The Bulldogs will take on Quinnipac at noon Friday and Saturday before facing North Carolina-Wilmington, the No. 2 seed in Georgia’s regional last season, at 4 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Georgia hype remains high despite the team losing its top two stars, Charlie Condon and Corey Collins, to MLB organizations. That’s because Johnson is bringing UGA back even hungrier, combining much of its talent from last season with one of the top transfer-portal classes in the country.
Sophomore star Tre Phelps headlines a Bulldogs lineup itching to finish the mission it started last season by getting the program to its first College World Series since 2008. Much like Foley Field, UGA’s roster has seen some upgrades this offseason, leaving cause for a confident Phelps about his second year in Athens.
“Top to bottom, we’re definitely deeper,” Phelps said in a recent team hype video. “I truly believe we will hit more home runs this year. You can definitely stamp that.”
Whether Phelps’ lofty prediction is correct, the Bulldogs seem to have the talent to compete for a spot in Omaha.
Here’s a look at the roster that many polls believe is poised to reestablish Georgia in national prominence.
INFIELD
Johnson might have returned more production in the infield than anywhere else on his roster, depending on where Phelps spends most of his time. The Bulldogs bring back middle infielders Kolby Branch and Slate Alford, while Phelps saw time at both corner infield positions when he wasn’t a designated hitter.
Branch was one of the most improved hitters for Georgia last season, all while starting 59 of the team’s 60 games at shortstop.
Alford, who returned after going undrafted in July, should be a powerful force in the heart of Georgia’s lineup, where he mashed 17 home runs while hitting .300 on the season.
“I think now, it’s kind of that chip on his shoulder,” Johnson said of Alford. “He’s come back, he wants to show people that he can do it in this league again, and then there’s going to be no doubt about his opportunity in professional baseball.”
Georgia also added several key infielders in the portal, beginning with Texas-Arlington transfer Ryan Black. The middle infielder hit .278 last season and led his team with 41 RBI.
Christian Adams (Florida Atlantic) and Ryland Zaborowski (Miami of Ohio) add powerful bats and options at different spots in the infield. Adams led his former team with a .343 batting average last season while Zaborowski hit .305 with 13 doubles and 10 home runs.
OUTFIELD
Perhaps the most exciting haul of transfers for Georgia fans are arriving in the outfield. Kentucky transfer Nolan McCarthy leads a group of three speedy defenders who all played center field at their previous schools.
McCarthy’s vocal leadership and experience already has earned him team-captain honors before his UGA debut. It’s the same leadership that helped power Kentucky to a College World Series berth last season, as McCarthy finished the season with eight home runs, 12 doubles and 41 RBIs.
Robbie Burnett (North Carolina-Asheville) and Devin Obee (Duke) are the other two presumed starters in the outfield. Burnett dominated the Big South in his three years at UNC-Asheville and is leaving his former school a career .338 hitter with 36 home runs, 113 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.
Obee left Duke with a .269 career batting average, 25 home runs, 78 RBIs and seven stolen bases in three seasons in the ACC.
Johnson was quick to acknowledge his outfielders’ speed, recognizing the threat all three can be on the basepaths. An uptick in stolen bases would be welcome in Athens, considering UGA stole an SEC-worst 22 bases last season.
“Those guys just have really good top-end speed, like they’re really fast,” Johnson said. “Nolan’s a little more savvy in the sense that he’s going to get in rhythm with you if he can.”
CATCHER
Henry Hunter will take over as the primary catcher, filling the cleats of four-year starter Fernando Gonzalez. Hunter, a transfer from Alabama-Birmingham last season, spent 2024 learning from Gonzalez and believes he is prepared to take over behind the plate.
“That ‘G’ wears a lot of weight in a good way, and I just can’t wait to do things the right way,” said Hunter, who Johnson compared with a Navy SEAL last season. “Leading by action, too. You’ve got to have substance behind those words, and I try to do that every single day that I come out here.”
Hunter made 19 starts last season, hitting .264 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. The senior is one of the few left-handed hitters on Georgia’s roster.
Georgia imported two transfer catchers in Brennan Hudson (Georgia State) and Daniel Jackson (Wofford).
PITCHER
Johnson’s new pitching staff has the chance to be Georgia’s most improved position group this season. It certainly has added plenty of depth, returning several top arms from last season and reinforcing in the transfer portal.
Bulldog fans will see many new faces support some of the top returners on the mound, beginning with Alabama transfer Alton Davis II.
Davis came to Athens seeking a chance at a national championship, and proved he could help the Bulldogs get there after a strong season as the Crimson Tide’s closer.
Transfers Brian Curley (Virginia Commonwealth), JT Quinn (Ole Miss) and Zach Brown (Ohio State) all figure to be key newcomers on the mound, too.
The Bulldogs also will return several key pieces, namely Kolten Smith, Leighton Finley, Charlie Goldstein and Brian Zeldin.
Smith and Finley will enter their third season in Athens as established members of the starting rotation. In fact, Smith and Finley were the only established starters for much of last season, but will have to ward off several competitors to keep weekend spots this year.
“We could conceivably have 10 guys who could actually start,” Johnson said. “I told all of our staff I don’t need Kolten Smith to go seven on Friday.
“If they get there, great, but I want you to go out there with that closer mentality: ‘I’m taking the ball, and the first pitch of the game matters. I’m going to go as long as I can with my stuff as good as it can be, and then we’re going to go to somebody else.’”
Zeldin is another of those potential starters for Georgia. A transfer from Penn, Zeldin made more relief appearances than any other Bulldog last season, posting a 5.66 ERA in 55-2/3 innings of play.
Smith will start Game One of the season-opening weekend. Finley normally would start Game Two, but Goldstein will open for Finley as part of his rehab from elbow surgery this offseason.
Zeldin will get his first start as a Bulldog in the third game of the weekend, and Brown will close it, starting Game Four on Sunday.
Johnson’s Bulldogs are seeing plenty of action immediately, as this weekend starts a 10-day stretch where they will play nine games. Georgia will host Illinois-Chicago for its home opener at 3 p.m. Feb. 20.
