Georgia Bulldogs advance to Super Regional

Photos by Kameron Taylor

ATHENS — For five innings Sunday night, Georgia’s powerful offense was held in check and the Bulldogs found themselves six outs from an abrupt end to their season.

Then Tre Phelps changed everything with one swing.

Phelps launched a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning, Caden Aoki delivered a career performance on the mound and third-ranked Georgia pulled away late for a 6-1 victory over Liberty to capture the NCAA Athens Regional championship at Foley Field.

The Bulldogs (48-15) swept through the regional with a 3-0 record and advanced to the Super Regional round for the eighth time in program history and the second time in three seasons.

“We knew it was only a matter of time before our offense got going,” Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson said. “Everyone in the dugout, all the hitters, support each other and tell each other to keep going. It was all about keeping our foot on the gas and keep going.”

For much of the night, Liberty starter Cooper Harrington frustrated the Bulldogs.

Liberty grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Jaxon Sorenson, and Harrington kept Georgia’s high-powered lineup off balance through five innings.

Georgia coach Wes Johnson said patience ultimately paid off.

“I thought their starter came out and threw the ball well,” Johnson said. “He kept us off balance, but I was really proud of our hitters. I thought we just kept grinding and didn’t give in and made it hard on them.”

Meanwhile, Aoki was quietly putting together one of the finest performances of his career.

The graduate right-hander allowed just one run over six innings while striking out a career-high 11 batters.

“There is a reason we call him ‘Doc,'” Johnson said. “What he did tonight was phenomenal.”

Aoki said his focus never changed despite the early deficit.

“You have to go out there every inning. It’s like a new game every inning, every pitch,” Aoki said. “You have to stay locked in. You’re at your best pitching when you’re not looking at the score. I knew the job I had to do, and I wanted to go out there and execute.”

His teammates rewarded him in the sixth.

After Georgia finally broke through, Phelps stepped to the plate and crushed his 19th home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 2-1 and ignited the Foley Field crowd.

Georgia added breathing room in the eighth inning.

Senior Michael O’Shaughnessy blasted his 18th home run of the year — and first in NCAA Regional play — before Rylan Lujo delivered an RBI double and Ryan Wynn added a two-run single as the Bulldogs scored four times to put the game away.

Zach Brown took over in the seventh inning and closed the door, tossing three scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season.

The victory wasn’t without controversy.

Phelps was ejected after his sixth-inning home run after umpires believed he was directing comments toward the Liberty dugout. Johnson said Phelps was actually waving to family members in the stands.

As a result, Phelps will miss Game 1 of Georgia’s upcoming Super Regional series.

“Tre’s family was sitting up in the stands,” Johnson said. “Tre was waving at his family. The umpires thought he was talking to their dugout. Tre got ejected. Tre will miss Game 1 of the Super Regional.”

The Bulldogs also dominated the Athens Regional All-Tournament Team, placing seven players on the squad. First baseman Brennan Hudson was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Now Georgia moves on, one step closer to Omaha, after surviving Liberty’s challenge and showing once again why the Bulldogs entered the postseason as one of the nation’s most dangerous teams.