The season is over for UGA’s Diamond Dog baseball team after losing last night’s decisive game three of the NCAA Super Regional at Foley Field. Coach Wes Johnson’s team finishes his first season in Athens with a record of 43 wins and 17 losses.
From Julia Maenius, UGA Sports Communications...
The eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs closed the 2023-24 season against the tenth-ranked N.C. State Wolfpack, falling 8-5 in game three of the NCAA Baseball Athens Super Regional Monday evening at Foley Field.
Fast Facts
- Sophomore right-hander Zach Harris (5-2) got the start on the mound for the Bulldogs, before being relieved by fellow sophomore Kolten Smith in the third inning.
- 3,944 were in attendance at Foley Field for the final game of the Athens Super Regional.
- Freshman All-American Tre Phelps knocked his 12th homer of the year and his third of the postseason in the second inning.
- Graduate Dylan Goldstein knocked in his 43rd run of the year in the seventh inning, when he grounded out to first, scoring senior Corey Collins.
- SEC Player of the Year Charlie Condon hit a solo shot to the right field bleachers in the bottom of the nineth inning, his 37th of the year.
- The Bulldogs finished the 2024 season with a record of 43-17, their best since 2019.
Key Quotes
Georgia Head Coach Wes Johnson
On reflecting on this years success...
“You just get a bunch of guys together who started believing in themselves and believing in each other. I’ve said for years that there is talent in this league, and if you can get the right crew together to have confidence, you have a chance. What this group of men did is something I will obviously never forget.”
On next steps for the program...
“As far as next steps, we have to continue to go out and recruit to continue to get good quality players in here that fit our ballpark. If you do that, you put yourself in a position every year to have success.”
NC State Head Coach Elliott Avent
On the super-regional...
“First of all, to everybody here at the University of Georgia, to the city of Athens, to this fine university, they run a heck of a super regional. Everything was super, first-class. I mean the fans; we’ve been to some places where the fans cheer for their teams, but they’re as rude as they can be saying things you probably wouldn’t say around your mama. I thought the fans at the University of Georgia this week, I will always great respect for them and pull for them in other sports, as long as they are not playing against NC State. I came away with so much respect for how classy their fans were on the way over and just everything. Obviously, I have a really good friend here in Stacy Searels, one of the football coaches, and it was great seeing them again. The tournament rep, Larry [Giangrosso], I’ve been around him twice now. Site rep, him and Jim Jackson as head of the umpires here, did such an unbelievable job with the umpires. He told me what a fine crew we have. The media, what a great job they did, keeping the game the way it should be. They did a great job. With all that said, I’d like to say that I am so proud of this ball club.”
#29 Logan Whitaker | RS Sr. | RHP
On tonight’s game...
“It’s been a real surreal experience. Like I mentioned, with the regional, coming out of that. It’s something that we’ll take for the rest of our lives. We take it in stride because we know it’s a part of a bigger process. It’s just one step in the right direction for us to keep building on.”