Georgia Baseball News and Notes

With nine intrasquad games under his team’s belt, head coach Wes Johnson is beginning to have an idea of what he’s got on his hands.

Although it’s way too early to project who’ll play where, or what pitchers will start and relieve, Johnson told UGASports before practice Thursday afternoon that there have been some positive early signs.

“The one thing I could not be more pleased with is every day we’ve shown up and had great energy and played really hard. Our energy and effort have been at a level of where I think it should be. That’s really stuck out,” Johnson said. “Our defense has been really, really good. Our pitchers are throwing strikes, and hitters aren’t swinging at balls, which are good things early.”

Johnson is also using camp as a way to indoctrinate players to play different positions.

The more versatility someone has, the more options Johnson and his staff will have when it comes to making out lineups come spring.

“That’s something you learn in the big leagues: lineup flexibility, having the ability to match up against certain pitchers and not be restricted by positioning on the field from the defensive side,” said Johnson, who spent four years as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins. “It also makes players better defenders when they play multiple positions, to see balls at different angles and so forth. I don’t know that anybody has played the same position for a whole game yet.”

That includes redshirt sophomore Charlie Condon.

Condon played outfield and first base for the Bulldogs last spring. He’s added third base to his resume already this spring.

“He’s actually been really good over there. He made a heck of a play there yesterday in the scrimmage,” Johnson said. “He’s made a couple of really, really nice plays. It’s not out of the question to see him at third in a couple of games.”

Condon is not the only one.

Newcomer Kolby Branch–projected to be the team’s starting shortstop after transferring from Baylor–has played third base, short, and second this fall.

“That was part of what we did when we started looking at the portal. I wanted guys who could play different positions. As you know covering our league, you’re going to go against some Friday night guys, and if he’s right-handed, you can’t be extremely right-handed in that batter’s box or he’s going to carve you up. The same if he’s a tough lefty, you can’t be extremely left-handed,” Johnson said. “Having the flexibility and versatility to run some different lineups out there, and have some guys at different positions that you feel comfortable with has been huge for us thus far.”

…Johnson said senior outfielder Josh Stinson is having a “phenomenal fall camp.”

Stinson played sparingly last spring, hitting just .188 with one home run and six RBI.

“He’s showing us that he can play all three outfield positions,” Johnson said. “he’s had a phenomenal approach at the plate and been able to steal some bags.”

…On the mound, Penn transfer Brian Zeldin is off to a fast start.

“Brian is off to a really, really good start. He’s showing he can be a starter, or he can be a back-end closer,” Johnson said.

“Although it’s too early to speculate on any of those roles yet, if you’re asking who’s jumped out, those two guys (Stinson and Zeldin) have jumped out. They’re in your face, they’re out there.”

… A Freshman All-American by College Baseball, the aforementioned Branch brings a certain degree of toughness to the Bulldogs.

Johnson said he can do it all.

“He can run, he can throw. His batting average isn’t that high in the fall right now, but he’s had some really good at-bats. We’re only nine games in, he’s hit the ball hard, he’s had some hard outs,” Johnson said. “But when he’s on base, he can steal a bag against anybody. If you’re a really good base stealer, it’s easier to steal third than it is second. Kolby has definitely shown us that. He may steal second, but you better look up or he’ll be at third, two pitches later.”

Branch captured the team’s Triple Crown at .325-6-41 and led the Bears in most offensive categories, including hits (69), runs (49), plus 17 doubles, which was one shy of the program’s freshman record.

… Charlie Goldstein is making progress after recently missing time due to COVID-19.

“Charlie’s only thrown one inning, it’s September 20, not January 20 so we’ll take it a little slow. He’ll start tomorrow, but yeah, threw 12 pitches K two, and got a weak ground ball.

He executed pitches,” Johnson said. “Everybody knows he’s got a good changeup, but we’ve worked on his slider and his curveball. They were good pitches last year, but I think they’ve ticked up a little bit as well.”

Earlier, Goldstein said his fastball has bumped up to 94 mph, and hopes to get up to 95 mph before the end of camp.

… Remember Coleman Willis? When he first signed with Georgia out of Houston County, Willis had arguably the best arsenal of pitches when he first arrived in Athens. But after struggling with confidence and control, he was never able to make the sort of impact many projected he would.

But since Johnson had Willis add a cutter, the right-hander’s fortunes appear to be changing.

“In the seven innings he’s thrown, he’s struck out 12 and walked two,” Johnson said. “He’s thrown very few fastballs, a lot of cutters, a lot of curveballs and a lot of sliders.”

So, how did one new pitch apparently put Willis on a positive track?

“A lot of times, when you see guys with his stuff and are dealing with confidence, throwing strikes or whatever, you can give a guy a cutter, it can get their hand into the strike zone without going through all that,” Johnson said. “That’s what we were able to do with Coleman pretty quick.”