Season Preview

Redshirt Junior Riley King

When the 2021 season finally arrives, Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin will have Georgia among the nation’s elite teams vying for a championship. The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season after only 18 games. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) portion of the schedule was about to begin, and the Bulldogs were ranked as high as No. 2 nationally. Twenty lettermen are back for Georgia.

Georgia and Vanderbilt own the best combined SEC record the past two full seasons, going 39-21 in league play. Every team in 2021 will feature a loaded roster after Major League Baseball trimmed its 2020 draft to five rounds (down from 40) and no student-athlete lost a year of eligibility, both decisions that were tied to the ongoing pandemic. Georgia’s roster for 2021 will feature 44 players. There are 28 veterans and 16 newcomers that will welcome the news when it’s time to play baseball as the 2021 schedule has not been finalized. Conferences around the country are deciding how many games to play and when to start as it all relates to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs used their fall to practice and scrimmage to answer who will comprise the starting lineup, the rotation, roles in the bullpen while developing depth around the diamond.

Pitchers

Junior left-handers Ryan Webb and C.J. Smith along with freshman right-hander Jonathan Cannon emerged as the cornerstones of the rotation. Webb’s start in 2020 was dominating, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and one save as the closer. In 15 innings, he tallied 26 strikeouts and only five walks. Smith (0-1, 3.32 ERA) made four starts last year while Cannon (3-0, 0.00 ERA) did not allow a run in five relief outings. Webb and Cannon have been named 2021 preseason All-Americans.

“Our strength will be our starting pitching even though we lost a pair of frontline guys in Emerson Hancock, who was picked in the first round, and Cole Wilcox, who earned a first round signing bonus as a third-round selection,” said Stricklin. “Ryan, C.J. and Jonathan match up with anybody in the country plus we have a lot of young arms that will be given opportunities to make an impact.”

Right-handers Garrett Brown and Will Childers hoped to be in the starting mix, however both will miss the upcoming season due to injuries. As a result, freshmen Luke Wagner, Jaden Woods and Patrick Holloman

Junior C.J. Smith

are candidates to start. The veteran bullpen pieces include Logan Moody, Darryn Pasqua, Jack Gowen, Michael Polk and sophomore transfer Nolan Crisp. Additionally, freshmen Hank Bearden, Collin Caldwell, Max DeJong, Charlie Goldstein, Bryce Melear, Will Pearson, Brandon Smith and Liam Sullivan aim to impress when their opportunity arises.

The Bulldogs have a few two-way players that look to contribute on the mound in Ben Harris, Shane Marshall and Chaney Rogers. Harris and Rogers will see time in the outfield while Marshall is part of a loaded platoon behind the plate who made his debut on the mound this past fall.

Catchers

Mason Meadows, who has earned a degree in sport management, plus Marshall, are the veterans who are joined by freshmen Corey Collins and Fernando Gonzalez. The coaching staff took a long look at Collins and Gonzalez during the fall and came away impressed with their skills.

“Our deepest position on the team might be at catcher where any of four guys could start,” said Stricklin. “Mason and Shane have the experience. Corey is the leading candidate to be the designated hitter, and Fernando has a lot of natural leadership traits and is very mature for a freshmen. This a competition to watch.”

Infielders

Georgia has been one of the nation’s best fielding teams of late, and two big reasons why were the steady play of Gold Glove-winning shortstop Cam Shepherd and first baseman Patrick Sullivan. However, both graduated in 2020. The Bulldogs now turn to veteran Cole Tate at shortstop, and the competition at first consists of Rogers and a pair of freshmen in Parks Harber and Lane Watkins. Tate enjoyed a fast start at the plate in 17 games last year (.339 BA, 2 HR, 14 RBI) and his glove work this fall cemented his spot in the 2021 lineup.

There are plenty of candidates at second base including Buddy Floyd, Kameron Guidry plus Josh McAllister and Caleb Ketchup both showed in the fall they are capable of playing shortstop or second base. Junior Garrett Blaylock is back at third base and looks to provide punch in the middle of the order. He is the leading returning home run hitter with four. “We have quite a battle going at second base, and that’s probably the biggest question mark heading into the season. There’s several candidates to start Opening Day.”

Outfielders

Veteran Riley King is comfortable playing anywhere on the diamond, and he will will begin the year in left field. Ben Anderson, who led the Bulldogs with a .414 batting average and 24 runs scored last year, returns to man centerfield and the top spot in the order. There’s no shortage of Bulldogs vying for the right field spot. Connor Tate headlines the group that will include Josh Stinson, Garrett Spikes and Trippe Moore III. Veteran Randon Jernigan and freshmen Dwight Allen and Luke Wagner are adept no matter where they are in the outfield. Georgia must replace OF/LHP Tucker Bradley who graduated in 2020. He was having an All-America-type season last year, batting .397 with six home runs and 23 RBI when the season came to a halt. “We have a ton of experience in the outfield, and I like that we have several guys who can play all three spots,” said Stricklin. “That give us the flexibility to move guys around during a game.”

Summary

After a heartbreaking end to the 2020 season, a tough summer without baseball and then something close to a normal fall, the Bulldogs are ready to play this spring. One thing is certain. Who ends up in the starting nine and on the mound each game will be very competitive. “Look at Riley, Cole, Connor and Mason, those guys didn’t play right away,” said Stricklin. “They waited their turn and used it to their benefit and became better players. That’s what we’ve stressed to the younger guys. We talk about it openly because everybody wants to play but not everybody can. It’s going to be a challenge. You can choose to be a good teammate. You have to be ready to play and ready to cheer for who is in the lineup. We have a lot of guys that have been through it.”