The Georgia Bulldogs figure to have one of the top baseball teams in the country this season, a year after posting a 46-17 record and 21-9 mark in SEC play. The Bulldogs ended the season as a national seed for the NCAA Tournament but lost twice to Florida State in the regionals.

Georgia was ranked No. 7 by Baseball America to open the 2020 season, with only Vanderbilt at No. 1 and Florida at No. 4 having higher rankings among SEC teams. Vanderbilt is the defending national champion. Georgia was ranked No. 5 by D1baseball in its preseason rankings.

The Bulldogs bring back seven starting position players from last season’s team, led by shortstop Cam Sheppard. But the strength of the team once again figures to be the pitching staff, as Georgia boasts starters Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox. Both starters are expected to be first-round draft picks in the 2021 MLB Draft.

The Bulldogs start their season on Feb. 14, as they host Richmond for a three-game series in Athens. Georgia begins SEC play on March 13 when it visits the Florida Gators.

Gym Dawgs post season-best effort in win over Iowa State

The Georgia Gym Dawgs posted one of the top scores of the season on Monday, as they scored a 197.325 to beat visiting Iowa State. Georgia is one of only eight teams to reach a score that high.

With the win, Georgia now moves to 1-1 on the season.

“This meet definitely builds confidence,” head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “They are a strong team. They need to stay within themselves, take it one event at a time, one routine at a time. They’re really taking that to heart and you can see the difference in this team. I’m proud of them and now we have to carry this momentum into this weekend.”

As a team, Georgia posted 49.200 on vault, a 49.275 on bars, a 49.400 on the balance beam and 49.450 on the floor routine. Georgia returns to action this coming Saturday, as it will travel to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the Metroplex Challenge against Alabama, Oklahoma and Denver.

Men’s Tennis earns season-opening win over Kennesaw State

The No. 19 Georgia men’s tennis team picked up a win in its first dual match of the season, as the Bulldogs took down visiting Kennesaw State 8-1 on Monday.

The Bulldogs won all four doubles matches to take the early lead before cruising to victory in the singles portion of the match.

“We played really well up and down the lineup today,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “Kennesaw State is a much improved team from last year and made us work hard. I thought our guys came out with great energy and intensity. This is a great group of guys. They make it a lot of fun, and I feel like they are getting better every single day.”

Georgia’s Phillip Henning, ranked No. 12 in the country, picked up an easy 6-2,6-0 win in singles on court three. No. 57 ranked Trent Bryde played on court one for Georgia and earned a three-set victory.

The Bulldogs return to action on Jan. 25 when they play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., as a part of the ITA Kick-Off.

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