Between some key returnees and promising transfers, Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin was feeling bullish about his team’s offensive potential next spring.
“This is as deep and talented a lineup as I think we’ve had,” said Stricklin, whose Bulldogs entertain UAB in an exhibition game at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Admission is free and open to the public wanting to catch its first glimpse of the 2023 Georgia squad, currently in the middle of fall practice.
Georgia does return a solid corps.
Outfielders Ben Anderson (.274-9-34) and Connor Tate (.345-13-58) still had a year of eligibility thanks to Covid and decided to come back, after not being selected in the recent MLB Draft.
That’s good news for the Bulldogs, who also return Parks Harber (.307-13-53), Corey Collins (.256-11-37), and Cole Wagner (.276-6-21) into the mix.
While Wagner’s numbers last year as a freshman might not jump off the page, the Pennsylvania native could be in line for a nice bump as a sophomore.
Wagner spent the summer playing for the Charlottesville TomSox in the Valley League and responded by batting .361 with four homers and 37 RBI.
Stricklin’s also expecting another offensive surge by catcher Fernando Gonzalez (.258-4-22), but it’s redshirt freshman Charlie Condon who is opening eyes.
At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Condon redshirted last spring, but showed during the summer and again during fall camp that he has the kind of power to make a huge impact.
A recent scrimmage saw Condon take a pitch and drive it 445 feet over the fence for a long home run with the ball leaving the yard at 110 mph. This was after a strong summer campaign with the St. Cloud Rox in the Northwoods League which saw Condon hit .294 with 10 home runs and 73 RBI.
“He’s a really good player. He redshirted last year, and I think ultimately it was good for him, because he was able to gain some weight,” Stricklin said. “He’s tall, still a little thin, but he was able to put on some weight and watch him from a different angle to see and watch a guy like Connor Tate go about his business.”
A trio of transfers is also primed to play key roles.
Will David, a former three-year starter at Samford, appears set to play third base for the Bulldogs, after batting .303 with five runs and 29 RBI. David can also play second base and will be the team’s third catcher behind Gonzalez and Collins.
Yale transfer Mason LaPlante (.281-2-16, 21 stolen bases) and Long Beach State transfer Sebastian Murillo (.283-0-18) were also starters for their former teams and are battling for the starting shortstop job. Both can also play second base.
Other position players mentioned by Stricklin include outfielders Dwight Allen and Garrett Spikes, each of whom he says have taken steps forward.
With so much experience, early opportunities for Georgia’s freshman won’t come easy, but one who could earn at-bats is outfielder Justin Thomas Jr., out of Benedictine in Savannah.
The right-handed hitter batted .517 as a senior for the Cadets with a school-record 16 home runs, 53 RBI and 70 runs scored.
Thomas also starred on the football field for BC, rushing 358 times for 2,627 yards and 49 touchdowns over his career while catching 89 passes for 1,730 yards and 20 scores.
“The thing that jumps out is his bat speed. He can generate a lot of bat speed, he’s going to hit for power, and it’s nice as a freshman I think he’s going to get some opportunities, but there are some guys that he’s going to get to watch a little bit and see how it's done and work on getting more experience,” Stricklin said. “But he’s a really talented player, a hard worker. Doesn’t say a lot, but goes about his business and gets it done.”
On the mound, Stricklin said he feels he’s got “7-8” pitchers in the mix to be starters this year, a group that includes returnees Liam Sullivan (4-3, 4.62), Nolan Crisp (1-4, 5.12), and Jaden Woods (1-1, 4.81).
All three faced hitters for the first time on Tuesday after being shut down to rest their arms following their respective summer schedules.
“It was all 94 mph, and the breaking ball looked better and more consistent,” Stricklin said of Woods. “Don’t be shocked if we start the year out with him as a starter. I think he’s earned the opportunity to win that role, but it’s also nice to have him at the end of a game if it’s 4-3 and let him try to finish it.”
Another pitcher to watch is sophomore righty Coleman Willis. Willis (6-7, 214) has arguably some of the best stuff on the Georgia staff, but last year struggled with wildness (18 walks in 17.1 innings). If pitching coach Sean Kenny can help him harness his control, watch out.
Chandler Marsh (4-1, 3.74) and Luke Wagner (5-3, 6.15) are also among those who return.
The Bulldogs also signed six freshman pitchers Stricklin is high on, along with a quartet of transfer relievers, each of whom will play huge roles in the bullpen.
Righthanders Jarvis Evans, JD Smith, Mathew Hoskins, Kolten Smith, Blake Gillespie, and Leighton Finley are freshmen Stricklin said have chances to be “breakout guys.”
Of the group, Finley (6-5, 220), who has topped out at 96 mph, has opened the most eyes.
“I think there are some high draft picks in that group, with three or possibly four in the top five (rounds),” Stricklin said. “They’ve got mid-90s fastballs, their stuff is good, and they’re good, athletic guys on the mound. They just need some experience.”
Thankfully, Georgia’s four transfer pitchers have plenty of that.
Kyle Greenler (Elon, 4-2, 2.93), Zach DeVito (Tulane, 4-1, 4.02 with 40 strikeouts in 24.1 innings), Pace Mercer (ABAC, 2.51 ERA, K/9 rate of 14.44), and Dalton Rhadans (Wofford, 7-4, 3.72) each closed for former teams, saving four, nine, five, and 10 games, respectively.
“All those guys are high-leverage-type guys,” Stricklin said. “They’ve all pitched in the back end of games. It takes toughness to pitch in the back end of games, and those guys have it.”
