Georgia baseball team opens SEC play against Kentucky

Friday starting pitcher Charlie Goldstein said revenge offered a little extra fuel this week during practice. Goldstein gets a chance at redemption after his SEC opener start last season where the Wildcats tagged him for six earned runs.

“I think after last year, a couple of us really wanted to get back,” Goldstein said. “I mean, going to Kentucky and losing three straight definitely was not fun, but I think the guys are really ready. I think we’re ready to be back in SEC play.”

Goldstein, Matthew Hoskins and Leighton Finley are expected to start for UGA on the mound in the series, in that order. All three will face an offense that is somewhat unique to many of the power-popping lineups across the SEC.

Georgia is unusually familiar with Kentucky’s offense, as head coach Wes Johnson has hired two former Wildcats coaches to his staff. Assistant head coach Will Coggin joined the Bulldogs last season and Nick Ammirati left Kentucky’s staff to join Johnson’s last July.

Georgia’s center fielder, Nolan McCarthy, also transferred from Kentucky this offseason.

McCarthy talked about Kentucky’s style of baseball before the season and described an offense with variety and finesse in scoring. The Wildcats are known for causing defensive headaches with masterful ‘small ball,’ leaning on high on-base percentages, batting averages and speedy base runners.

Kentucky dominated Georgia in Lexington last season, thanks in part to one of the largest ballparks in the SEC. The Bulldogs suffered from several deep flyouts that could have been home runs at Foley Field.

The Wildcats dominated with that ‘small ball’ at Kentucky Proud Park, outscoring Georgia 37-15 on the weekend.

Starting pitching will be a loose term for the Bulldogs this weekend. Goldstein is recovering from elbow surgery and Hoskins has not pitched more than 3-2/3 innings in an outing this year.

In fact, Finley is the only Georgia pitcher to throw five full innings through 20 games this season.

“We don’t have the guy who’s gonna go five or six innings,” Johnson said. “We’re preparing and setting up for guys to go, and if it’s good after two innings, great. If it’s good after five innings, great. If it’s good after seven innings, great.

“If you’re asking me if it’s scripted out, no, but kind of.”

Johnson will attack Kentucky’s hitters with his pitching depth, a strength for Georgia’s staff this season. Johnson has not been reluctant to pull pitchers so far this season, quickly replacing relievers as their production starts to dwindle.

Goldstein is one of a handful of Georgia pitchers with SEC pitching experience. UGA’s only active member of the 2020 recruiting class says he has imparted SEC wisdom on his less-experienced teammates.

“It doesn’t really matter how good they are or not because we know we’re better,” Goldstein said. “And I think one thing I try to preach to the guys who haven’t really played in the SEC, like haven’t had the experience yet, is just to focus. You’re better. You have your stuff.”

Kentucky’s pitching staff will challenge UGA’s lineup, too. The Wildcats boast a 1.89 team ERA, the second-best in the country.

South Dakota State transfer Nic McCay leads the stacked pitching staff and is expected to face off against Goldstein on Friday night. McCay has more strikeouts (20) than hits and walks combined (19) through four appearances.

An SEC-opening series win would be especially nice for Georgia considering the next few opponents on its schedule. The Bulldogs will visit No. 7 Florida next weekend, followed by five more consecutive ranked teams, including No. 3 Arkansas.

But Johnson’s Bulldogs proved just one year ago that a slow start is not a season-killer. UGA bounced back from the sweep at Kentucky to finish SEC play at 17-13.

Johnson simply sees the first three games of a long SEC season, speaking of opening weekend from a 10,000-foot perspective. The longtime SEC coach referenced teams like LSU and Florida that started the year with poor conference records and found their stride late for spots in the NCAA Tournament.

“I mean, there’s been a lot of teams to jump out of this league, and you look up and you’re like, wow, they’re 1-5, 0-6, 2-4, and it’s like, ‘Wow, they’re whatever,’” Johnson said. “Obviously, I don’t want that to be the case, but I guess my point is, it’s just how good the league is.”

It’s a long season decided by much more than one weekend. The league is stacked with top teams per usual, but the Bulldogs are confident they are one of them.

“The belief that we have and the trust that we have in each other, it’s huge and it’s real,” infielder Ryan Black said. “We all believe in each other and we know each other’s abilities and what we can do.”

Expected starting rotations

Georgia

Friday: LHP Charlie Goldstein (0-0, 3.86 ERA, 7 IP)

Saturday: RHP Matthew Hoskins (0-0, 1.59 ERA, 11-1/3 IP)

Sunday: RHP Leighton Finley (1-0, 6.00 ERA, 15 IP)

Kentucky

Friday: RHP Nic McCay (3-0, 0.42 ERA, 21-1/3 IP)

Saturday: LHP Ben Cleaver (2-1, 2.11 ERA, 21-1/3 IP)

Sunday: LHP Ethan Walker (0-0, 3.86 ERA, 11-2/3 IP)