Jonathan Cannon continues to establish himself as one of the top starters in the SEC and Friday night’s effort against defending national champion Mississippi State was arguably his best effort yet.
The junior right-hander was impeccable, allowing just three hits over eight innings with zero walks and nine strikeouts as the Bulldogs rolled to an 11-0 win in the SEC opener.
“I definitely relied on my cutter a lot tonight. That was my go-to pitch because I was feeling it,” Cannon said. “That’s kind of the story with pitching. You’ve just kind of got to go with what’s hot. Last week it was the slider, this week it was the cutter.
For the fourth time in five starts, Cannon (4-1) did not walk a single batter. He’s walked only one all year. To find the last walk before that you’ve got to go all the way back to May 16 of 2021 when he issued four bases on balls in a victory at Florida.
“He’s just really efficient. He’s always been a strike thrower,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “Earlier in his career, that was kind of a detriment to him. He was throwing too many strikes and hitters knew they were going to get something in the zone. Now, the slider’s gotten deeper, the cutter’s gotten sharper, the changeup has gotten better, the fastball has ticked up. He’s throwing strikes but you don’t know what’s coming.”
The 18th-ranked Bulldogs (15-3) made sure Cannon received plenty of help.
Home runs by Connor Tate and Ben Anderson sparked the Bulldogs, who exploded for seven runs in the eighth to account for the final score.
Anderson led Georgia’s eight hit attack by going 2-for-4 with four RBI. Connor Tate, Chaney Rogers, and Fernando Gonzalez scored two runs each.
“Games like this give the whole team confidence,” Anderson said. “We’re confident that we can put up some runs (Saturday).”
After three straight batters struck out in the first against MSU's Preston Johnson (2-1), Connor Tate led off the second with his third home run, a towering blast to left-center after falling behind 0-2.
A Mississippi State error gave Georgia its second run.
With Rogers at first, Cole Tate hit a routine grounder to third, but Kamren James’ throw was wild, chasing Rogers all the way around for the Bulldogs’ second run.
A half-inning earlier, the Tate-Rogers connection made the defensive play of the game.
MSU’s Brad Cumbest pushed a ball in the hole at short. Tate was able to get the ball and threw off his back leg, but Rogers was able to scoop the ball at first for the out.
That wasn’t the only impressive defensive action.
Rogers made five tremendous plays, saving his fielders with some big-time scoops, while Dwight Allen II made two impressive catches in right robbing MSU hitters of what looked to be sure hits.
“That one that DA caught I thought for sure was bound for the gap. I thought the ball was down easy,” Cannon said. “Chaney has been such a good first baseman. He made all the plays tonight, but that’s just what he does.”
Cannon, who went 2-0 only twice, was as sharp as he’s been.
After giving up a double to Logan Tanner to lead off the fifth for MSU’s first hit, a subsequent grounder had the visiting Bulldogs’ first run just 90 feet away with only one out.
Cannon made his stand right there, striking Luke Hancock before getting Kellum Clark to foul out to Rogers right in front of the gate along the first base line.
Anderson gave Cannon some insurance in the inning’s bottom half.
Following a two-out single by Gonzalez, the left-handed hitting Anderson went oppo to left-center field for his fourth home run, pushing Georgia’s lead to 4-0.
Georgia and Mississippi State play Game 2 of their series Saturday at 2 p.m. Sophomore left-hander Luke Wagner (5-0, 0.73) will start for the Bulldogs against right-hander Parker Stinnett (3-0, 3.57).
