ATHENS – Believe it or not, it’s almost baseball season. And for Georgia, there’s a lot to be excited about.
The Bulldogs open the season in two weeks and will do so as a consensus Top 25 pick for the 2022 campaign. Georgia has been ranked in all four polls released so far: No. 14 by Baseball America, 16 by D1Baseball, 17 by USA Today and 22 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The Bulldogs are one of eight SEC teams ranked in a Top 25.
Georgia returns 29 lettermen, including eight starting fielders, from last year’s 31-25 team. But much of the optimism surrounds the Bulldogs’ pitching rotation. It will be anchored by junior right-hander Jonathan Cannon, who was named a preseason All-American earlier this week by Baseball America and D1Baseball, but also includes proven left-handers Liam Sullivan and Jaden Woods.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Cannon did not make his debut last season until March 9, thanks to an illness. But once he got going, Cannon tallied 57 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 63-1/3 innings pitched and finished 4-2 with a 3.93 ERA.
Sullivan emerged as a freshman last season. Coming out of the bullpen to start the year, the 6-6, 245-pound left-hander moved into the starting rotation in May. He went 0-2 in four starts – all against top-10 teams -- but recorded 3.26 ERA with 30 strikeouts and only five walks in 19-1/3 innings.
Woods earned freshman All-SEC honors last season after posting a 4-1 mark and one save while striking out 53 in 53 innings of relief work. Woods likely will open the season as the Bulldogs’ primary reliever but eventually could assume a starting role.
A new addition appears set to take over as Georgia’s third weekend starter. Dylan Ross, a 6-5, 251-pound right-hander from Statesboro, comes to UGA from junior college. As a starter at Northwest Florida State, Ross put up 6-2 record and 3.88 ERA in 12 starts, including two complete games. He tallied 77 strikeouts and 28 walks in 60-1/3 innings.
At the plate, Georgia will return its top hitters, including outfielder Connor Tate (.344-10-33), shortstop Cole Tate (.319-2-20) and infielder Josh McAllister (.333-9-29). The Bulldogs enter the 2022 campaign with a lot to prove after going 13-17 in SEC play last season and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the past three opportunities.
“A lot of guys had opportunities to sign pro contracts but opted to come back to play here another year,” said Scott Stricklin, who is 231-186-1 in eight seasons as the Bulldogs’ coach. “We’re excited about what 2022 looks like.”
Georgia just missed the cut for the NCAA Tournament last year after making it in 2018 and ‘19. The tournament was not played in 2020 because of the pandemic. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 2 when the season was canceled.
The Bulldogs open the season with a three-game set against Albany (N.Y.) on Feb. 18-20 at Foley Field.
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