Georgia skipper Wes Johnson doesn't expect one, two, or even three players to equal the production lost from last year with Charlie Condon and Corey Collins no longer part of the team.
But perhaps, just maybe a Moneyball approach with a lineup of capable hitters can keep the Bulldogs scoring similarly.
If Friday’s doubleheader sweep of UIC is an indication, perhaps Georgia is on the right track after using four home runs to power its way to wins of 9-3 and 15-1.
Game Two was stopped after the top of the seventh due to the 10-run rule.
“Last weekend, I hate to keep bringing it up, but the conditions were hard, we had to play defense for 36 innings. You couldn't mix and match and try to go offense," Johnson said. "Today was the first game we really got to do that and you started to see some guys. We've still got a long way to go at the plate but it was a step in the right direction."
Of Georgia’s four homers, three came from players not on the team a season ago. Two came in Georgia’s Game 2 victory.
Ryland Zaborowski had the big one, a second-inning grand slam. He was followed by freshman Cade Brown, whose first collegiate hit also came on his birthday and went over the fence in left-center for his first career home run.
Returning catcher Henry Hunter also launched a homer, with newcomer Robbie Burnett hitting his first as a Bulldog in Game 1 after coming over from UNC-Asheville.
Zaborowski’s grand slam highlighted a six-run first for Georgia, which sent 12 batters to the plate.
The transfer from Miami-Ohio jumped on an 85-mph pitch on the first offering he saw from Payton Jibben and launched it deep over the fence in left-center field.
"Coming in, my goal was just to hit the ball high and far, high line drives. I wasn't trying to do too much when I first got here in the fall," said Zaborowski, who did not play in Game 1. "As a team, I feel like we just had a ton of confidence coming into the season. It was a little slow start at first, but I think we finally found it today."
Brown followed Zaborowski with his solo home run in the third, with Hunter going deep in the fourth.
"Zabo is one of those guys who works extremely, extremely hard," Johnson said. "I told him he wasn't playing Game 1, and I wanted him to be mentally and physically ready to play Game 2. We really had him prepped up and ready to go."
Starter Leighton Finley welcomed the support.
After a somewhat shaky start last week in a piggyback role for Charlie Goldstein, the Richmond Hill junior resembled his old self against the Flames.
Finley (1-0) went five innings, allowed just two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts, throwing 76 pitches. He did not allow a hit until nine-hole hitter Lucas Smith singled with one out in the fifth.
For Finley, Friday's effort was a testament to the work he put in during the offseason in his attempt to become more consistent.
"You're always trying to get in the mechanics and try to get in my body a little more and tweak a few pitches here and there," Finley said. "I didn't show off many of them today, just because certain stuff was working and we just went with that and just got in the groove. But yeah, you're always tweaking a couple of things. I think everything turned out pretty well."
Johnson was impressed.
"On games like this where it's cold and you have some long innings, it's very, very hard to come out, continue to attack the strike zone, and stay loose," Johnson said. "He had to be mentally tough with what he did tonight."
Former North Oconee standout Wyatt Land pitched the sixth, allowing a run with two strikeouts.
He was followed by former Buford High standout Nate Taylor, who tossed a scoreless seventh before the game was called.
This and that
…Slate Alford made his first start at second base.
…Freshmen Bryce Clavon and Erik Parker saw action. Clavon replaced Noah McCarthy before moving to second base in the fifth and left field in the sixth. Parker came into the game as a pinch-runner in the fourth and stayed in the game to play short.
…With three steals Friday, Georgia has 12 in seven games. They stole 22 in 60 games last season.
…Trey King singled in his first two at-bats of the year.
...Georgia and UIC play again Saturday with a first-pitch set for 2. Brian Zeldin (0-0, 5.40) starts for the Bulldogs. The series concludes Sunday at 11 a.m.
