5/25/2017 baseball Edit

Shakeup on Georgia's baseball coaching staff

Fred Corral has been relieved of his duties as Georgia's pitching coach. (UGA Sports COmmunications)

Anthony Dasher • UGASports

Editor

Scott Stricklin may have survived to serve another year as Georgia’s head baseball coach, but pitching coach Fred Corral wasn’t so lucky.

During a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, Stricklin confirmed to UGASports.com that Corral has been relieved of his duties.

“Fred Corral will not be retained as our pitching coach,” Stricklin said. “I appreciate the four years he gave us, but I just decided to move in a different direction.”

Stricklin informed his team of the change during a team meeting Thursday afternoon.

Georgia ranked last in the SEC in earned run average with a 5.03, Georgia's highest in the four years Stricklin and Corral have been at the school.

After posting a 4.33 ERA in 2014, Georgia’s 3.96 ERA in 2015 was the lowest in Corral’s tenure before ballooning up to 4.62 in 2016.

Stricklin said the decision was not based on just this final year.

“I think it was the overall picture,” said Stricklin, when asked why he made the change. “He’s a great man, and I appreciate all his hard work. I just felt like, overall, we needed to have new leadership for our pitching staff.”

Stricklin hopes to make a new hire soon.

“I’m looking for someone who will mesh well with the players,” Stricklin said. “Those assistant coaches are really close with those players, so I think it will be a guy who communicates really well, and relate to these young guys when he’s able to be around them.”

Longtime Stricklin aide and hitting coach Scott Daeley will be retained, despite the fact Georgia finished next to last in the SEC in hitting at .257, just ahead of Ole Miss at .253. The Bulldogs also scored the second-fewest runs in the league at 257, just one more than Tennessee at .256.

“I think Coach Daeley is a great baseball man, I trust him and he’s got great baseball instincts,” said Stricklin. “With this young group, I think they will continue to get better. Bottom line, I’ve got a lot of confidence in Scott Daeley and I think he will prove that he’s going to help turn this program into the program we all know it can be so I’m glad he is staying on board.”