Although full-team preseason practice is still a couple of weeks away, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of Georgia’s roster for the 2025 baseball season.
Already, expectations are building.
Despite the losses of players like Charlie Condon and Corey Collins, head coach Wes Johnson is already receiving lofty marks for the team, it appears he’s about to put on the field.
Last week, Perfect Game placed Georgia No. 4 in its preseason rankings. While that may appear a bit high considering how tough the SEC is once again expected to be, do not be surprised if the Bulldogs (39-15 in 2024) are a consensus preseason Top 10 team.
After finishing one game shy of reaching the College World Series, the Bulldogs’ goal for this spring is simple – be one of the eight teams advancing to Omaha.
Based on the talent Johnson and his staff have accrued via the NCAA transfer portal, the Bulldogs certainly appear to have the pieces in place to make this a very interesting spring.
The Bulldogs have bolstered their squad with 20 newcomers to give the program arguably its best depth in years.
“The depth of this team, I look at it, you talk about being able to swap guys in and out and play with righty, lefty, and it seems like it's even more so than maybe it was last year,” Johnson told UGASports during fall practice. “We don't have Charlie Condon or Corey Collins, right? But when you look at our overall depth of a lineup, and then the depth that we're gonna have on the bench to match up right versus left, meaning if they bring in a tough righty or a tough lefty into the game, and what we could do off the bench, we're ahead of where we were last year. Obviously, we're well ahead of that on the mound.”
Let’s start from the top.
Sophomore Tre Phelps was one of the better freshmen in the country and is primed for a huge year after batting .353 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in just 42 games.
Draft eligible due to his age, Phelps is already being projected as a first-round pick and gives Johnson exceptional versatility in the field after starting at five different positions (right field, left field, third base, first base, and designated hitter) his first season as a Bulldog.
Phelps isn’t the only familiar face returning.
Shortstop Kolby Branch (.265-15-52) and infielder Slate Alford (.295-16-63) each provided significant pop to last year’s lineup.
However, with no Condon and Collins, Johnson and his staff wanted to make sure the lineup would be nine deep. On paper, it appears the Bulldogs will be that and more as Georgia stockpiled its roster with many significant additions. How significant? The baseball analytical website 64analytics.com ranks Georgia third nationally in portal additions, including 10 it considers among the top 250 players available through the portal last offseason.
It’s an impressive group.
New second baseman Ryan Black (UT-Arlington) was ranked the 15th-best transfer by 64 Analytics. He is considered an excellent defender and, as a freshman, batted .336 with nine homers and 57 RBI. Though his numbers dropped a bit (.278-5-41), the Bulldogs are banking on a change of scenery, bumping his statistics and becoming one of the league’s better offensive second basemen.
First baseman/third baseman Ryland Zaborowski (a career .300 hitter with 30 career home runs in two years at Miami-Ohio), infielder/catcher Brennan Hudson (.326-12-32 at Georgia State), first baseman/outfielder Charlie Jones (.344-13-54 at last year at Air Force), infielder/outfielder Christian Adams (.343-8-31 at Florida Atlantic) each offers Johnson different, experienced options.
Georgia’s outfield is talented and deep.
Former Kentucky starter Nolan McCarthy (.288-8-41) is an SEC veteran with 98 career starts, while former Duke starter Devin Obee (60 starts in center for the Blue Devils; .309-16-50) and UNC-Asheville transfer Robbie Burnett (.323-17-45) each figure to be in the lineup more often than not.
With so much experience, breaking into the lineup might be tough for Georgia’s freshmen, but promising youngsters like Bryce Clavon, Erik Parker, and Cade Brown could each receive early looks.
Wofford transfer Daniel Jackson (.357-12-69), returnee Henry Hunter (.265-4-12), and Hudson will be the Bulldogs’ three main catchers.
On the mound, even Johnson is excited with what he’s seen.
“I’m really excited about where our pitching staff is now. I think we've got some options. We can really, really match up,” Johnson said. “We’ve got some flexibility. Don’t get me wrong, if a guy’s cruising, he’s going to go five, six or seven innings. But we could also match up games. You could look up and we could throw four pitchers. We could throw 12 pitchers in a weekend, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. So, I really like that.”
Two of the names you’ll recognize.
Leighton Finley (6-1, 4.14) and Kolten Smith (9-3, 105 strikeouts in 69.2 innings) were regulars in the weekend rotation and return, but Johnson once again took to the portal to make sure depth will no longer be a question for this year’s staff, which started to run out of gas and arms toward the end of the last year.
Among the newcomers, Alton Davis II is a hard-throwing lefty who will have a chance to start after serving as the closer last year at Alabama.
Former Ole Miss starter JT Quinn, returnee Zach Harris, and eventually Charle Goldstein. Matthew Hoskins is another option Johnson is expected to consider. Others could also find themselves in the mix.
There is no shortage of quality arms in the bullpen, with plenty of right-left options.
Returnee Brian Zeldin was a workhorse capable of filling different roles, but he’ll have plenty of help in the form of VCU transfer Brian Curley, a 16th-round pick of Pittsburgh last July after going 6-0 with three saves and an ERA of 2.87.
Georgia State transfer Davis Chastain, Southern Cal transfer Eric Hammond, redshirt freshman Paul Farley, Ohio State transfer Zach Brown (4-0, 4.22), Eastern Kentucky transfer Bradley Stewart, along with returnees DJ Radtke, Luke Wiltrakis, and Collin Caldwell, among others, will be pitchers to watch.
