Georgia baseball finishes opening weekend 3-1, a look at SEC picture

“Their starter was really good,” UGA coach Wes Johnson said. “That guy pitches in our league on the weekends. But that’s also why we’ve got to be ready, because guys like that pitch in our league on the weekends.”

Georgia was hitless for the first seven innings before the offense gave itself a chance to come back. Devin Obee ended the no-hit bid with a solo homer, and the Bulldogs followed by loading the bases for Slate Alford.

Alford was hit by a pitch to cut Georgia’s deficit to 6-2, keeping the bases loaded with two outs. Freshman Cade Brown skied the first pitch he saw into right field, killing the eighth inning rally.

UNC Wilmington hosted the weekend at Brooks Field in North Carolina. The Bulldogs will visit Kennesaw State on Tuesday before starting their home-opening series against Illinois Chicago at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

The four-game weekend – including a Saturday double-header – started a 10-day stretch with nine games for UGA.

Heralded transfers Robbie Burnett and Nolan McCarthy headlined Georgia’s reconstructed roster. Burnett finished the weekend 4-of-9 hitting with three RBI and seven stolen bases, already surpassing Georgia’s leading base stealer from last season.

McCarthy and several other Bulldogs talked about how different Georgia’s offense would look compared to its home run-heavy attack in 2024. That certainly proved to be true this weekend, as Obee hit UGA’s only two homers.

The former Kentucky star McCarthy performed as advertised, hitting 5 for 14 on the weekend with two walks.

Georgia flexed its superior offense in the first three games before Sunday, outscoring Quinnipiac and UNC Wilmington 23-9.

Even as the offense fell silent, the Bulldogs’ pitching depth ought to encourage Georgia fans. Johnson threw 15 pitchers on the weekend, and aside from Brown’s first inning, the staff combined for six earned runs on 14 hits, 19 walks and 36 strikeouts.

“We gave up one hit after the first inning and they had a runner to second base, and that was it,” Johnson said. “So tip your hat to those guys, but we’ve got to find a way to score runs.”

The pitching staff was challenged from the top of the weekend after No. 1 starter Kolten Smith was scratched hours before the first pitch. Johnson called on Zach Harris the morning of Opening Day, and the junior delivered with four innings of one-run ball.

Georgia was not the only ranked SEC team to take a loss this weekend, as No. 16 Vanderbilt suffered a 6-4 loss to Nebraska on Saturday and No. 19 Texas lost 4-3 to Louisville on Friday.

The Bulldogs were the only top-10 SEC team to lose, but they were also the only team to play four games this weekend. Arkansas, ranked ahead of Georgia at No. 5, will play a fourth game against Washington State on Monday night.

Here’s a look at how every SEC team fared this weekend, order by their D1Baseball top 25 ranking.

1. Texas A&M (3-0) - W Elon: 4-2, 16-6, and 12-6

3. LSU (3-0) - W Purdue Fort Wayne: 14-0, 10-1, 8-1

4. Tennessee (3-0) - W Hofstra: 15-0, 18-1, 13-1

5. Arkansas (3-0) - W Washington State: 3-2, 14-2, 5-2

8. Georgia (3-1) - W Quinnipiac: 9-1, 7-4, W UNC Wilmington: 7-3, L: UNC Wilmington 6-2

10. Florida (3-0) - W: Air Force 7-0, 10-4, 11-1

16. Vanderbilt (2-1) - W: Grand Canyon 4-3, W: UC Irvine 9-8, L: Nebraska 6-4

18. Mississippi State (3-0) - W: Manhattan 17-3, 13-1, 5-1

19. Texas (1-1) - W: Ole Miss 10-0, L: Louisville 4-3, will play Oklahoma State at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday

Kentucky (1-1) - W: Lipscomb 11-0, L: Lipscomb 3-1

Oklahoma (3-0) - W: Lehigh 11-3, 13-3, 12-1

Auburn (2-1) - W: Holy Cross: 4-1, 14-6, L: Holy Cross: 4-2

Alabama (3-0) - W Bradley: 10-6, 19-3, 11-4

South Carolina (3-0) - W Sacred Heart: 5-3, 14-0, 8-0

Ole Miss (2-1) - W: Arizona 2-1, W: Clemson 15-5, L: Texas 10-0

Missouri (1-2) - W: UConn 11-7, L: Penn State 10-0, L: Stetson 9-7