It’s fun when you win, and with a record of 29-2, the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs have been doing their share.

They’re also having a good time doing it.

Home runs are celebrated in several ways. It started with the donning of a variety of rubber dog masks but lately has grown into pushing the triumphant slugger down the dugout in an old laundry cart.

“We just enjoy being around each other,” catcher Henry Hunter said. “We have a lot of great personalities, and it just makes it more exciting on a daily basis.”

Of course, dugout celebrations are nothing new.

Major league teams have been doing it for years, including the Minnesota Twins, where Wes Johnson spent three-plus years as the pitching coach.

“Man, we had a couple. We had the one where it was the rope. We had one that was a chain. Probably those were the two that everybody took on after a guy would hit a homer they'd put on the rope,” Johnson said. “In 2019, we broke the major league record for homers. The Braves tied it, I think that was two years ago. I’ve still got that bat in my office; the chains and the rope were probably the two biggest.”

Masks are nothing new for the Bulldogs.

Georgia hitters began playing around with different dog-themed masks before this year until upping the ante to trips down the dugout in old laundry carts.

Hunter credits Kentucky transfer Nolan McCarthy with the current antics taking hold in the manner that they have.

“I would say Nolan’s definitely brought a bit of Kentucky with him; that’s just kind of who he is,” Hunter said. “But we have a lot of pitchers that are really bought in and just embraced that role. JT Quinn, Wyatt Land do a good job of keeping the dugout up and the mood high. It’s been super exciting and fun.”

Infielder Ryan Black agreed.

“Nolan’s a different kind of teammate than I’ve been around, but it’s a good difference. He does different things that I’ve never seen before,” Black said. “I just love him. I like the addition of the cart, the dog mask … I love it all.”

While you won’t see Johnson getting in on the fun, he’s not adverse to his players having some – just as long as they respect the game.

“Don’t get me wrong, there's a line in the sand, right? That's where you're too loose, but I want these guys to have fun. I want them to enjoy the game because when it's fun and you're doing things that are fun, you wanna do that more, and I want them here,” Johnson said. “I want them at the baseball field. I want them to hang out. If they're having fun, then they're going to want to come here.”

Still, Johnson is keeping an eye on the laundry cart shenanigans.

“I told him the other day, I said, guys, once again, there's a line in the sand between staying healthy and having fun, and we're flirting with it right now,” Johnson said. “So, we'll continue to do it, but we've put in a few extra rules on the cart there. We’ve got to be a little slower and make sure that we're good.”

With a nation’s best 84 homers, the Bulldogs (29-2) have had plenty of practice and the celebrations have now become old hat.

Black, who has yet to experience the ride, hopes to join in the fun soon.

“I'm ready to get in that cart,” Black said.

With seven more weeks to go, he should have ample opportunity.