Redshirt freshman Charlie Condon was walking back to the clubhouse after conducting an afternoon interview when head coach Scott Stricklin glanced in his direction.

“Why does anyone want to talk to Charlie Condon?” Stricklin joked.

Looking back, Condon smiled.

“I’ve got no idea, Coach,” he said, before ducking inside.

Actually, there is a very good reason.

One of the reasons Stricklin is so excited about the potential of this year’s lineup is the fact three players—Connor Tate, Parks Harber, and Corey Collins—are back after hitting double-digit home runs last season.

However, it’s also the emergence of Condon that could make this lineup even better. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Condon may already be the best-kept secret in the SEC.

If he keeps producing as he did over the summer, into fall practice, and the preseason, it will not be for long.

Tales of his power and how far he can hit a baseball are already making the rounds.

“You’ll be sitting here, a ball will get pitched, and you will see it hit almost to Rankin (Center),” pitcher Jaden Woods said. “And it’s consistent, that’s the crazy thing about it.”

It’s also how hard he hits the ball that’s been opening a lot of eyes. Exit velocities on balls hit by the big right-hander are well over 100 mph, with many in the 114-115 range.

“He’s wiry strong, although he’s starting to get thick. When you look at him from a distance, he kind of looks tall and skinny, but when you get up close, he’s pretty physical,” Stricklin said. “He’s got a lot of wrist strength, but just the physical strength, the maturity, is starting to take over. He’s a late bloomer. He had an injury in high school, the Covid year, all those things went into play, but there’s a lot of wrist strength, physical strength that’s now coming into play.”

Condon, whose cousin Owen was an offensive lineman for Georgia, credits last year’s redshirt season for allowing him to be in the position he currently finds himself.

“I was able to just put my head down and put in some work, tune some things up with my swing, and grow some of that power that I really hadn't had in high school,” Condon said. “I’m not the strongest guy in the weight room; I don’t put up really big numbers by any means. It’s a little bit of physics, just having some longer levers, arms, and stuff like that.”

Stricklin, who compares Condon physically to a right-handed version of former major leaguer Paul O’Neil, said the decision to redshirt Condon was best for all parties involved.

“He came in last fall (of 2021), and he was OK, but he was skinny; he was not quite strong enough,” Stricklin said. “But he started to get stronger, and in January and February (of last year) he was pretty good for us. Being able to redshirt allowed him to just sit back and relax and gain weight. He gained 15 pounds, and he gained another 10 pounds this year.

"He’s up over 220, so being able to see it from a different angle I think in the long run will benefit him. He could have helped us last year for sure, but I think in the long run, he was able to watch and learn.”

Condon agreed.

The opportunity to sit back and watch the likes of Tate, Harber, and Collins, along with former teammates Chaney Rogers and Garrett Blaylock, showed the graduate of The Walker School how a college player is supposed to carry himself over the course of a long, four-month campaign.

After not playing for the Bulldogs last spring, Condon made up for lost time while spending last summer in the wooden bat Northwoods League in Wisconsin.

In 61 games, Condon batted .286, getting 268 at-bats in 61 games, with seven home runs and 68 RBI. He would earn MVP honors at the league’s All-Star game after blasting two home runs.

“(The Northwoods League) is always known for being a slammed schedule, playing five or six games a week, so I think the biggest thing I took from it was just the stamina it took for playing almost every day and getting ready to go,” Condon said. “I had a ton of fun, met some really cool guys, but it was fun to have an important role for that team, and I think it’s helped me to grow after sitting here and not playing any games in the spring; it was fun to go out here and have a role, and I’m looking forward to bringing some of that experience back.”

Although it’s Condon’s bat that does most of his talking, Stricklin said he’s a much better defender than many might want to give him credit for.

Per the Georgia coach, Condon will actually be on the field more often than not, playing both right field and first base.

However, it’s the added potential of what he could bring to a lineup that will include the likes of Tate, Harber, Collins, Cole Wagner, Ben Anderson, and Fernando Gonzalez that could make for some lively afternoons at Foley Field come the spring.

“The depth of our lineup, I think part of that is why it’s so good. The pitchers can’t pitch around just one guy, because the next guy coming up will be able to do the same thing, so you’re going to have to attack everyone with full force,” Condon said. “I think we’re really going to be able to complement each other and just have consecutive ones right after the other. I don’t think there’s a weak link; I think we will be really tough to get out.”