2020 NCAA Top 25 Preview: No. 7 Georgia

Image credit: Emerson Hancock (Photo courtesy of Georgia)

Last season: 46-17 (21-9 in SEC); reached regional final.
Final ranking: No. 16.
Coach (record at school): Scott Stricklin (189-157-1, six years).

Top 100 draft prospects: RHP Emerson Hancock (No. 2), RHP Cole Wilcox (No. 24).

The good news: It all starts on the mound for the Bulldogs. Hancock may be the best pitcher in the country and is a contender to be the No. 1 overall pick in June, which has never been done in program history. Wilcox, who spent the summer with Team USA, gives him an elite running mate and the Bulldogs 1-2 punch figures to be among the best in the nation. Lefthander C.J. Smith is back to full health after back soreness sidelined him in the second half of last year and rounds out the rotation well. Georgia also has a potentially elite defense that got a significant boost when both second baseman Riley King and shortstop Cam Shepherd decided to return to Athens despite being drafted last June. Georgia added some exciting young talent both on the mound and in the lineup that it shouldn’t need to rely on but could make an impact before long.  

The bad news: While Georgia is going to hang its hat on run prevention and is equipped to win a lot of pitchers’ duels, it still needs to answer some questions offensively. The Bulldogs’ top three hitters all must be replaced, as do their three biggest power threats. The biggest single loss that must be accounted for is All-American third baseman/closer Aaron Schunk, who led the team in hitting and home runs and saved 12 games. Georgia’s pitching staff is deep enough to account for Schunk’s loss and lefthander Ryan Webb has the stuff and experience to step in at the back of the bullpen. Garrett Blaylock, a junior college transfer, is expected to start at third base and provide good defense and a powerful bat. The Bulldogs also will get back outfielder Tucker Bradley, who suffered a shoulder injury on Opening Weekend that kept him out the rest of the spring. Overall, Georgia’s experienced, veteran lineup looks like it should have several tough outs, even if its lacking star power

Player to know: Cole Wilcox, RHP.

Hancock is the headliner, and with good reason. But Wilcox, a draft-eligible sophomore, is a significant part of the reason Georgia is among the College World Series contenders. After starting last season in the bullpen, he worked his way into the rotation and put together a solid year overall. He attacks hitters with a fastball that gets into the upper 90s and a sharp slider and, if he lives up to his potential, will give the Bulldogs a devastating 1-2 punch on weekends.

Path to Omaha: Georgia has been a top-eight overall seed in each of the last two years but has been upset in the Athens Regional both years. To break through to the next level and make it back to the College World Series for the first time since 2008, it’ll be up to its pitching staff and defense to shoulder the load. Georgia has the potential to be one of the best teams in the country at run prevention and it’ll likely need to live up to that billing both on the mound and defensively. If it can just score enough runs, the combination of Hancock and Wilcox, plus a strong bullpen will make the Bulldogs a tough out.

LINEUP
POS	Name, Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	AB
C	Mason Meadows, R-Jr. .180	.322	.295	122	3	15
1B	Patrick Sullivan, R-Sr.	.263	.350	.360	175	3	24
2B	Riley King, R-Jr.	.295	.403	.440	241	8	43
3B	Garrett Blaylock, Jr.	Transfer – St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
SS	Cam Shepherd, Sr.	.231	.333	.386	251	8	33
LF	Tucker Bradley, R-Jr.	.222	.300	.444	9	0	3
CF	Randon Jernigan, So.	.248	.338	.301	113	1	12
RF	Connor Tate, R-So.	.270	.304	.459	74	3	19
DH	Chaney Rogers, Jr.	.256	.379	.338	133	1	13
PITCHING
POS	Name, Year	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
RHP	Emerson Hancock, Jr.	8	3	1.99	90	97	0
RHP	Cole Wilcox, So.	3	2	4.07	60	64	0
LHP	C.J. Smith, Jr.	3	3	4.30	46	38	0
RP	Jonathan Cannon, Fr.	HS – Alpharetta, Ga.
RP	Ryan Webb, Jr.	1	0	3.75	24	27	1