ATHENS — Georgia softball needs another dose of the postseason magic the program was once known for.

Coach Tony Baldwin and his team have had their challenges this season, but at the very least, Tuesday belonged to the Bulldogs.

It’s the postseason in SEC play, where anything can and has happened. It’s a sure-thing plenty of drama will take place at Jack Turner Stadium before a tourney champ is crowned on Saturday.

Georgia, 31-19 and the No. 12 seed, opened the event by getting its first run-rule victory in SEC tourney play in 10 years, shutting out Kentucky, 8-0, in five innings.

Next up, the Bulldogs will be looking to win more than one game in an SEC tournament for what would be the first time since winning the event in 2014.

Georgia will be facing a tall task in Arkansas (38-11), a program that leads the SEC in scoring and is ranked No. 1 by Softball America.

Four-time defending champ Oklahoma is No. 1 in three other polls and gets most of the buzz, but these Razorbacks have won their past six SEC series since getting swept by the Sooners back on March 15-16.

“They certainly have a player that’s on fire, Bri (Ellis) has had a good year in the SEC as anybody in a long time,” Baldwin said, referencing the Arkansas star who leads the SEC with a .487 batting average and with 25 home runs.

“They’re extremely well coached, and they seem to be on a roll right now,” Baldwin said. “Crazy thing about this game, it’s just one game (Wednesday) — we don’t have to beat them 56 times, we’re just going to find a way to have things go our way tomorrow, and I feel good about where we are, and we’ll go compete, and we’ll see.”

A Georgia win would be another step toward hosting an NCAA Regional, which has proven key to successful postseason runs of the past.

UGA has advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals (Sweet 16) six of the past nine years in seasons, hosting a regional each time. The other three years, when they did not host opening round play, they were eliminated.

This is a Georgia team that is capable of pulling the upset on Wednesday, even as it appears they are just now playing their best softball.

Baldwin has seen flashes from his reloaded program, which had to replace 83 percent of the hits, 71 percent of last season’s home runs and 53 percent of the pitching wins.

The Bulldogs beat Tennessee in extra innings, 4-3 (9), won at South Carolina 7-3, at Alabama 4-3 and at Auburn 10-5, and they run-ruled LSU 11-3.

But Georgia lacked the sort of consistency needed to win an SEC series in the regular season and now faces the challenging task of trying to derail one of the most dangerous and consistent teams in the nation.

Those who follow the sport closely know how softball often comes down to who is in the pitching circle, and this is where Baldwin will hand the ball to the Bulldogs’ high-priority offseason acquisition, Cal transfer pitcher Randi Roelling.

“Our top two pitchers, at their best can beat anyone, and they have shown that,” Baldwin said leading into the final week of the season.

Lilli Backes, a second-year transfer from North Carolina, proved that against Kentucky by tossing a three-hit shutout.

Backes said the level of competition in the SEC can make it a grind, but noted the importance of the 3-0 first-inning lead the offense provided and the strong defensive play behind her.

Senior Dallis Goodnight, one of nine Georgia high school products on the roster, explained how the team has ratcheted up its intensity.

“Postseason is different because it’s life or death, you’re fighting with your season on the line,” said Goodnight, who along with junior Jaydyn Goodwin notched two hits on Tuesday.

“It’s a different type of competition.”

But it’s still the SEC, with eight of the top 10-ranked RPI teams in the nation, and Baldwin said everyone on his team knows what that means at this stage of the season.

“This isn’t for the meek; if you don’t love to compete, and if you’re not willing to take a punch when you get in the fight, then this league isn’t going to be for you,” Baldwin said,

“There’s no place for the tentative in this game. So being able to just show up and enjoy the opportunity to compete against a worthy foe, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Tuesday SEC tourney results

Georgia 8, Kentucky 0 (5)

Ole Miss 1, Missouri 0

Alabama 3, Auburn 2

Wednesday SEC tourney schedule

(All times eastern)

Mississippi St. vs. LSU, 11 a.m. (SEC Network)

Georgia vs. Arkansas, 35 minutes after opener, (SEC Network)

Florida vs. Ole Miss, 5 p.m., (SEC Network)

South Carolina vs. Alabama, 35 minutes after, (SEC Network)

* Top 4 SEC seeds Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M begin play on Thursday