Georgia Bulldogs softball team hopes to put it together at SEC tourney

There is an old saying about the most dangerous teams getting hot at the right time. Getting hot is exactly what the 2021 Georgia softball team will be looking to do in Tuscaloosa, Ala., this week at the SEC Softball Tournament.

The Bulldogs’ 2021 campaign has been a roller coaster to say the least. After starting the season 22-3 out of conference, including a win over previously undefeated Oklahoma, the Bulldogs’ momentum has ground to a screeching halt. Georgia ends the regular season with a 7-17 conference record and is currently riding a six-game losing streak. The Bulldogs’ last series win came on the road against then-No. 10 Kentucky nearly a month ago.

Pitching has been the Achilles heel for the Bulldogs. Defensively, UGA currently ranks second to last in the Southeastern Conference, for team ERA at 3.35.

While better pitching is important, another big key to success in Tuscaloosa for the Bulldogs will be offensive production. The offense is led by junior first baseman Lacey Fincher, who has amassed a team-leading 13 home runs and a .339 batting average. Outfielder Jaden Fields, the younger sister of former Georgia quarterback and 2021 NFL first-round draft pick Justin Fields, also has been clutch for the Bulldogs this season. In the 7-6 upset win over Oklahoma, Fields was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a game-winning, walk-off single.

“We have to get tougher, limit the free passes and fight for what we want,” Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer told reporters after the final regular-season home game against Alabama.

A perennial NCAA tournament team, Georgia hopes to gain some positive momentum by making a run in Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs open the tournament as the No. 11 seed against sixth-seeded Kentucky in the nightcap of the first round on Wednesday.