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Georgia coach Wes Johnson (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
In a season defined by volatility at the top, Georgia is the latest team to ascend to No. 1 in the Baseball America College Baseball Top 25, becoming the fifth program to hold the top spot after Texas A&M, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas all took turns in pole position.
Georgia’s rise under head coach Wes Johnson has been nothing short of transformational.
When Johnson took over ahead of the 2024 season, the program had failed to make the NCAA Tournament in six of its previous nine years and hadn’t advanced past the regional round since 2008. Now, in just under two full regular seasons, Johnson has rewritten expectations in Athens and the Bulldogs’ surge to that point mirrors the aggressive strategy that has come to define their coach’s tenure.
After guiding Georgia to its first Super Regional appearance in 15 years last spring, Johnson doubled down. He re-recruited key returners and mined the transfer portal for instant-impact talent, building a lineup overflowing with firepower.
Ryland Zaborowski, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), and Robbie Burnett, plucked from UNC Asheville, have both emerged as Player of the Year contenders. Nolan McCarthy (Kentucky) and Devin Obee (Duke) added much-needed outfield depth and thump. Returners like Slate Alford and Kolby Branch have been key as well, providing steady infield production and leadership on a roster that has come together quickly.
The result is a Georgia offense that leads the nation in home runs and isolated power (ISO). That offensive dominance has helped compensate for a pitching staff that ranks outside the top 100 nationally in both team ERA and starting pitcher innings.
While Georgia has struggled to find balance on the mound, it has shown resilience in series play. Despite facing the No. 6 strength of schedule in the country, the Bulldogs have dropped just two weekend sets all season. That consistency—paired with their explosive offense and top-ranked RPI—made them a logical choice to rise to No. 1 after Week 12.
For Johnson, the honor represents more than just a temporary perch atop the rankings. It reflects the speed with which he has elevated Georgia from somewhat of an SEC afterthought to a national contender. Already the program record-holder for wins in a head coach’s first two seasons, Johnson has proven that he can build quickly and sustain success in one of the sport’s most cutthroat environments.
The real challenge, of course, lies ahead, though.
Georgia’s four No. 1 predecessors have all stumbled not too long after earning the top spot with the average stay atop the rankings just three weeks. Tennessee owns the season’s longest reign at five weeks and Arkansas the shortest after bowing out just one week later. If the Bulldogs want to hold onto their place atop the rankings, they’ll need to do so on the road this week at No. 25 Alabama, before closing the regular season at home against former No. 1 Texas A&M.
In a year where staying power has been rare and expectations have proven fragile, Georgia now carries the weight of being the best team in college baseball. How long it can hold that title remains to be seen, but no one can deny how far it’s come to earn it.
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