SEC Tournament
WHEN: Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. (ET)
WHERE: Hoover Met, Hoover, Ala.
RECORDS: Georgia (29-26), South Carolina (38-17)
TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Dave Neal and Ben McDonald); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Jeff Dantzler and David Johnston).
Georgia received some good news Monday morning ahead of the SEC Tournament, which for the Bulldogs begins Tuesday morning in the single-elimination phase against South Carolina (10:30 ET, SEC).
Left-hander Jaden Woods is back and will get the start against the Gamecocks.
Woods (4-1, 5.59) has not pitched since giving up five runs in 4.1 innings against Florida back on April 14. Although it’s unclear how long Woods will be able to go, the mere fact he’s on the mound at all should be considered good news for the Bulldogs (28-26), who likely need to run the table in Hoover to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The news is also significant from the standpoint that when Woods faced South Carolina in the SEC opener on March 18, he gave up just three runs in seven innings with 11 strikeouts. He was in line for the victory before the Gamecocks struck for two in the ninth to win, 5-4.
“He’s been throwing bullpens for the last few weeks, just trying to build up, not only his pitches but the confidence. He threw live to hitters on Saturday, before the LSU game that day, like 9 o'clock in the morning,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “He felt good, but the biggest thing was how he felt the next day. He felt good, so he’s going to get the start. I’m not going to say he throws one, two, three, four, five (innings). But he’ll give us the start and we’ll just evaluate as we go.”
Even if Woods cannot go very long, his mere presence figures to give a boost to the team.
“We were in our team meeting before heading over to Hoover, and I announced it to the team that Jaden was going to start. The guys already knew that, but you could see them nodding. They’re excited. They’re excited for the team, and they’re excited for Jaden.”
Georgia figures to need all the help it can get.
By most accounts, for the Bulldogs to have any chance of advancing to the NCAAs, Georgia will not only need to make a deep run in the tournament, but it will need to win the whole thing.
Considering the issues that have plagued the Bulldogs throughout the year, that’s daunting.
“We have to win tomorrow to get a chance to keep playing. That was the message when we played LSU on Saturday; we need to make sure we get to play one more day,” Stricklin said. “That’s how we’re going to take it. (Tuesday) is an opportunity to play well, and if we do, that will give us a chance.”
An early morning wakeup call will precede the Bulldogs' arrival at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Tuesday’s game marks the second straight year the Bulldogs will have opened the tournament on Tuesday’s early slot. Last year, Georgia took on Alabama as the sixth seed, before losing to the Crimson Tide, 5-3.
“Actually, I think that helps a lot of the guys because we’ve already done it before,” infielder Parks Harber said. “Last year was nice. You beat the hot weather. It was good vibes out there in the morning last year, and I imagine it will be the same thing.”
Stricklin certainly hopes so.
“It’s the toughness mindset. We talked about that this morning, too: it’s 9:30 in the morning, and are you going to be ready to play?” Stricklin said. “That’s up to you. Can you get yourself ready to go and focus with the energy you need to play high-level baseball at 9:30 in the morning? That’s a mental toughness thing. All the rah-rah speeches in the world won’t get guys going unless they’re mentally ready themselves.”
Although the Bulldogs and Gamecocks are no strangers to one another, playing annually as members of the SEC East, Tuesday’s game is a little unique. The two teams last met two months ago in the opening series of SEC play. The Gamecocks won all three games, outscoring Georgia 29-7.
“It seems like a lifetime ago. Both teams are a little bit different. We’ve both had injuries, and the lineups look a little bit different,” Stricklin said. “Both teams have something to play for. South Carolina wants to solidify themselves as a host, and we’re trying to play for our postseason lives.”
INJURY UPDATE: Stricklin said sophomore outfielder/designated hitter Cole Wagner has a back issue and will be a game-time decision. Stricklin also said that catcher/designated hitter Corey Collins (wrist) remains out, while catcher Fernando Gonzalez is out for six weeks after breaking his hamate bone in the series against LSU.
