From earlier: Newcomers on the infield
We continue our preseason newcomer breakdown with a look at some names to know for Georgia’s pitching staff.
There are several new arms to keep an eye on.
We’ll start with George Mason transfer Christian Mracna, who at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds brings some impressive credentials to Athens.
Mracna served as the closer for the Patriots and coach Shawn Camp as they went 36-27. They won the Atlantic-10 title before advancing to the NCAA Regional Final against eventual College World Series runner-up Wake Forest.
As closer, he went 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA and four saves, holding opponents to a minuscule batting average of just .186.
However, the bullpen might not necessarily be in his future.
In a recent interview with UGASports, head coach Wes Johnson said he’s also giving Mracna a look at breaking into the starting rotation, where returnees Charlie Goldstein and Leighton Finley appear to have dibs on the first two spots.
“Christian Mracna, we really, really like him,” said Johnson, who also brought in some other pitchers with starting experience who could be used throughout the season.
Transfers Zach Harris (Georgia Southern), Daniel Padysak (College of Charleston), and Josh Roberge (Southern New Hampshire) have opened Johnson’s eyes.
Harris boasts some of the better stuff on the team, while Padysak is another 6-5, 220-plus right-hander who went 2-1 with a team-best 3.19 ERA last year for Charleston Southern.
He also represented the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Classic, throwing four innings of no-hit ball in an 8-5 victory over China for his country’s first WBC win.
Roberge is an interesting story.
The 6-2, 218-pound righty started his career as a Division III player at Wheaton before matriculating to Division II Southern New Hampshire, advancing to those respective Divisions' World Series during his time at both schools.
He’s coming off a season that saw him go 8-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 14 starts.
Fellow transfers Brandt Pancer (Stanford) and Brian Zeldin (Penn) are expected to be two key cogs in the bullpen. They also have postseason experience.
Of the duo, Pancer (3-1, 4.18, four saves) comes from a Stanford squad that played in the last three College World Series, while Zeldin (2-1, 3.74) impressed during last season’s Auburn Regional.
“When I talk about Brandt Pancer, Brian Zeldin, or a (returnee) Kolten Smith, and I could go down the list, I’m not saying those guys couldn’t start, either. Zach Harris has come back and done some nice things,” Johnson said. “There’s still some competition going right there, where those guys will have to separate. But I feel comfortable that however that dust settles, we’ll have some options in the bullpen to get us out of some jams.”
Johnson also brought in some promising freshmen: right-handers James Hays (The Westfield School), Ethan Sutton (Allatoona High), Paul Farley (Mount Paran Christian School), Wyatt Land (North Oconee), Luke Wiltrakis (St. Pius X), along with lefties Ryker Chavis (Houston County), and Ryan Gold (Campbell).
The Bulldogs also brought in former Division III two-player Tyler McLoughlin from Emory.
A graduation of Milton High, McLouglin is a senior who batted .352 with a team-high 12 home runs, but also served as the team’s closer, posting a 1.80 ERA with six saves.
