Opening Day is still two week away, but Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin already has a very good idea of what his starting lineup is going to look like for that first series against visiting Georgia Southern.
The Bulldogs’ fifth-year skipper broke it all down Tuesday during an exclusive sit down with UGASports.
● First base – Patrick Sullivan (6-3, 205): The redshirt sophomore sat out last season while recovering from mononucleosis, but is back healthy and according to Stricklin is one of the leaders in the clubhouse.
LJ Talley and freshman Chaney Rogers (Gordon-Lee High School) are also expected to see some time at first.
● Second base – LJ Talley (6-2, 199): The junior saw his numbers slip as a sophomore, batting .257 with just two homers and 12 RBI after driving in 25 his freshman year, but apparently conditioning might have been one of the reasons why.
After playing at 220 last spring, Talley’s weight is down to 198, and according to Stricklin, it’s made a big difference for the Folkston native.
“LJ’s down 20 pounds from what he was last year. He decided, 'I wanted to hit for some more power'; and anytime you want to hit for more power you bulk up a little bit. But he got a little too big and he lost a step in his athleticism and range. He kind of had that sophomore year where a lot didn’t go right for him but he took the message, handled it the right way and came back this fall a completely different person. He’s a lot quicker, a lot faster.”
Keep an eye on freshman Ivan Johnson as well. Johnson enjoyed a solid spring and is one of this year’s freshmen to watch.
“He’s a freshman and the speed of the game is a lot different for him right now,” Stricklin said. “It’s a good position for him to be in and us, too. He’s going to play but he doesn’t have to play. We’re going to pick our spots with him and give him the experience that he needs.”
● Shortstop Cam Shephard (6-1, 194): Arguably Georgia’s best player, count on Shephard hitting in the middle of the Bulldog lineup after batting .307 as a freshman with a team-leading 16 doubles, five home runs and 28 RBI.
“We think he’s one of the best in the country,” Stricklin said. “He’s going to have a breakout year.”
● Third base – Aaron Schunk (6-2, 203): The former Lovett School sophomore added 10 pounds to his 6-2 frame, is physically stronger after starting the first 37 games at first base before going down with a season-ending thumb injury.
● Catcher – Mason Meadows (6-1, 221) – After redshirting as a freshman, the former Pope High standout put his year to good work and won the starting catching job, according to Stricklin by his performance in the fall and so far in preseason camp.
“We challenged Mason, we told him he’s going to redshirt this year, see what kind of year you have,” Stricklin said. “We told him you can have a wasted year by feeling sorry for yourself or you can work for 365 days and see what we can do. He took that challenge and won the job.”
Sophomore Austin Biggar will also see considerable time after starting 44 games (.193-2-12)
“The hope is one catches Friday, one catches Saturday and whoever is catching better catches on Sunday but if Opening Day was tomorrow, Mason Meadows catches,” Stricklin said.
● Designated hitter – Michael Curry (5-11, 212): Curry’s struggles behind the plate have been well-chronicled, but he’s still the team’s best power-hitter (10 HR, 46 RBI) and will obviously play a huge role in the middle of the Bulldog lineup. Although his catching days appear over, Curry will still see action in the field from time to time, most likely in right.
● Left field – Keegan McGovern (6-2, 220): Like Talley, McGovern has also dropped some weight, 28 pounds to be exact, and Stricklin hopes the extra quickness will help rejuvenate his game.
“He got really big last year, he’s down to 220. He had the same thoughts (as Talley) his junior year, I’m going to get big and strong, hit home runs and I think it slowed down his bat speed a little bit,” Stricklin said. “Now he’s back to being that athletic guy. He’s actually stronger than he was last year.”
● Right field – Tucker Bradley (6-0, 194): Bradley gained 15 pounds in the off-season and is now up to 195 after playing at 180 as a freshman when he batted. 318, .349 in SEC play and led the Bulldogs with seven steals out of the leadoff position.
“What we saw out of him the second half of the SEC when he was hitting nearing .400 in league play, I think you’re going to see a lot of that,” Stricklin said. “He’s really barreling a lot of balls up, he can bunt, he can run, he’s an exciting baseball player.” With the development of fellow lefties Justin Glover and Ryan Webb, Stricklin doesn’t believe he will need to use Bradley out of the bullpen.
● Center field – Tucker Maxwell (6-0, 175) and C.J. Smith (6-1, 185): Maxwell will get the opening nod in center, but Stricklin has been impressed with freshman C.J. Smith.
“He’s someone we really like,” Stricklin said of Smith. “He’s a legit two-way guy. He’s a left-handed pitcher that you can see start some games, but as a baseball player, it just comes really easy to him. He’s not as fast as Tucker, but C.J. is natural at what he does.”
Next: Breaking down the starting rotation, bullpen.
