WHERE: Foley Field

WHEN: Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 4 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia - 35-8, 8-4; Texas A&M – 20-12, 6-6

STARTING PITCHERS: Thursday – RH Nolan Crisp (0-0, 4.74) vs RH Nathan Detmer (2-2, 4.24); Friday – LH Luke Wager (5-1, 5.01) vs TBA or RH Micah Dallas (4-1, 3.99); Sunday – LH Liam Sullivan (3-1, 3.57) vs TBA or RH Micah Dallas (4-1, 3.99).

TV/RADIO: SEC Network+ (Matt Stewart, Jason Jacobs); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Jeff Dantzler, David Johnston)

Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin will readily admit that Tuesday’s 17-15 win at Kennesaw State was about as ugly as it gets.

But the victory was nevertheless an important one.

Road victories are never easy, and considering the Owls came into play with the nation’s 10th-toughest RPI, this was a game Stricklin decided it was imperative to do whatever it took to win – even at the risk of not having one of his key pitchers available for Thursday’s game against Texas A&M.

That’s why Stricklin decided to send sophomore lefty Jaden Woods back out for the ninth inning despite already giving up three runs in the previous two innings.

Woods responded, setting the Owls down in order to preserve the hard-fought win as 10th-ranked Georgia improved to 25-8.

“With Jaden, he’s going to be down on Thursday night, but everybody else should be available,” Stricklin said Wednesday. “That was kind of the goal. We did not want to burn guys, but we still needed to win the game. So we made the decision of possibly not bringing Jaden back out for the ninth, but we also talked about, if we lose this game it’s going to be devastating. It had been an ugly game, back and forth, but if we lose, it’s an absolute kick in the teeth; it’s a long ride back home.

"We just decided, Jaden’s our best guy, if it means he’s got to wait an extra day to pitch, so be it, we’ve got to win this game. We thought the moment was more important to try and win that game than take him out and try to save him to pitch on Thursday.”

Woods, who threw a combined 86 pitches dating back to Sunday’s finale at South Carolina, was part of a Bulldog pitching staff that struggled for most of the game against Kennesaw State.

Starting pitcher Coleman Willis did not even make it out of the first inning after walking four batters leading to four runs. Reliever Will Pearson allowed four runs in 2.1 innings, with Hank Bearden allowing three in 1.1 innings.

Georgia now ranks third from the bottom of the SEC in ERA at 5.15.

Injuries have obviously been a problem. Dylan Ross and Will Childers are out for the year with respective elbow injuries. Liam Sullivan missed a month with arm soreness before returning last week at South Carolina.

Ace right hander Jonathan Cannon will miss one more weekend while he recovers from a muscle strain in the back of his forearm.

The injuries have put added pressure on some of Georgia’s younger, less experienced pitchers and the results have not always been pretty.

“We’re going to have to have guys go in and do their job. They’re all guys who have done it before, they’re all guys who can do it,” co-captain Bulldog reliever Jack Gowen said. “Our starters are going to have to give us some good starts, but when it comes time, we’re (the bullpen) going to have to do our job.”

Nolan Crisp (0-0, 4.64) will make his third straight start Thursday night, but sophomore Luke Wagner (5-1, 5.01) will start in place of Garrett Brown (0-1, 7.84). Liam Sullivan will start in Saturday’s finale.

“I think last week I was 80, the week before around 75, so anywhere between 75 and 100 is reasonable,” Crisp said. “I’m just trying to give our team the best chance to win.”

Crisp has been effective since moving into the rotation.

The right-hander went 4.1 innings against both Florida and South Carolina the past two weeks, allowing two runs to the Gators and just one to the Gamecocks last week in Columbia.

“Crisp has done a nice job; he’s gotten us into the fifth twice, and I think everyone in the league with maybe the exception of a couple of teams will take that every time,” Stricklin said. “He wants the ball, he likes the bright lights. He’s the guy, if you’re going to be in a fight, you want him on your side, just because he’s a tough kid. He’s got the right personality, he throws strikes and his stuff is good.”

Wagner will make his second start of the year in place of Brown, who quite simply has struggled with his command.

“Garrett just hasn’t thrown enough strikes. He’s walked a lot of guys. His stuff is really good, and it can wear on you. The starting pitching role can wear on you a little bit. He’s excited to come out of the pen. He knows he’s going to get the ball at some point,” Stricklin said. “He’s shown some flashes. His first innings have been really good—his velocity is up to 95 and his changeup has been really good. His breaking ball has shown promise, so maybe using him in shorter stints will take a little pressure off.”

Stricklin said Sullivan (3-1, 3.57) will see his pitch count extended to somewhere between 70 and 80 pitches and the hope is he’ll be able to get through five or six innings on Saturday.

“He was around 50 on Sunday. Good sign when I went out, he wanted to stay in. He actually went to the bullpen and threw 10 more pitches to get up to 60,” Stricklin said. “We expect him to be between 70-80, so hopefully that gives us five, maybe six innings, because we need our starters to give us a little more length.”

Sullivan does not believe that will be a problem.

“I feel I could go seven,” Sullivan said. “I’m just excited to have the opportunity to win another series and show we’ve got a really good team.”

Stricklin had good news on Cannon (6-1, 1.71), who will miss his second straight start due to a muscle strain in the back of his forearm.

“He’s great,” Stricklin said. “I’ll describe it as a jogger going to run and feeling a twinge in his calf. It was just one of those things that happened while he was warming up before throwing.”

Stricklin said the pain is now completely gone.

“He’s thrown the last two days and felt great,” Stricklin said. “He will bullpen on Saturday, do it again next week and assuming there are no problems, next weekend he’s starting.”

Georgia travels to Alabama for three games next weekend.

After a slow start, sophomore infielder Parks Harber is swinging one of Georgia’s hottest bats.

The Atlanta native has 15 hits over his past 33 at bats (.454) with three home runs, nine runs scored, and 13 RBIs.

“I think I caught myself guessing a few times, and thought maybe it’s mechanics or something like that,” Harber said. “But really, it was just approach—see the ball, hit the ball. Sometimes keeping it simple is all you need to do.”

Harber is now hitting .287 with six home runs and 31 RBI.

Before Tuesday’s game, Stricklin announced shortstop Cole Tate will miss several weeks with a stress fracture in his leg.

“It’s something he fought through, but it’s going to be a couple of weeks,” Stricklin said. “But we need it to heal, and the only way it will heal is rest.”

It’s not the only injury Tate (.331-2-16) has.

Stricklin said Tate currently has his thumb in a soft cast after suffering a sprain.

“He’s had to retape it after every at-bat,” Stricklin said. “But we just have to give it a chance to heal, so hopefully the last three or four weeks of the season, we’re at full speed.”

Josh McAllister will move over from third base to short in Tate’s absence with Chaney Rogers going back to first and Cole Wagner in right field.

“I call him (Tate) Vet. He’s a big, integral part of the team. But you know, it’s always been the next man up mentality. The next man is going to step up,” Harbert said. “(Tuesday night), Josh did a good job at shortstop. I’m not worried. It sucks losing Cole, he’s a big part of our team, but we’re going to make up for his absence for sure.”

... Stricklin said that outfielder Dwight Allen II is 95 percent after hyperextending his knee two weeks ago against Georgia Southern.