Athens Super Regional: Georgia-NC State tale of the tape

As we look ahead to Game 1 Saturday in the Super Regional between Georgia and North Carolina State, let’s compare the two teams doing battle at Foley Field starting Saturday at noon on ESPU.

There are some similarities between the two teams.

The Bulldogs (42-15) and Wolfpack (36-20) are both 11-3 over their past 14 games. There’s more.

Both Georgia and North Carolina State boast veteran teams.

The Wolfpack is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, with several players remaining from the NC State squad that appeared in the 2021 College World Series before being forced to exit due to Covid.

Although Georgia does not have the overall postseason experience as the visitors, the Bulldogs brought in players with experience playing in the NCAA Tournament. So far, they have not been affected playing on the larger stage.

Let’s take a look:

Georgia: Fernando Gonzalez – One of the most experienced catchers in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzalez is one of the true leaders on the team on and off the field. Defensively, his specialty is framing pitches, but he’s also developed into a legitimate offensive weapon batting .284 with nine homers and 51 RBI.

North Carolina State: Jacob Cozart – A solid defensive catcher with plenty of pop. Cozart’s 16 home runs are tied for second on the team. He’s also driven in 49 runs.

Georgia: Corey Collins – The Bulldog first baseman is batting .361 with 19 home runs and 55 RBI. His on-base percentage of .583 is the best in Division I baseball. Collins has only failed to reach base in two of the 36 games since being inserted into the leadoff role.

North Carolina State: Garrett Pennington – Pennington is having an excellent year. His .347 average is second on the team and, like Cozart, he has 16 home runs to go along with 62 RBI.

Georgia: Slate Alford – Although he can be scary defensively, Alford gives Georgia another big bat in the middle of its lineup with a batting average of .302 with 16 homers and 67 RBI.

North Carolina State: Matt Heavner – Heavner is a great defender, but thus far does not offer a ton on the offensive side, with just two homers and 10 RBI.

Georgia: Kolby Branch – Branch struggled in the weeks leading up to the Athens Regional, but after going deep twice in the Athens Regional, appears to be back on track. One of the more dangerous nine-hole hitters in the country, Branch’s 17 home runs are third on the team and they tend to come in big spots. His fourth grand slam of the year against UNC-Wilmington set a new Bulldog record. Branch's solo homer to lead off the ninth against Georgia Tech enabling Georgia to come back and beat the Yellow Jackets in 10 innings to win the Athens Regional crown.

North Carolina State: Brandon Butterworth – Butterworth is batting .247 with seven homers and 30 RBI for the Wolfpack and is 13 for 13 on stolen bases.

Georgia: Charlie Condon – The best player in college baseball. Condon’s marvelous season rolls on as the Marietta native comes into the Super Regional batting .445 with 36 homers and 77 RBI. He’s a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and on the short list for numerous other Player of the Year awards.

North Carolina State: Alec Makarewicz – Makarewicz is North Carolina State’s leading hitter with an average of .379, with 20 homers and 76 RBI. He has made 10 errors at third.

Georgia: Clayton Chadwick – Chadwick is one of the scrappier players on the team. He doesn’t strike out much (27 times in 154 at-bats) and always seems to be able to work counts in each of his at-bats. Chadwick is hitting .266 with four homers and 26 RBI. Also, keep an eye on Paul Toetz. The Purdue transfer hits for a higher average (.346-4-22) and could split time in the lineup with Chadwick depending on matchups.

North Carolina State: Luke Nixon – Nixon is hitting .232 with four homers and 31 RBI. He’s tied with Butterworth with a team-high 13 stolen bases.

Georgia: Dillon Carter – This hard-scrappy Texas native may not blow you away with his numbers (.219-7-15) but he’s a veteran player with plenty of postseason experience at his former school, Texas Tech. He also knows how to get on base as his on-base percentage of .452 is third on the team behind Condon and Collins.

North Carolina State: Eli Serrano III – Serrano is a solid player. He’s started all 56 games, batting .288 with seven homers and 36 RBI.

Georgia: Dylan Goldstein – The left-handed Florida Atlantic transfer has been a solid contributor all season for the Bulldogs but is especially dangerous against right-handed pitchers. He’s batting .285 with 12 homers and 42 RBI.

North Carolina State: Noah Soles - Soles is batting .218 with five homers and 16 RBI.

Georgia: Tre Phelps – Phelps has been one of the more dynamic freshmen in the SEC, batting .355 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI. His eight-inning homer helped bring the Bulldogs back Sunday against Georgia Tech.

North Carolina State: Alex Sosa – Sosa comes in batting .220 with five homers and 20 RBI.

Georgia: RH Leighton Finley – Sophomore right-hander did not make it out of the fourth inning against Army, but prior to that has been a consistent starter for the Bulldogs. In 15 starts, Finley is 5-1 with a 4.41 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 69.1 innings.

RH Kolten Smith – Smith walked six against Coastal Carolina before exiting the game with what Wes Johnson called cramping in his wrist and forearm. Johnson said the cramping had dissipated by the end of the game, but this will still be something to watch. Otherwise, Smith has been Georgia’s best second-half pitcher going 9-1, an ERA of 4.41, with 99 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

RH Zach Harris – Of Georgia’s starters, Harris has the best fastball, topping out at 96 mph. His overall numbers (5-1, 6.69) aren’t overly impressive, but he has more strikeouts (42) than innings pitched (35). Although he gave up five runs to Georgia Tech, he finished strong with four straight scoreless innings, giving Georgia six for the game, thus allowing the Bulldogs to come back for the victory.

North Carolina State: RH Sam Highfill – Highfill is North Carolina State’s most experienced pitcher, having thrown in the 2021 CWS. In 15 starts, he’s 6-2 with a 5.35 ERA with 38 walks and 73 strikeouts in 74 innings.

LH Dominic Fritton – Fritton has an ERA of 6.67, and walks have been an issue with 43 in 68 innings. He has struck out 67.

LH Ryan Marohn – Marohn is 4-2 in 10 starts with an ERA of 3.60. He’s walked 23 and struck out 44 in 55 innings.

Georgia: Brian Zeldin (3-3, 5.68), Christian Mracna (4-2, 5.32) and Josh Roberge (3-1, 7.00) are the three main arms out of the Bulldog bullpen. When the game is on the line, look for a combination of the three to receive the call.

Other names to look for include Zach DeVito (2-0, 2.79), DJ Radtke (1-0, 4.55), Chandler Marsh (2-0, 8.18) and Daniel Padysak (1-0, 7.66), each of whom pitched well during the Athens Regional.

Left-hander Charlie Goldstein appears doubtful, but Johnson is expected to have an update on Friday.

North Carolina State: Jacob Dudan (3-2, 4.17) is listed as North Carolina State’s top closer with six saves and 53 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.

Other key arms include Shane Van Dam (4-0, 4.58), Derrick Smith (3-1, 4.68 and seven saves), Cooper Consiglio (5-4, 4.97), and Hollis Fanning (2-1, 8.04).