Georgia pitcher Alex Wood sounded a bit out of breath when he was finally reached by phone late Tuesday afternoon. After being selected with the 85th pick in the second round by the Atlanta Braves earlier in the day that came as no real surprise. "It's been a crazy last 24 hours," Wood told UGASports. "We kind of found out last night a little bit that the Braves had a lot of interest in me with their No. 85 pick, which is where I kind of semi thought I might go. But still, I'm really kind of beside myself right now. It's been an amazing day." Wood said he expects to sign with the Braves in the next couple of days. "After the first couple of pick (in the second round) they (Braves officials) started texting me and asking if I'd go for the deal that they had on the table and it ended up working pretty great," Wood said. "I ended up going No. 85 to the Braves and now I've got a great opportunity." A 6-4, 220-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., Wood posted a 7-3 record and 2.73 ERA in 15 starts for the Bulldogs who went 31-26. An All-SEC second team selection, Wood registered 100 strikeouts and 21 walks in 102.1 innings pitched with two complete games and a team-best seven pickoffs. His 2.73 ERA was the lowest by a Bulldog starter since 1989. He finishes his career with a 13-10 mark and a 3.57 ERA in 32 appearances, including 30 starts. Wood had 180 strikeouts and 47 walks in 204.1 innings pitched. Wood said he will meet with Braves officials on Wednesday to hopefully finalize his deal and learn where he will begin his professional career. "It's just dream come true. You grow up knowing this is what you want to do and when it finally happens it's so surreal," said Wood, who watched the draft on TV with family and friends. "I don't know if it really resonated with me until I left to go have lunch (Tuesday) with some of my friends. It's just been a special day, learning that dreams can come true if you work hard enough." Wood wasn't the only Bulldog to hear his name called. On Monday, Georgia signee Byron Buxton of Appling County was taken with the second overall pick by the Minnesota Twins after hitting .513 with 35 stolen bases and going 10-0 on the mound in leading the Pirates to a state title. Also in the second round on Tuesday, infielder and Georgia signee Joe DeCarlo was taken with the 64th overall pick by the Seattle Mariners followed three picks later by pitcher Duane Underwood, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 67th overall selection. | 
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