ATHENS – Georgia baseball’s schedule is officially set for the SEC Tournament.

The No. 10-ranked Bulldogs (42-14, 18-12 SEC) finished fifth in the conference, earning a first-round bye in the week-long tournament at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama.

UGA will open tournament play on Wednesday against either No. 12 seed Oklahoma or No. 13 seed Kentucky. The Sooners (33-19, 14-16) and the Wildcats (29-23, 13-17) will play on Tuesday after the 10:30 a.m. tournament opener between Alabama and Missouri.

Georgia is scheduled to play the winner in the second game on Wednesday, which also follows a 10:30 a.m. game. That winner would advance to play No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals.

Georgia won home series against both Kentucky and Oklahoma this year. The Bulldogs beat the Wildcats 2-1 to open SEC play and beat the Sooners 2-1 in late April.

Every tournament game besides the last one will be televised on the SEC Network. The 15th and final championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The SEC Tournament will have several noticeable changes put into motion by the conference’s addition of Oklahoma and Texas.

The tournament’s later rounds used to be double-elimination, but every game is single-elimination in 2025.

The new tournament format also features all 16 teams, a change from taking the top 12 out of 14 in years past.

“We actually voted on it as head coaches,” UGA coach Wes Johnson said. “There were a couple who wanted the old format, but at the same time, I think the biggest thing that spoke to the room was with 16 teams now, you’re not going to play everybody or even get close.

“So how do you balance out if you miss two teams that are maybe not as good? How do you balance all that out? So I think it was wise to go to 16 in my opinion.”

Seeding is also increasingly important this season. The top two teams only need three wins to take the trophy while seeds No. 9 through No. 16 have to win five games.

Georgia claims six SEC regular season titles, but the program has never won the SEC Tournament. UGA hasn’t won at all in Hoover since 2021.

The No. 5 seed is a nice accomplishment for Georgia, especially in year two under Johnson.

But don’t be surprised if that’s the only accolade the Bulldogs leave Hoover with.

Georgia has likely already done enough to win a national seed, clinching home-field advantage through the regional and super regional rounds. The Bulldogs were in a similar position in the SEC Tournament last season and opted not to throw any top-end relievers or regular starters.

LSU eliminated UGA 9-1 in the tournament’s first game, sending the Bulldogs home early with 10 days to rest and prepare for the NCAA Tournament in Athens.

The Bulldogs arguably have even less incentive to perform in Hoover this season. Georgia has a higher RPI and better overall and conference records than it did in 2024.

An SEC title could help Georgia’s NCAA Tournament seeding marginally, but Johnson could decide throwing his best arms this late in the season isn’t worth the wear.

“You may play a few more guys, pitchers may not go as long,” Johnson said. “You’re not going to really stretch a guy like a (Brian) Curley or a (Leighton) Finley.

“You’re just going to get them in and get them out.”

Georgia is 3-0 in neutral site games this season. The Bulldogs beat Quinnipiac twice at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C., to open the season. Then UGA beat ACC regular season champion Georgia Tech 5-2 at Truist Park on April 15.