From Suwanee to Palo Alto, California, and finally to Athens.

Stanford transfer Brandt Pancer has put in a lot of miles since graduating from North Gwinnett High.

He’s seen and done a lot.

The right-hander was part of a Cardinal team that made three straight trips to the College World Series. However, despite that success, when Wes Johnson became Georgia’s new head coach, home suddenly became more appealing.

“That was a big part of it, but the coaching staff was the No. 1 reason. I think being around Wes, and seeing what he’s done, I’d have been stupid not to come with him,” Pancer said. “But yeah, closer to home, my friends, that was also part for sure.”

Pancer wasn’t just a wallflower on the bench for Stanford. The right-hander pitched in 82 career games for the Cardinal, saving seven games in the past two years.

His best year came as a sophomore when he went 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA. Pancer went 3-1 last season with a 4.18 ERA.

Under Johnson’s tutelage, Pancer expects last year’s numbers will improve.

“I just remember him (during their first phone call) being so advanced with everything,” Pancer said. “Now I do, but at the time I had no idea what he was talking about, and I was like ‘Oh my God, this guy is already breaking down my mechanics, he already knows his plan for me.’ So, just from one phone call, I knew my sit-down with him he’s going to give me everything I need for baseball to go on and keep playing.”

But even three years at Stanford did not prepare Pancer for the education he was about to receive from the analytical-minded Johnson.

“It’s been pretty subtle. He’s always been happy with how my arm works, so it’s been more about my lower body, the separation with my upper half and my lower half,” Pancer said. “Small things I fix in my mechanics that are big things that you don’t realize unless you’re one of the smartest minds in baseball.”

Pancer broke it down further.

Some of the lessons he’s learned even go against what he thought he already knew.

“It's almost like inventing the wheel. He says how pitching mechanics should look, where coaches all your life kind of tell you something different. So, it’s cool to know from someone exactly how it should be done,” Pancer said. “For example, with your glove, everybody says you’re supposed to read to the plate and pull down. But that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Your front leg is supposed to get down before your glove ever goes. Just little things like that, and it’s stuff like that you pick up with every single conversation.”

Though Pancer’s role has not been specifically defined, his previous success and experience assures him he will be one of the Bulldogs’ most used arms.

“I’m assuming it will rotate around. I’ve been around college baseball enough to what happens on Day 1 is never how it ends. So, I’ll just play it by ear,” Pancer said. “I’m assuming the start of the year it will be somewhere in the middle of the bullpen, cleanup situations, but I’m sure it will switch around by the end of the year.”

However it works out, Pancer (6-foot, 205 pounds) likes what he’s seen from Georgia’s new pitchers.

From fellow newcomers Christian Mracna, to Brian Zeldin, Zach Harris, and others, Pancer feels the Bulldogs’ have a pitching staff capable of putting together quality innings this spring.

“We have arms for sure, tons of arm talent, and I think everybody is slowly starting to figure things out and put it together,” Pancer said. “You’re starting to see things click on the mound for guys, so once we get rolling here, we’ll have a pretty special staff that nobody really expects.”