“A beaver shall lead them there.”

Georgia may be known as the Bulldogs. However, a pair of chubby-cheeked, bucktooth critters sporting red caps with soul-searching eyes have found themselves a home within Scott Stricklin's 14th-ranked squad.

Say hello to Buck and Buxton, a pair of stuffed refugees from Buc-ees, a growing chain of travel centers, known for their mall-like selection of foodstuffs and snacks, over 200 gas pumps and self-billed as the cleanest restrooms you’ll find anywhere.

For Georgia relief pitchers Will Pearson and Davis Rokose, discovering their new friends amongst the madness during a stop at the store in Leeds, Ala., enroute to last weekend's series at Alabama, represented an opportunity they simply could not pass up.

For the good of the team, the two Bulldog relievers felt a sacrifice had to be made.

“I was actually standing there next to Davis. He saw them, he pointed it out and I told him we had to have one,” Pearson said. “I got one, so he said I’ve got to have one, too. So, we both ended up getting the beavers.”

At first, teammates looked askance. Who were these furry strangers?

Stricklin himself admitted he, too, was unsure.

“I saw Will Pearson get on the bus with a stuffed animal, and my first thought was well, there goes his meal money,” Stricklin said. “Guys are always complaining about things. They complain about meal money, and I’m like well, you spent all your money on a stuffed animal.”

But after going 3-1 with the beavers as official team members, who's to discount their power?

“When we got on the bus, everyone was kind of looking at the beavers, so we knew we had to have them in the dugout,” Pearson said. “The first inning on Friday, Cole Wagner hits the three-run home run. So there was something to it. The beaver had a little magic with him.”

Allegedly, each beaver has his own special power.

Buck can be seen draped over the rail in the Georgia dugout, while Buxton hangs out in the bullpen, either resting on a rake or sitting on a chair.

Don’t laugh.

The Bulldogs are enjoying arguably their most consistent run of the season from a pitching perspective, having allowed just six runs over their past four games.

“The staff has really come together over the past four ball games,” Pearson said. “The beavers are making something happen.”

Rokose agreed.

“We just knew there was mojo in those beavers. We knew it would bring this team together, and apparently it has,” he said. “It was a good addition, definitely worth it.”

For anyone needing more proof that beavers know baseball? Look no further than ace starter Jonathan Cannon.

“We’re sitting there on Friday, and Jonathan Cannon is sitting there with Buck rubbing his head,” Pearson said. “He goes out on Saturday and throws five perfect innings. I don’t know if there’s a correlation—but could be.”

Even hard-scrabble veterans like closer Jack Gowen are starting to warm to the idea of having beavers as part of the team.

Could the beavers be just the kind of secret ingredient for the Bulldogs not only to carry them into the NCAA Tournament, but perhaps a Super Regional and a spot in the College World Series as well?

“I don’t know about something as silly as that, but if it works, it works,” Gowen said. “Pitchers are always kind of quirky, they’re always trying to find something to spice it up and have some fun. But if you believe it works, hey, it might work.”

Stricklin admits seeing his players welcome a pair of beavers into the brotherhood may appear strange, but he’s experienced some oddities before.

While playing for the AA Greenville Braves, Stricklin recalled some of his teammates used to keep a small turtle they found one day in the bullpen.

“Think I was coming off a mound visit and I looked, and saw the beaver hanging on the rail, and I kind of chuckled to myself,” Stricklin said. “Then I saw it on there again last night. Whatever gets them going. These games are always full of stressful and tense moments, so anytime you can get something to loosen it up, I’m all for it.”

Rokose confirmed the beavers will be making the trip to Baton Rouge for this weekend’s series at LSU.

“I think we can sell T-shirts in the future,” he said. “Maybe get an NIL deal.”

Ultimately, however, it's all about having fun keeping everyone loose while pushing through the final month and into the postseason.

“I think it’s always important to have something to keep the team loose, have fun, and stay together,” Pearson said. “You get hits, pitchers are throwing well—everyone can laugh and love on the beavers.”