The Georgia Bulldogs have dropped to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll after losing a home SEC series to the No. 18 Florida Gators. Despite a strong overall record of 29-8, Georgia needs to secure more series wins to improve their seeding for the SEC Tournament and aim for a Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
The Georgia Bulldogs have moved down one spot to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll after falling two games to one in a home SEC series against the No. 18 Florida Gators. Georgia also earned a dominant 28-3 midweek win over Presbyterian. The Bulldogs still have the best conference record in the SEC.
Georgia's series defeat to Florida was the Bulldogs' first SEC series loss of the season. Georgia missed a chance to win the series on Sunday. The Bulldogs' pitching staff allowed Florida to pile on 13 runs in a 13-7 home defeat.
Georgia was previously ranked No. 4. The Bulldogs have a record of 29-8 (11-4 SEC) and are off to their best start (tied) in SEC play since 2009. However, Georgia still has a very difficult remaining schedule and needs to put together several more series wins before the SEC Tournament in order to have good seeding. The Bulldogs are looking to host a Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
Georgia baseball gets set before the start of an Athens Regional game
Georgia baseball gets set before the start of an Athens Regional game
"We've had three or four games where we've only given up one run," Georgia baseball manager Wes Johnson said on the Bulldogs' strong start to the season. "Pitching has been good and we've got enough hits, but we struggled today (Sunday versus Florida) on the mound and getting big hits when we had the opportunities. We've won a couple of games without hitting home runs so it shows you that our offense can get hits. We don't need to rely on the long ball as much."
Georgia is ranked behind the No. 4 Texas Longhorns, No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels, No. 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the No. 1 UCLA Bruins. Georgia will Georgia Tech later in the season in a one-game series at Truist Park in Atlanta.
So far this year, Georgia is 6-3 against opponents that are currently ranked. Georgia went 2-1 against No. 7 Texas A&M (road series), 3-0 against (road series) No. 16 Mississippi State and 1-2 against No. 17 Florida (home series).
Next up for Georgia is a midweek game against East Tennessee State. The Dawgs host East Tennessee State at Foley Field on Tuesday, April 14 at 3 p.m. ET. Georgia's next SEC series is Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18 on the road against the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks.
USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for April 13
Rank
Team
Record
PTS
1st
1
UCLA Bruins
33-2
750
30
2
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
30-5
719
0
3
North Carolina Tar Heels
30-6
680
0
4
Texas Longhorns
27-7
621
0
5
Georgia Bulldogs
29-8
618
0
6
Oregon State Beavers
28-7
611
0
7
Texas A&M Aggies
27-7
516
0
8
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
26-9
Schools Dropped Out
No. 16 UCF; No. 23 North Carolina State;
Others Receiving Votes
North Carolina State 74; UCF 49; Jacksonville State 33; Miami (FL) 15; Tennessee 14; California Baptist 13; Missouri State 6; Wake Forest 5; Kentucky 4; UC Santa Barbara 3; Vanderbilt 2; UTSA 2; LSU 2; Liberty 1; Dallas Baptist 1;
Why did Georgia Bulldogs drop in the baseball coaches poll?
Georgia dropped in the poll after losing two out of three games in a home SEC series against the Florida Gators.
What is Georgia's current record in SEC play?
Georgia has an SEC record of 11-4 and an overall record of 29-8.
What does Georgia need to do to improve their seeding for the SEC Tournament?
Georgia needs to secure several more series wins in their remaining difficult schedule to improve their seeding for the SEC Tournament.
What was the outcome of Georgia's midweek game against Presbyterian?
Georgia achieved a dominant 28-3 victory over Presbyterian in their midweek game.
Related Articles
Sports
LIV Golf is still going, but its days seem numbered and probably always were
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
ESPN News··1 min read
MLB·Recap
Angels' Mike Trout hits another HR to join Aaron Judge in rare Yankee Stadium history
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MLB·Feature
Tigers projected to take a gamble on the upside of a 6'3" prep bat
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.