The Florida Gators (31-14, 13-8) travel to Athens this weekend to take on the Georgia Bulldogs (33-12, 14-7). The matchup pins two of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference against each other in a series that will have huge postseason implications.
A quick look at the stats and it’s easy to see why Georgia is one of the top teams in the country. It’s a balanced attack that ranks near the top of the SEC in every statistic.
But the Bulldogs have run across hard times recently. They have lost five of their last seven games, including blowing an 8-3 lead to Jacksonville State, eventually losing 16-8.
“We’re going through a tough time now,” Georgia head coach Dave Perno said. “We’re at home now for the challenge this weekend. Florida is coming in playing well and we’re struggling.”
On the mound, Georgia’s 4.30 staff ERA is third best in the SEC, behind Florida’s 3.59, which leads the SEC. The Bulldogs are tied with Florida, allowing 411 hits on the season. Opponents are hitting .263 against Georgia pitchers, third best in the SEC.
Patience is a key when hitting against the Georgia pitching staff. They have walked 172 batters and that ranks ninth in the SEC. Florida pitchers are second in the league, having walked just 131 hitters.
Walks aside, Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan is impressed with the Georgia pitchers.
“They’re got as good of arms as anyone in the league,” O’Sullivan said. “They’ve got good power arms.”
Georgia senior ace Trevor Holder (7-2, 3.79) will get the start on Friday night. The right-hander was selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins last year but elected to return to school. Florida will counter with senior left-hander Stephen Locke (3-0, 2.97). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For O’Sullivan, it’s a relief to use Locke on Friday night in the SEC instead of an inexperienced freshman.
“It allows us to not put younger guys in roles they are uncomfortable in,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s a guy that can give us 7-8 innings and match up with another team’s Friday night guy. He’s matched up with them consistently.”
Perno, however, will take his Friday night starter over anyone.
“Trevor just goes out and does what he does,” Perno said. “Up until the last two weeks he wasn’t dominant like last season. These last two weeks though, he has been really good.”
Georgia will start junior Alex McRee (4-0, 3.12) on Saturday afternoon. The left-hander has walked 34 batters in 41 innings pitched on the season. Florida will counter with freshman right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (4-1, 3.02).
Georgia will throw right-hander Justin Grimm (2-3, 4.42) on Sunday afternoon. The sophomore has struck out 53 batters in 53 innings. Florida has not announced its starter and will wait to see what shape the bullpen is in before making a decision.
The Bulldog have one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country. Their batting average of .308 may only rank fifth in the SEC, but don’t let that fool you. They rely more on extra base hits than singles.
Their slugging percentage of .535 ranks third in the conference, thanks largely to 83 homes runs. Florida, by comparison, has hit only 44. Georgia is a big inning team and the proof is in a mere 13 sacrifice bunts this season.
Georgia is third in the SEC in runs scored (366), which is 28 more than the sixth place Gators. The Bulldogs’ 493 hits rank second in the conference.
Because they are a power team that swings for the fences the Bulldogs do strike out a lot. They’ve gone down swinging 371 times this season but O’Sullivan is wary of the free-swinging Bulldogs.
“They’re very talented,” O’Sullivan said. “Offensively they can hurt you. They’ve got plenty of power. There’s no doubt they have some weapons.”
First baseman Rich Poythress swings the biggest bat in the Georgia lineup, hitting .410 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI. The left-handed hitter will most likely be taken in the first round of the MLB Draft in June. Poythress also leads Georgia in slugging percentage (.832) and on-base percentage (.507).
“Poythress is a player of the year candidate,” O’Sullivan said.
Center fielder Matt Cerione bats leadoff for Georgia and must be kept off the base paths to keep the offense at bay. He is hitting .315 with five home runs and 24 RBI on the season.
Third baseman Colby May has been the biggest impact freshman for the Bulldogs this season. He hits second in their lineup, boasting a .365 average with 11 home runs and 38 RBI.
Catcher Bryce Massanari hits cleanup for Georgia. The senior is batting .346 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI.
The Florida offense is led by Preston Tucker (.344, 9, 57), Josh Adams (.343, 5, 35), Avery Barnes (.364, 7, 35) and Matt den Dekker (.305, 5, 24).
The Gator offense doesn’t hit many home runs, but Perno thinks that may be even more dangerous.
“They’re dangerous to us because they don’t hit home runs to score,” Perno said. “They do things with runners on base and play little ball. We’re one-dimensional. We struggle to score if we don’t hit home runs.”
Defensively, this weekend’s matchup will pin the two worst fielding teams in the conference against each other. Georgia’s .965 fielding percentage is one one-thousandth better than Florida’s.
“I think this series comes down to how we pitch and play defense,” O’Sullivan said. “We have to pitch well and keep walks to a minimum. Our pitchers have to work ahead in the count.”