ATHENS – Wes Johnson’s next couple days with his pitching staff could be some of the most formative of the season.

Georgia baseball’s rolling offense covered for a forgettable SEC-opening series from its pitching staff last weekend. That leaves Johnson with plenty to correct before Georgia puts its top-tier national rankings on the line against No. 13 Florida.

The No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (21-2, 2-1 SEC) outscored Kentucky 36-26 last weekend in a 2-1 series win. UGA allowed 20 walks, 12 hit-by-pitches, 27 hits and five home runs.

The Wildcats’ offense is strong, but if national polls are any indication, the SEC has tougher battles in store for Georgia.

The Gators (16-5, 0-3) fell out of the top 10 after top-ranked Tennessee swept them in Knoxville last weekend. Florida, like Kentucky, returned several key hitters from its 2024 College World Series team.

Georgia’s first road SEC series of the year will certainly challenge its pitchers, and Johnson is determined to correct and prepare them.

“I think what happens is guys go out there and try to get every count to 0-2 before they throw the first pitch, and when you do that, you fall behind,” Johnson said on Saturday. “We’ll find the right guys who want to get in there and get in the fire and do it and execute pitches.”

Johnson, a proven pitching coach with success at several SEC stops and a strong three-year stint with the Minnesota Twins, has a plan.

Georgia has played more games through the first five weeks of the season than any SEC team, so it will not have a midweek game this week.

Johnson said he will use the time normally spent to prepare for and play a nonconference game to right his pitching staff.

“Each guy will have an hour with me, just me and that pitcher over the Tuesday and Wednesday time frame, we’re gonna get back to some basics on some things,” Johnson said on Sunday. “Some guys, you can see it, have still got a lot of things to clean up.

“We gave way too many runs away on just some plays we shouldn’t have today without getting into that, but yeah, we’ll be ready for the games.”

The Bulldogs likely don’t need an award-winning pitching staff to compete in the SEC. Georgia’s offense leads the country in hits (243) and home runs (57).

UGA also leads the SEC in runs scored (229) and walks (159).

That offense should translate well on the road, too, considering its veteran experience. A seasoned lineup with power bats like Ryland Zaborowski and Robbie Burnett led the Bulldogs past the Wildcats.

Zaborowski co-leads the country with 12 home runs this season while Burnett earned SEC Player of the Week honors for his offensive efforts against Kentucky.

The Bulldogs will keep scoring, but elite pitching often beats elite hitting. UGA likely needs a staff that can compete enough to complement its offense as it battles some of the country’s top pitchers during league play.

This weekend would be a perfect time for the Bulldogs to improve on the mound. Georgia did well to win its first SEC home series, but every road win it can add early will help the team survive a long and grinding conference schedule.

Game one between the Bulldogs and Gators will start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Florida’s Condron Ballpark (TV: SEC Network+).