Nolan McCarthy joked that he tried to keep himself low-key upon arriving in Athens as a starting center fielder graduate transfer from Kentucky.
Nah.
That would be like telling a dog not to bark or a fish not to swim.
So, McCarthy quickly decided to just be himself—a high-energy, on-field motivator who plays the game as hard as he can.
The Michigan native made quite the impression, accomplishing a rare feat in college athletics by being named team captain before ever playing a game.
“Being on this team with so much talent and having that label on me is really cool,” McCarthy said. “Yeah, I tried to come in and be the quiet guy, but that's not me. Once things start rolling, I just want to do whatever I can to help that guy in the batter's box or my outfielders, my infielders, whatever I can do because being the old guy now, whatever knowledge I have, I just want to pass it on to the younger guys.”
His new teammates would be wise to pay attention.
McCarthy was the fire and soul of a Kentucky team that went 22-8 last year in the SEC and helped the Wildcats advance to their first appearance in the College World Series.
In fact, McCarthy hit a home run in the fourth inning of Kentucky’s 5-4 win in 10 innings over North Carolina State.
“I just want to help what we had going on last year and kind of bringing it here with Coach (Nick) Ammirati and Coach (Will) Coggin,” McCarthy said. “Creating pressure on the base paths. Last year's team was more like hit home runs. We still have plenty of pop throughout the lineup and I think we're going to be able to do a lot of different things on offense. It's going to be a whole lot of doubles, a whole lot of home runs, and maybe even some stolen bags this year. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
He will undoubtedly play a significant role.
After hitting .288 with eight homers and 41 RBI, the Bulldogs are counting on McCarthy to bring energy to a Georgia lineup that, despite the loss of Charlie Condon and Corey Collins, should still be one of the more potent in the SEC.
“He's the guy. He's kind of that vocal leader for us,” Bulldog Slate Alford said. “We joke all the time we kind of needed some of that Kentucky-type style ball over here. We're super, super excited to have Nolan and he's been a tremendous leader for us.”
McCarthy’s post-season experience and success last year with the Wildcats is having an added effect on a Bulldog team that finished one game shy of making it to Omaha themselves.
“The teams that don't believe that they're gonna make it there, they usually don't go too far. They don't make it out of regionals. With this team, the chatter in the locker room, the chatter in the clubhouse, it's ‘Hey, we're gonna win it all,’” McCarthy said. “We're the best team in the country, and we fully believe that. The belief is unbelievable. And why Georgia, Coach (Wes) Johnson, he really lured me in, Coach (Brock) Bennett, and obviously my old coaches (Ammirati and Coggins).”
McCarthy credits both former Wildcat coaches with much of his success.
Coggins was the first assistant hired by Johnson when he took the Georgia job, with Ammirati joining the staff over the summer.
“Coach Ammirati, he’s always there when my swing is not in a great spot,” McCarthy said. “He knows the cues to get back. I’m also one of those guys who really gets amped for games. He kind of brings me that calming effect.”
Johnson said he’s looking forward to the relationship between the two paying off.
“Nolan's a very high-energy player, works extremely, extremely hard every day,” Johnson said. “So, anytime you have a coach you’re comfortable with around you like that that you've been with, it makes the transition pretty seamless.”
