“TNT, TNT, boom!”
The words echoed from a small section seated along the third base line at Foley Field. Every time a Bulldog walked up to the plate, a group of children started the chant. More times than not, the ‘boom’ coincided with the sound of a metal bat loudly coming into contact with the baseball.
Georgia hit five home runs — including two grand slams — in its 21-1 victory over Queens University of Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon. The seven-inning run-rule was the Bulldogs’ largest margin of victory since 2022, when they beat Hofstra 24-1 in the NCAA Regional.
“I challenged our guys to lock in, stay focused, respect the game and play it one pitch at a time,” Wes Johnson said. “And I think we did that.”
Respecting the game
It would have been easy to overlook Georgia’s midweek matchup against Queens since it fell between two ranked SEC series. The Bulldogs swept Auburn last weekend in what Johnson called an “emotional” set of games and will travel to No. 5 Texas on Friday.
Despite the hype surrounding its conference opponents, Georgia did not downplay the Royals. Even though it entered the game with a 4-22 record, Queens was still the “most important game” on Georgia’s schedule.
“Just treat it like any other day,” said Slate Alford, who set the tone with a leadoff home run. “Whatever game is next is the most important game on the schedule.”
Johnson preaches “respecting the game,” which he said equates to taking the same approach no matter who is in the opposing dugout.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing or when you’re playing or how many people you’re playing in front of,” Johnson said. “You come out, and you’re the same player every day. You take the same approach. Nothing changes because you’re [not] playing a SEC team. You show up with the same energy, the same focus and the same process.”
An offensive explosion
Georgia was certainly focused against the Royals’ pitching staff, as it hammered five home runs — including two grand slams — to score a season-high 21 runs.
“Unstoppable, that’s the best word I would [use],” said Devin Obee, whose fifth-inning grand slam started the eight-run frame. “I think we have the best offense in the country, and we’re showing that every single day.”
The Bulldogs possess a boat load of power with an NCAA-leading 84 home runs. They are currently on pace to hit over 151 in the regular season, which would break the program record.
“It’s probably hard to say that it was going to be this good,” Alford said of preseason expectations. “But we’ve got so many good players, and good things have been happening. We’re just going to keep our head down and keep working.”
Part of Georgia’s success can be attributed to its offensive approach. Despite having power, the Bulldogs do not walk up to the plate trying to hit home runs.
“Guys can make things too big,” Johnson said. “They’ll get outside of their approach, and they’ll try to hit five-run homers with nobody on. So just trying to keep them right here and understand we’ve just got to go play baseball and play our game.”
In Tuesday’s win, Georgia drove in eight runs in ways other than the long ball. The Bulldogs kept the line moving because they trust in the guy behind them.
“You’ve just got to know that the next guy behind you is also a good player,” Kolby Branch said earlier in the season. “So they’re going to want to pitch to you, but at the same time, they’re trying to pitch around you.”
Burnett is back
Alford and Robbie Burnett co-led Georgia’s home run surge on Tuesday, as they each took a Queens’ pitcher deep on two separate occasions. Burnett also squared up multiple other pitches, which was a good sign for the outfielder — that also plays infield — who recently missed time with an illness.
“Our game is another game where you’ve got to have repetition,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to see things, so to get Robbie back in there and just let him get [five] at-bats today was big, just to see the ball and get comfortable knowing that he’s not fighting the way he feels.”
Burnett’s grand slam in the sixth inning tied East Tennessee State’s Grant Gallagher for the NCAA lead. He also overtook his roommate, Ryland Zaborowski, for the team lead.
A close-knit team
Georgia is one of the hottest teams in college baseball with a 29-2 record, but it also might be having the most fun. The Bulldogs have multiple celebrations that include dog masks, shopping carts and the newest addition, paper crowns.
“They’ve always got something new cooking up,” Alford said. “So it’s fun.”
Georgia’s chemistry is something Obee noticed when he joined the team after its fall practices. Obee joined late because he was finishing up his degree at Duke. He earned a political economy degree and a certificate in market management studies in just three years.
“They guys just took me in,” Obee said. “I was a little nervous coming in, being the new guy on the block, but as soon as I came in, they embraced me like a brother. I love these guys like my brothers, and we play like that.”
Georgia will need to rely on one another when it travels to No. 5 Texas on Friday. The Longhorns are 23-3 and play in a ballpark that will likely have 7,378 fans rooting against the Bulldogs.
There will be a lot of eyes on the top five matchup, but Georgia knows it needs to not make the moment bigger than it is.
“It’s still a game,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to go out [and] you’ve got to stay focused, just like they were tonight.”
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