Perno Gets Paid

You knew this was coming after the baseball team's bittersweet showing in Omaha, but David Perno got a new five year contract worth $2.25 million.  I'm still disappointed over the way the CWS ended for us, but it was time that Perno got a new deal.  He's led us in three trips to Omaha and captured two SEC championships.  There was no excuse for him being in the lower third of SEC baseball coach salaries.  Even if you think Perno is overrated and under-performing, it's difficult to argue with the results he has produced.  His consistency has been the only legitimate knock. 

He'll need the security of this deal next year when we will likely struggle with starting pitching.

Quinton

Of Murphy's Law and John Wallace

Over the past two games we saw a case study in Murphy's Law. Everything that could go wrong did. This season the Bulldogs made their living with strong middle relief, a lights out closer, deadly bats, timely small ball, strong defense and our morale was high.

Over the past two games we saw everything that carried us fail us (except Fields). The middle relief imploded on Tuesday. The bats went ice cold tonight. Our best defensive outfielder watched a pop fly hit the ground. Our All-American speedy shortstop got pinched stealing two more times. Our formerly white hot hitting right fielder continued his slump into the Omaha Abyss, and our noisy dugout went quiet.

We didn't lose because of one thing. We lost because of everything.

Not a Fluke
Mainly, we lost because Fresno State played lights out. In retrospect all of this Cinderella talk was garbage. They were the team that was ranked in the preseason Top 25 in several polls. Not Georgia. They weren't a fluky team.

You don't win 11 games in the playoffs against some of the best teams in baseball by being a fluke. They were a good team that made every play they had to make, and they got every break necessary to win on college baseball's biggest stage.

Congrats to Fresno State. They earned it the hard way with an outrageously difficult run through the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Disappointment
This is as disappointing and painful of a Georgia loss as I've experienced (outside of football) since the crushing John Wallace three pointer in the 1996 Sweet Sixteen game against Syracuse with 2.8 seconds remaining.

Steve Detwiler now stands alongside of Wallace, Peyton Manning, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Kent Hrbek and Phil Fulmer in my all-time Mount Rushmore of Hate and Contempt.

Going Forward
Coach Perno is now one of the most successful active coaches in the Southeastern Conference. His record over the past six years is untouchable, and the program is clearly moving in the right direction. Next year will be another odd numbered dip, but I expect the following year to return us to the NCAA Tournament and beyond.

If I'm Damon Evans, I make Coach Perno one of the highest paid coaches in the SEC, and I start addressing our facilities. We've got the coach that can take us to Omaha with regularity. Once you get here on a regular basis, it becomes easier to figure out how to close the deal.

Good season. Just not the last two games.

PWD

About Last Night ...

Here's where to put last night's game ...

Watch it go round before it goes down. Erase it. It was as bad as we can possibly play. Frankly, we were due for a terrible pitching performance. I just didn't expect it in the biggest game of the year. I don't want to hear about the ump's strike zone or Cerione's called strike three or pulling Nick earlier. We got whupped, bad. It was a total team effort. Just take it and move on.

Fresno sucked it up when their backs were against the wall and their pitchers were spent. Now it's our turn. A national title is on the line tonight at 7:00 PM.

Quinton

Wallpaper from Saturday's Win over Stanford

I took these after the game. Click to enlarge. They are a bit blurry at the larger size, and I'm clearly no Jim Hipple. But I think they turned out ok.

PWD

Keep Your Eyes on the Doppler

The weather looks dicey tonight. There's a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms from 2pm - 11 pm CDT. The weather also looks sketchy tomorrow night where the chance of thunder storms is 40-50 percent. (ht - Kit Kitchens)

Accuweather paints an even bleaker picture. They list a 76% chance of rain fall from 1-4 pm CDT. And a 50% chance during the game hours. Personally, I'm expecting a weather delay at some point, but not a postponement.

Fresno State's pitchers need a rain out in the worst way imaginable. Here's hoping for clear skies (til 10 pm local time).

PWD

WOW

Cinderella was so close to getting the prince. After all looked lost, at the darkest time Georgia had seen in Omaha this year, the Dawgs seemed to will their way back. Down three runs with six more outs to play in a game where everything broke for Fresno, the Dawgs wouldn't quit.

Gordon Beckham hammered a ball to start the miracle rally in the bottom of the 8th and break the UGA season HR record and score Matt Olson. Cerione doubled over Tommy Mendonca, Fresno's brick wall of a third baseman, to tie it up at 6. Then Joey Lewis hit a ball off second base to put the Dawgs up and cue Joshua Fields. The national closer of the year slammed the door shut, 1-2-3. 7-6 Georgia. It was an inspiring performance by a team that looked done for when the rally started.

(Image: Online Athens)

The game started completely differently. Georgia, rested and ready, looked like the team that had played two games over the weekend. It wasn't that we played bad necessarily, but we gave up runs at all the wrong times. Alex McCree, unhittable in prior relief duty, looked arm weary in the 8th, giving up an RBI double and a towering home run that Matt Cerione took about one step toward before admiring its arc.

Starter Trevor Holder would look like an ace until a Californian would hit one deep into the stands. Our pitchers just gave up big hits in crucial situations. Fresno had six earned runs on only seven hits. All our hitters could do was hit ground balls to Fresno infielders who gobbled them up. It didn't matter that Fresno's pitchers had huge ERAs. They looked loose and ready while we looked frustrated and befuddled.

But down three, we woke up and stole a game. Beckham hadn't been overpowering in the CWS. He was solid, but his star was dim when compared to the other first rounders in Omaha. Maybe he was just saving it for the right moment. It arrived last night. Not only did he get a dramatic home run that led Georgia back from the dead, but he pulled off a slick double play on a line drive that erased a man in scoring position in the top of the 8th. The next batter homered.

Only one more victory stands between Georgia and their second national championship.

See Also (updated):

-- Fresno Falls Flat - Modesto Bee
-- Add Perno to the list - Macon Telegraph
-- Fields Back to Basics - DawgPost
-- Georgia Wins - DawgSports.com
-- Lewis Knows his Role - ABH
-- Perfect time to break out of a slump - ABH
-- Fresno Took Aim at Holder - ABH
-- Another Late Rally - AJC
-- Dawgs need big outing from Montgomery in Game 2 - AJC
-- One Win Away - DawgPost
-- Video Highlights - ESPN
-- Georgia Rallies - UGAsports
-- AJC Photos
-- DawgPost Photos
-- Georgia Beats Fresno State - Omaha World
-- One More! - Red and Black
-- Beckham's Blast Makes him Top Dawg - Red and Black
-- Holder Gets it Done - DawgPost
-- Poythress Makes Pitchers Regret Moves - Omaha World

Quinton

Fresno State won't be Intimidated

I'd say the West Coast Dogs are pretty much past being awe struck by the moment or their opposition. Here's the teams Fresno State beat to get to the Finals.

(Ranking listed is Current RPI #):

#2 UNC: 2-1 (Omaha)
#4 Rice: 1-0 (Omaha)
#5 Arizona State: 2-1 (Tempe Super Regional)
#29 San Diego: 2-1 (Long Beach Regional)
#25 Long Beach State: 1-0 (Long Beach Regional)

Their non-conference opponents in the regular season of note were Long Beach, Cal, San Diego and a bad Indiana team.

We beat (by Comparison):

#14 Stanford: 2-0 (Omaha)
#1 Miami: 1-0 (Omaha)
#10 NC State: 2-1 (Athens Super Regional)
#8 Georgia Tech: 2-0 (Athens Regional)
#50 Louisville: 1-0 (Athens Regional)
#142 Lipscomb: 1-1 (Athens Regional)

Our non-conference foes by comparison were Arizona, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Florida State.

I still think the Fresno pitching is mostly worn out for tonight's game, but Georgia shouldn't expect these guys to roll over and play dead. They certainly aren't going to be intimidated.

PWD

(All Stats from WarrenNolan.com)

College World Series Headlines

Pretty much the best case scenario has unfolded for Georgia so far. We went 3-0 through the early bracket, and were able to set up the pitching perfectly through each step of the process. In the finals, we're facing the lowest seeded team in Omaha with a pitching staff that is absolutely chewed to pieces after Saturday and Sunday's games.

I asked Warren Nolan (RPI Guru) to compare the Cinderella Story of Fresno State to a basketball tournament seeded situation. As you all know, the basketball tournament seeds teams 1-16 in four brackets whereas the baseball tournament seeds them 1-4 in 16 regions/brackets. Warren's response:

Fresno State had an RPI of 91 during the selection process. They won the WAC (#12 ranked conference)* regular season title and conference tournament. I would say they would have been the last 13-seed, but I could make a case for them being the 3rd 13-seed or the 1st or 14-seed.

In basketball terms, Fresno's run is much more improbable than what George Mason or Villanova did in their legendary runs. It would be like College of Charleston or Oral Roberts making the NCAA Finals against a #2 seeded team.

We're sending our ace tonight against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The game starts at 7:00 pm on ESPN2.

See Also:

-- Year of the Dawgs - ESPN
-- Relievers Send UGA to Finals - USAToday
-- Final Push - AJC
-- Bulldog Destiny? - ABH
-- Scouting Fresno State - DawgSports
-- Cinderella Story - SI
-- Rest of the Headlines - DawgBone

Recap of Omaha later.

PWD

*His site shows the WAC as the #13 ranked conference. However, that's reflective of the most recent games.

We're Omaha Bound

Assuming we make our connecting flights, Quinton McDawg and I are headed to Omaha for Friday and (if necessary) Saturday's College World Series Games. Yesterday, we fluked into flights from ATL on Delta for 25,000 Sky Miles.

I was shocked to pull a deal like that. On Monday, there were still SkyMiles deals available for Monday - Wednesday championship games for 37,500 miles each, but we couldn't make those days work.

Flying direct to Omaha from just about anywhere in the Southeast is pretty expensive without some reward travel assistance. Some options to consider

• Connecting through Chicago
  
• Connecting through Memphis
  
• Departing from Birmingham on Southwest

As I understand it, obtaining tickets to the actual games is the easy part. The tough part is the airfare. There are quality hotel rooms for up to 4 people in Hilton properties near the stadium for around $180/night. There are other 3 star places available for around $75-100 / night that aren't too far away.

I hope you can make it up. If not, I hope you can sneak out of work on Friday at 2:00 pm to see the Dawgs take on Stanford.

PWD

Interview with 1990 CWS Star Michael Rebhan (Part 2)

What will it take for this team?
PWD Intro: Tonight, I spent about 30 minutes talking Bulldog Baseball with Michael Rebhan. Rebhan was a starting pitcher for the 1990 Georgia Bulldog College World Series Champs. Rebhan was named Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after beating the Stanford Cardinal and Mike Mussina twice. Those two wins helped power Georgia into the finals vs. Oklahoma State. I asked him about the 1990 team and the latest edition of the Bulldogs. Below is Part 2 of the interview. You can find Part 1 here.


PWD: What does it take to win a national title?
MR: It takes a ton of hard work, great chemistry, great coaching, great leadership and some lucky breaks.


PWD: What does this team need to do to win a title?
MR: They need to keep doing exactly what they are doing now. Keep pitching, playing defense, clutch hitting and keep leading. I felt great about this team when they got to Omaha, and I feel great now.

As long as they stay hungry, they’ll be fine. That’s exactly what I see from them. They are hungry. No matter the score or how late it is. They keep fighting. I think they have what it takes to go down to the wire and win a second title.


PWD: Did you go pro after college?
MR: After the Stanford game, I was approached by the Dodgers, Braves and Pirates. They were interested in signing me as a free agent, and the Dodgers pursued me the hardest. They wanted me to fly down to Vero Beach almost immediately for their instructional league, and then ship me out to Iowa to their Double A team.

It had been such a long season, that I couldn't even fathom playing for several more months. Dave Fleming and I had pitched so many innings that it had really taken a toll on me. At that point, I realized that I wasn't playing for the love of the game anymore.

I had accomplished what made me happy, and I was ok with walking away at that point. Plus, I was married with two kids, and it was time to take care of my family. The thought of touring around on buses in the minor leagues didn't appeal to me the way that it did when I was younger.

I can say with full confidence that if I had to do it all over again, I'd choose the same thing.


PWD: How much bigger is college baseball now?
MR: I’ve had a number of discussions with different people about that topic. Just on a technical basis the game has advanced light years compared to 20 years ago.

For instance, back then we didn't know much about the arm of pitchers. We didn't want them to lift weights. We mainly wanted pitchers to work on stretching and flexibility. Hitters were focused on hand eye coordination over strength. It’s all very different now.

There are so many more professionals teaching the game, and so much more competition. When I was in junior high and high school, there weren't many places where you could play year round…even in Florida. Now, you can't afford not to play year round if you're looking at baseball to be your [primary] sport.

The coaching has also advanced light years. That has been crucial to the advancement of the game. Amazingly, this is happening while scholarships are being removed from collegiate baseball.


PWD: In the ESPN era where College Baseball is so much bigger, do you wonder what the reaction would’ve been if you had a CWS performance like that today?
MR: Those in the know understand what I did. Folks will sometimes come up to me when I'm in Athens for football or baseball games and say, “Are you Mike Rebhan?” Then they’ll shake my hand and thank me. I get those moments at times. I think the Bulldog Nation – with the way we’ve started winning since 2000 – has no doubt recruited more fans for baseball.

I couldn’t have asked for more.


PWD: What do you think about the job Coach Perno is doing?
MR: I think Perno is doing a phenomenal job. When you look at the way he got the job, we asked 3-4 people. Finally with Ron Polk's suggestion, Vince Dooley gave him the shot.

Some people look back at the records and say "What's the deal with success only every other year?" I’m not going to say that every year success is impossible. But look around at the top teams. We’re one of the very few teams that have been to the College World Series three times in the past six years. Even Oregon State, who won twice in a row, didn’t make it back this year. It’s a tough job. It takes a ton of hard work and great recruiting to win in this conference, and I think he has done a phenomenal job.

I really hope that Damon Evans gives Perno what he needs to be successful.


PWD: So what you been up to since you left college?
MR: I've been with Symantec for 11 years through various acquisitions. I’m in the Data Storage division located in Heathrow, Fla. I'm doing great.


PWD: We’d like to thank Michael for his time. He was very gracious to help us out with the interview, and we wish him and his family the best.

You can find Part 1 here.


Paul Westerdawg
Georgia Sports Blog

(Note: If I botched the spelling of any 1990 team member names, that’s my fault. Not Mike’s.)

Interview with 1990 CWS Star Michael Rebhan (Part 1)

PWD Intro: Tonight, I spent about 30 minutes talking Bulldog Baseball with Michael Rebhan. Rebhan was a starting pitcher for the 1990 Georgia Bulldog College World Series Champs. Rebhan was named Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after beating the Stanford Cardinal and Mike Mussina twice. Those two wins helped power Georgia into the finals vs. Oklahoma State. I asked him about the 1990 team and the latest edition of the Bulldogs. Below is Part 1 of the interview. Part 2 is here.

(Video Above: Michael Rebhan vs. Stanford in the 1990 College World Series. It's the final inning of the semi final game.)

PWD: In 1990, were you guys expected to make a big run?
MR: The 1990 pre-season polls ranked Georgia 15th or 16th. In '89 we had a decent season. We were the #6 seed in the SEC tourney, and the team made it to the tournament finals versus Auburn. Unfortunately, Auburn had Frank Thomas, and they beat us 2-1 in the championship game. We weren’t good enough for an at-large bid, but we had almost everyone coming back so we felt really good about our chances in 1990.


PWD: What made the 1990 team special?
MR: Looking back, that team had great leadership. We had a number of players from the 1987 College World Series team, and we added some key freshman.

We had such high expectations, but we got off to a disappointing 2-3 start. Shortly after that, we had a 14 game winning streak. During the streak, we proved that we belonged and could win. Throughout the season, we had dramatic come from behind wins. Much like this [2008] team, we had several guys step up in the clutch. It wasn’t always the same guy [producing], and that’s part of what helped us become such a tight knit team.

The biggest key to our run was leadership. It’s also the key to this season’s run.


PWD: What role did Dave Perno play on that 1990 team?
MR: He was one of our utility players. He shared time with Joey Alphonso at second base. Dave was a better hitter, but Joey had a better glove. Coach Webber emphasized pitching and defense over hitting so Dave played less than Joey.


PWD: What do you remember about Perno’s game / style?
MR: He was an extremely hard worker. He was always diving for balls left and right. Perno was a hard nosed, tough guy who was always in the dirt. I see that toughness today in his teams. I see it in guys like Lyle Allen and Matt Ceronie diving against walls for balls. It’s impressive to see the team reflect his character.

PWD: What was it like to pitch against Mussina? Was he a big star even then?
MR: I pitched against him both games, and he was a huge star. Back then – I think – the draft was during the College World Series. I don’t think he was drafted when we played him the first game, but he had definitely been drafted by the second game. He had all the hype and spotlight which was fine by me.


PWD: Did Mussina’s draft position motivate you in the second game?
MR: What motivated me was winning the first game. Besides, I wasn’t pitching against Mike Mussina. I was pitching against the Stanford hitters. Granted, they were the #1 hitting team in the nation, too. But I was more focused on them than pitching against Mussina.

I've always been a competitive person, and I never go in thinking that I’m going to lose.


PWD: What do you think about the 2008 team?
MR: Leadership is without a doubt the key to this run. Last year, they were disappointed with the way things turned out, and I think it motivated them. This year everything fell into place perfectly.

This is the strongest pitching team that we’ve ever sent to Omaha. Even when [the 1990 team] went, we only had three guys. This team has four starters, three strong guys out of the bull pen, and then Fields pitches the ninth inning. That’s incredible depth.


PWD: I'll post Part 2 of the interview shortly. In the second half of the piece, he talks about what it takes to win a title, the job Coach Perno is doing and the changes in college baseball today.

Part 2 is here.

PWD

Bullldogs Face Stanford at 7:00 PM on ESPN2

The next step in the chase for a College World Series title involves a match-up with Stanford at 7:00 PM. Georgia will start Nick Montgomery.

Nick's story will probably get a lot of play during tonight's telecast from the ESPN2 crew. He has overcome blood clots and Tommy John surgery to deliver a couple of monster starts for Georgia this season.

He was the starting pitcher vs. Georgia Tech in the Turner Field game, and he overwhelmed the Yellow Jackets in the NCAA regionals throwing a complete game four hit shutout. In the Super Regional vs. NC State, he again pitched a solid game for UGA to advance to Omaha. The team is supremely confident in him right now.

Preview Articles:

• Expect No Letdown - The AJC discusses the team's attitude heading into Monday's night's game.
  
• Last Minute Look at Stanford - Kyle King does a quick study of The Cardinal.
  
• Deepest Lineup in Omaha - Baseball America says Stanford has talent to burn at every area except starting pitching. Their top two guys are all-stars, but the rest of the staff is shaky.
  
• Stanford's Other Slugger - The attention will be on Jason Castro (no...not the stoner from American Idol), but Sean Ratliff is the real deal. He's hit 21 homers and 69 RBI.
  
• Montgomery won't just watch - Per the ABH: "Everyone has a lot of confidence in him pitching," senior outfielder Matt Olson said. "The last two or three starts, he's been outstanding. Hopefully, he'll continue to throw a lot of strikes and get a lot of people out."
  
• Fairy Tale Ending - The ABH notebook mentions that Ryan Peisel's big night on Saturday was part of his birthday celebration.
  

A win vs. Stanford lets the Bulldogs rest until Friday at 2:00 PM (EDT) on ESPN2. A loss forces us into an elimination game on Wednesday night against the winner of the Miami vs. FSU game.

See Also:

• Kudzu Hill Gang on the Road - ABH
  
• Enjoying Father's Day - Georgiadogs.com
  
• Series safe in Omaha - KC Star
  
• CWS Bracket - All Times Listed CDT

PWD

Fun Anti-ACC Baseball Stat of the Day

This season Georgia is 9-3 9-4 vs. the ACC. The ACC brought 5 teams to the NCAA Tournament, and Georgia has already beaten and/or eliminated 3 of them. We still have a chance to knock out and/or beat the other 2 as well.

On the season

vs. FSU: 1-1 (all games in Tally)
vs. Clemson: 2-0 (home and away)
vs. Georgia Tech: 3-2 (home, away, neutral games and Regional)
vs. NC State: 2-0 2-1 (Super Regional)
vs. Miami: 1-0

So we've got that going for us.

PWD

*I forgot Game 2 of the NCSU series.

Dawgs Deliver 9th Inning Thriller

This season continues to be produced and directed by Jerry Bruckheimer. You want action? You want cliff hangers? You want an asteroid hurling towards the earth with only seconds separating the planet the team from total annihilation elimination? Then Coach Dave "Bruckheimer" Perno is the guy for you.

Facing a legitimate #1 team in the nation, the Bulldogs more than held their own. Georgia hung a loss on beat an undefeated starting pitcher, and they ended a 45-0 streak of Miami winning when holding the lead at the end of the 8th.

It's almost impossible to come from the loser's bracket after Game 1 to win the College World Series. Rather than fight that uphill battle, the Diamond Dawgs pinned their ears back, made timely hits, caught a few lucky breaks and delivered exceptional relief pitching.

The 9th inning four run comeback was the stuff of legend. With Josh Field's last pitch falling safely into our center fielder's glove, the Dawgs walked away winners 7-4 tonight. They will face Stanford on Monday night.

The Bulldogs are now as little as two games away from playing the "Bracket 2" winner for the national title. Video Highlights from ESPN.

See Also:

• Tropical Depression. Dawgs Stop Hurricanes - ABH
  
• Box Score - ESPN
  
• Georgia Stuns Miami - AJC
  
• UM Stunned by UGA - Miami Herald
  
• AJC Photo Gallery
  
• Georgia beats Miami - BaseballAmerica.com
  
• Rally Stuns Canes - PalmBeachPost.com
  
• Allen Comes Through in Clutch - ABH
  
• Simple Plan Worked to Perfection - OmahaWorld
  
• Dawgs 1-0 in CWS - DawgSports
  
• Snapshots from the Game - Omaha.com
  
• Perno Deserves Curtain Call - AJC
  
• ESPN's CWS Main Page
  
• Bulldogs Rally in 9th - ESPN

Related Merchandise:

• Black T-Shirt: College World Series "Omaha Bound" shirt
  
• White T-Shirt: "Omaha 8" College World Series Bracket shirt
  
• Adjustable Hat: Nike Khaki 2008 Georgia Bulldogs CWS Hat
  
• Ladies T-Shirt: "Omaha 8" College World Series Shirt

PWD

College World Series Headlines

Some quick headlines from late tonight and the past few days. I'll update the list again after I wake up tomorrow.

• Georgia to hurry up and wait - ABH
  
• Bullpen struggling in limited post-season action - ABH
  
• Magill: Hard to Compare Teams - ABH
  
• Peaking at the right time - AJC
  
• Perno anticipates slower conditions - ABH
  
• Omaha adds to banner year - ABH
  
• Infielders making last run together - AJC

Georgia's Omaha Schedule (all times EST):

• Sat.: Georgia (8) vs. Miami (1) - 7:00 pm (ESPN)
  
• Sun.: IDLE
  
• Mon.: if we lose to Miami we play at 2:00 pm (ESPN2)
  
• Mon.: if we beat Miami we play at 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
  
• Tues.: IDLE

After Tuesday, you need to be looking at a bracket (remember: times listed on official bracket are CST) to visualize it. Basically, if we win on Saturday and Monday, we don't have to play again until Friday, June 20th. That's the ideal as it gives you the maximum opportunity for rest.

PWD

College World Series Merchandise

Georgia Bulldogs College World Series
Omaha Bound T-shirt

The College World Series merchandise is already in stock!

• Black T-Shirt: College World Series "Omaha Bound" shirt
  
• White T-Shirt: "Omaha 8" College World Series Bracket shirt
  
• Adjustable Hat: Nike Khaki 2008 Georgia Bulldogs CWS Hat
  
• Ladies T-Shirt: "Omaha 8" College World Series Shirt

I think my favorite is the hat.

PWD

Omaha Bound!

Rosenblatt Stadium - Omaha, Nebraska

I won't say I called it exactly, but I strongly hinted at this back in February. More on today's domination later. Paul was at the game, so I'm sure he'll have a full report soon. Awesome, awesome performance.

Quinton

Westerdawg Update: Just got in. Best college baseball "vibe" I've witnessed in person. My favorite moment...in the 7th inning Georgia was up huge. The team was enraged by the NC State pitcher hitting Lyle Allen after Joey Lewis' home run in the 6th inning. Opening batter in the 7th is Peisel who homers for Georgia to make the lead 13-3. After a single by Olson, Gordon Beckham comes to the plate for what we assume is his last at bat in Foley Field.

The crowd rises for a classic Georgia salute and begins chanting "Let's go Gordo." Beckham steps out of the box to enjoy the moment every so briefly, and then launches a rocket ship home run. The crowd drops into pandemonium with a curtain call for Beckham. Now THAT is how you end your career.

See Also:

-- UGA Advances to College World Series - AJC
-- There's no place like Nebraska - ABH
-- A regular destination - ABH
-- Beckham Confirms Legacy - ABH
-- Perno adds to legacy - AJC
-- AJC Photos - AJC
-- DawgPost Photos (free) - DawgPost
-- No Pity for Pack - DawgPost
-- Omaha Bound - UGAsports
-- UGA College World Series 2008 Merchandise - GSB

PWD

NC State wins ugly game. Comes down to Sunday

In a nutshell, I blame this...



Georgia pitchers surrendered a staggering NINE walks. The pitching just completely came apart in this one as NCSU beat UGA 10-6. If Dotson Dodson had been able to go another inning in relief, I think we win. But the wheels came off when Dotson Dodson was pulled. The pack has now evened the series.

Georgia sends Nick Montgomery in to pitch against NC State at 4:00 pm on Sunday (ESPN). Montgomery pitched the game of his life last weekend against Tech throwing a four hit complete game shutout. If we get anything remotely close to that performance, we win in a walk.

See Also:

-- Dawgs are Cliffhanger junkies - ABH
-- Monty Welcomes Pressure - ABH
-- Walks big reason for Game 2 loss - ABH
-- Feature Story on the Kudzu Hill Gang - AJC
-- Winner Take All on Sunday - DawgPost
-- 4 Run 7th Decides Game - ESPN
-- NC State beats Georgia - DawgSports
-- Pack is one win away - Pack Pride

PWD

MLB Draft Hurts Perno and Richt

Bye, bye, Brett.

Jason Eller has proved a fantastic recruiting coordinator for David Perno and the baseball program. He's made UGA the place to play for all those elite East Cobb prospects and has cherrypicked some great out-of-staters. How can you tell? The best recruiting class in recent memory was raided yesterday by the MLB draft.

I haven't poured over the draft boards yet, but I know the results weren't good for the baseball team. Signees Brett DeVall and Zeke Spruill got drafted by the Braves at spots 40 and 70 respectively. Those were the two best pitchers we signed. Chase Davidson, a huge first baseman, went to the Astros at 88. But, it could have been worse. Michael Palazzone and Cecil Tanner, two highly touted pitching prospects, are still undrafted and I'd hope they'd be in Athens next year. All of the guys mentioned are top 100 national prospects according to Rivals.com.

Not all those drafted prospects may sign with their teams, but I'd imagine the three guys mentioned above are going to be tough to get on campus. We'd love to get them, but we still have some good players without the drafted guys. Brennan May, Jonathan Taylor, and Tyler Maloof are all talented athletes who should be on campus next year. Losing guys to the draft is routine and the coaches know not every signee is going to suit up for Georgia.

Speaking of great athletes, don't expect to see Xavier Avery between the hedges. Avery, who signed with Coach Richt back in February, went to the Orioles at pick 50. He's made no secret that his dream is to play major league baseball. Avery was recruited as an athlete for football. Sanders Commings, another two-sport star, wasn't drafted yesterday and is likely headed to Sanford Stadium rather than a baseball diamond.

Lastly, congratulations to Gordon Beckham, who went at #8 to the White Sox, and Joshua Fields, who went #20 to Seattle. Those high picks are well deserved for two of the best baseball players UGA has ever produced. Both will be impossible to replace next year.

Quinton

Expect a Weekend Dogfight

Image: gopack.com

The N.C. State Wolfpack is in Athens today to prepare for this weekend's super-regional. They rode three close regional wins to get their second ever super-regional berth. State has been a solid club this year, but I doubt any of you were following them. As a scouting service to you, loyal reader, I provide below three points of interest about the Wolfpack.

1. That #8 national seed came in handy. State has a home record of 29-8. On the road, they are 13-12. Those losses include Georgia Tech, Louisville, and lost series at Clemson and FSU. The Dawgs played well against those teams. In shared opponent games, State is 3-6 to Georgia's 7-3. The home crowd needs to let State know where they are playing.
   
   
2. The Wolfpack has gotten where they are because they have one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Friday's starter, Clayton Shunick, is a legit ace, sporting a microscopic 2.16 ERA. He hasn't given up more than four earned runs all year. Saturday's probable starter, Eric Surkamp, has given up more than four only twice in 15 starts. Then there's the stellar bullpen, who gave up only one hit in the Pack's three regional games. Their pen is deep, versatile and anchored by lefty Alex Sogard. Their normal closer, Jimmy Gillheeney, was ruled ineligible for academics.
   
   
3. Both Georgia and N.C. State hit about the same for average, but the Dawgs slug more. Georgia has three players who have 10 or more home runs. State has none. That's good because the Dawgs will have to get extra bases to score on such good pitchers.

So here's the formula, Holder and Moreau need to have solid performances. They don't need to have the game of their life, but they need to hang around with Shunick and Sogard. If State gets more than three runs ahead Friday, the Dawgs are in trouble. Elliott Avent, State's skipper, has said they will throw the kitchen sink to win Friday. Holder and Moreau have to keep pace with State's starters. The Dawgs need to scrap out some runs early. State's staff is tough, but our offense has been rolling lately, scoring 44 runs in the last three games. Make those pitchers play from behind. Finally, the crowd needs to get into the games. Judging by their record, State can get rattled away from home. The Dawgs need a crowd that's intimidating and loud. Make it so Dawg fans.

Also: Joshua Fields was named the best closer in college baseball yesterday. So, I guess our pen isn't that bad either.

Quinton