Georgia would add one more run in the inning, which was critical as Alabama added a run in the top of the ninth. Sophomore Kolten Smith (2-1) pitched the final 3⅔ innings in relief of Leighton Finley to earn the win.
Corey Collins led the Bulldogs on Sunday when he hit two home runs and drove in four runs on the way to a 10-5 win. For the week, the 6-foot-3, 236-pound senior outfielder batted .647 (11-for17) with six home runs and 13 RBI. He was nominated for SEC player of the week. Collins’ percentages for slugging (1.175) and on-base rate (.615) are not far off from Condon’s (1.213 and .637).
Week ahead: It’s another tough week for the Bulldogs on the rugged SEC road. After a Tuesday tilt against Mercer at home, Georgia heads up to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. The Vols have the same record as the Bulldogs but are ranked No. 5 in the Division I Baseball poll. Georgia, however, carries a No. 8 RPI into the week, while the Vols are 14th.
Tennessee took two of three games against Ole Miss in Knoxville this past weekend, run-ruling the Rebels in the two wins 15-3 and 15-4, each in seven innings. The Vols are No. 2 in the SEC in hitting (.324) and have scored a league-high 261 runs. Their 66 home runs are second only to Georgia’s NCAA-leading 74.