It’s still a little surreal that such an awesome Georgia baseball season has come to a close. Before we know it, it’ll be football season and we’ll all be packing into Sanford Stadium (or our living rooms) to watch the Bulldogs.
But before we get there, I wanted to write one last story on what this run meant for the Diamond Dawgs under coach Wes Johnson, who has led Georgia to new heights in his first three years in Athens.
Johnson, and the direction he’s taking the program, got a ringing endorsement from departing Georgia players.
In season of records and Sour Power, Georgia proves ‘powerhouse’ potential
Despite a disappointing exit from the College World Series, especially considering Georgia’s power at the plate largely went dormant at Charles Schwab Field, the Bulldogs have vaulted back into the national conversation under Johnson, who was hired in 2023.
“I’m forever in debt to Wes, the way he just took all of us under his wing, all three years, whether it was 70 or 80 different guys, he treated everyone like we were his son,” third baseman Tre Phelps said. “And he was going to insert belief in to you … And speaking on Georgia being in a better place, for however long he’s here and then the next guy that comes in after that, it’s great to know that Georgia’s not just going to be a football school from now on.”
“… The University of Georgia should be a powerhouse in baseball for the next however many years. And I truly believe that with all my heart.” — senior shortstop Kolby Branch on the program Johnson is building.
Branch’s final at-bat is straight out of a sports movie
With the game well out of reach in the ninth inning, Branch stepped into the box one final time with his family shown on the broadcast recording his at-bat, tears running down their faces.
On a 2-2 count, Branch launched a no-doubter into the left field bleachers that sent the remaining Georgia fans in the ballpark into a frenzy. The Lucas, Texas, native rounded first and headed to second base where his younger brother, Kyle, waited with a massive smile on his face.
The two brothers exchanged a brief high-five before Kolby made his way back to the dugout, also holding back tears with the realization that would be his final swing in a red and black jersey.
“Can’t script it up any better,” Kolby Branch said postgame. “You kind of have those emotions flowing through you because you know it’s your last one, most likely. I got a pitch up and drilled it. And I saw Kyle, and he was out there, he was smiling. And just, it’s a good moment. Got to high-five him and that was kind of cool, wishing (him) luck in the national championship.”
Georgia baseball broke a program record in home runs this season. As a team, how many did the Bulldogs hit?
Answer at bottom of newsletter.
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An ode to the Sour Power celebration
To wrap up our baseball sections for the year, I wanted to really quickly remember some of our best photos from Georgia’s Sour Power fun:
DawgNation host Brandon Adams interviews Georgia baseball player Scott Newman as Ryan Black drapes Sour Power candy on his shoulder. (Cody Chaffins/DawgNation)
Georgia infielder Ryan Wynn (left) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run at Foley Field on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Athens. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Bulldogs infielder Tre Phelps receives sour candy after scoring a run during Game 2 of the NCAA Super Regional at Foley Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Athens. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
What Georgia’s history with 3-star prospects reveals about recent spike in commitments
Switching gears to football:
As colleague Jeff Sentell points out, 3-star recruits make up a larger percentage of Georgia’s recruiting class than ever before.
It speaks to the recent change in Georgia’s recruiting philosophy as coach Kirby Smart and company navigate exploding roster costs.
Of the Bulldogs’ 17 commitments at the moment, 10 are 3-star recruits, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Individual recruit rankings will change between now and the conclusion of the 2027 recruiting cycle, but in the event Georgia finishes with that many 3-star recruits, it would be the most in a single recruiting class signed by Smart.
Georgia has grown accustomed to sitting atop the national recruiting rankings since Smart became the program’s head coach. The Bulldogs signed a top five class for nine consecutive cycles from 2017 through 2025. The 2016 and 2026 recruiting classes finished ranked No. 6 in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
That often means only a handful of 3-star prospects per class. From 2016 through 2026, the Bulldogs signed 49 nonspecialist 3-star recruits. That’s an average of 4.5 per cycle.
The previous high-water mark for 3-star prospects in a class for Georgia came in 2016 and 2022, when the Bulldogs signed seven in each cycle. Both of those classes faced distinct challenges, with 2016 being cobbled together in just under two months after Smart was hired as Georgia’s football coach.
The 2022 class dealt with changes to the recruiting calendar stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, with visits limited.
Despite the struggles, both of those classes still produced productive players for the Bulldogs. The 2016 haul included instant contributors for Smart like running back Brian Herrien. Wide receiver Tyler Simmons and defensive lineman David Marshall were also 3-star prospects in Smart’s first signing class.
While 3-star prospects are not the flashiest or most-hyped additions, several have gone on to become vitally important pieces at Georgia.
Among those who arrived at Georgia as 3-star recruits are defensive tackle Jordan Davis, wide receiver Ladd McConkey and quarterback Stetson Bennett. Davis was the senior leader of the fabled 2021 Georgia defense, while Bennett was a Heisman Trophy finalist and two-time national champion.
After stellar college careers, all three became NFL draft picks. Smart has consistently turned 3-star recruits into NFL draft picks, thus outperforming their recruiting rankings.
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Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis celebrates their win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey (left) dives for a touchdown against Florida State defensive back Conrad Hussey during the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett reacts after a first down run against TCU during the College Football Playoff national championship game at SoFi Stadium on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Trivia answer: 179
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