Opinion: Five keys for Georgia baseball for this spring

With Georgia’s 2023 baseball season set to begin Feb. 17 at Foley Field against Jacksonville, it’s time to take a deep dive into what needs to happen for the Bulldogs to have a successful 2023 campaign.

Head coach Scott Stricklin is the first to tell you it’s time for his team to take the next step. That means getting past the NCAA regionals, into a Super Regional, and ultimately a trip back to the College World Series, a destination the Bulldogs have not traveled since 2008.

“No question. That was our goal when we got here. We had to build this thing up, and it took us some time. We didn’t have the transfer portal, we don’t typically dip into the junior college market, and it took us some time to catch up in recruiting,” Stricklin said. “Once we did, and we saw it in 2018, we’ve consistently been really, really good. You can say what you want about 2020 and 2021, but we’ve been really, really good the last five years, and that’s what we expect. We expect to be really, really good, and then to become great.”

To do that, it means getting to somewhere the program has not been in 14 years.

“To me, being great means getting into the Super Regionals, and fantastic is getting to Omaha,” Stricklin said. “That’s what your goal is, and I think this team has the ability to do it. We’ve just got to get it done.”

Now in his 10th year as Georgia’s head coach, Stricklin acknowledges it’s time to make that happen.

“That’s why we’re here. We’re all competitors. We want to get to that next level, the next step,” he said. “It’s been disappointing. We’ve been right there on the brink but just haven’t been able to get it done and break through. But I like this team, I like the way it works, and the staff has worked really hard. So, we’ll see.”

On paper, this year’s Georgia team has potential, especially offensively. Scoring plenty of runs should not be an issue. As usual, it likely will come down to pitching.

There’s experience in the starting rotation, and Stricklin took measures to bolster his roster of arms with the addition of four transfers. Along with five impressive freshmen, Georgia appears to have improved its depth from 2022.

Now, it’s time to produce.

“At this level, we all put pressure on ourselves. No one wants to win more than the players and the coaches. We want to win for the fans, we want to win for the university and our alumni, but we want to win for ourselves, too,” Stricklin said. “These guys put a lot of pressure on themselves. As coaches, we do, too, but it comes down to when we go out to work, we have to put that aside. If you put in the work, you’re going to get results. This team has put in the work, and now it’s time to get the results.”

Below, here are my five keys for the Bulldogs as we approach the season opener.

On the starting pitcher front, injuries cost Sullivan and Crisp portions of the 2022 campaign, with Crisp missing the final few weeks dealing with a triceps issue. He and Sullivan are both back and healthy and will need to stay that way in order to realize their respective potential.

Woods is one to watch. The junior lefty, who tops out at 96 p.m., slides into the starting rotation for the first time. His stuff is arguably the best of all Georgia’s pitchers as opponents hit a mere .227 off him last year. However, he, along with Sullivan and Crisp, will need to cut down on the home runs balls after giving up 12, 10, and 11, respectively, last year.

Luke Wagner and Coleman Willis are other candidates for starts, with freshmen Leighton Finley, Jarvis Evans, Matthew Hoskins, Kolten Smith and Blake Gillespie, per Stricklin could also be in line for starts of their own.

Last year the Bulldogs hit 81 home runs, which ranked eighth in the SEC.

There’s every reason to expect those numbers to rise in 2023. Connor Tate (13), Parks Harber (13), and Corey Collins (11) each reached double-digits and should repeat, but the player to watch could be redshirt freshman Charlie Condon.

At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Condon has double-digit potential as well and is expected to settle into the middle of the Bulldog lineup after batting .286 with seven home runs and 68 RBI in 61 games over the summer as a member of the St. Cloud Rox in the Northwoods League.

Along with the addition of Samford transfer Will David, along with the returning Ben Anderson, Luke Wagner, and catcher Fernando Gonzalez, don’t be surprised if Georgia finishes as one of the better offensive teams in the SEC.

This was a big problem for Georgia in 2022.

Bulldog pitchers combined to give up 80 home runs, which ranked 12th in the SEC.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue.

Georgia’s 288 walks allowed was the most in the entire conference and contributed greatly to the team ERA of 5.67, which was just ahead of the 6:07 posted by Mississippi State.

Getting those numbers trending in the other direction will be imperative for whatever success the Bulldogs hope to have this spring.

With Woods now on in the rotation and Jack Gowen moving onto pro ball, the back end of Georgia’s bullpen will feature a much different look.

Sophomore Chandler Marsh enjoyed some solid success as a true freshman, but he, along with others, figures to be a bridge to four transfers brought in by the Bulldogs--each of whom closed at their previous schools.

Pace Mercer (ABAC), Dalton Rhadans (Wofford), Zach DeVito (Tulane), and Kyle Greenler (Elon) each served as closers last year, giving pitching coach Sean Kenny some different options, depending on the situation.

Bullpen depth should not be a problem, but the new faces, along with the returning ones, will need to produce.

A trio of transfers will need to play key roles for the Bulldogs.

We already mentioned David, who is expected to play third base for the Bulldogs after being a .300 hitter over his career at Samford.

Long Beach State transfer Sebastian Murillo will take over for Cole Tate at shortstop. Murillo proved in the fall to be an excellent defender, and surprised some with his power, blasting four home runs during intrasquad games.

At second base, Yale graduate and transfer Mason LaPlante is coming off a .281 season with two homers and 16 RBI, while leading the team in stolen bases with 19 in 21 attempts.

Of the freshmen, infielder Jonathan Little stole 42 bases over two seasons at Sandy Creek, while Justin Thomas from Savannah’s Benedictine batted .517 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI as a senior.

Richmond Hill freshman Leighton Finley could also get some opportunities to swing the bat when he's not pitching after hitting .385 his senior year.