Creighton baseball has had quite a season so far. They have had the opportunity to open up the new home of the College World Series as well as host the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, creating more reasons to draw fans to the new TD Ameritrade Park.
The Bluejays are on a roll lately, winning 9 of their last 10 games. Along the way, Ed Servais and his club picked up the MVC regular season title and the MVC Tournament championship. They now head to Corvallis, Oregon, as the #2 seed in their regional bracket. CU opens play on Friday at 3:00 p.m. Central against #3 Georgia.
Without context, a casual fan could look at Georgia’s 31-30 record and think the Bulldogs are just an average team that the Jays shouldn’t have any trouble beating. But looks can be deceiving, as the Bulldogs are better than that.
To find out just what this year’s UGA baseball squad is all about, WBR talked to Roger Clarkson of the Athens Banner-Herald and Dog Bytes Online.
White & Blue Review: Georgia is actually the #3 seed in the regional. How did the Georgia coaching staff and players handle the seed? Were they worried whether they would even make the field?
Roger Clarkson: Given their fourth-place finish in the SEC regular season and strength of schedule, Georgia’s getting an invitation was much less of a problem than qualifying for one. They had to win three straight through the SEC Tournament loser’s bracket to finish above .500 so they’re not too worried about seeding as long as they got in.
WBR: The Bulldogs might be a tougher team than people may realize based on their record. Can you tell us more about the challenges they had and how their schedule may have helped them get to the NCAA Tournament?
RC: Georgia went 16-37 and finished in last place in the SEC by a mile last season, so the turnaround has been extraordinary, especially when you consider the Johnathan Taylor injury. They played very well in the SEC but their nonconference schedule was brutal which made finishing above .500 a fight. Surviving that schedule should give them confidence that they can beat anybody in any venue.
WBR: What were the circumstances behind the injury to Taylor? How did it change the team after the injury?
RC: Taylor and Zach Cone collided at full speed while chasing a line drive against Florida State on March 6. Cone walked away but Taylor’s neck broke. It’s the second paralyzing injury the team has suffered in the last two seasons. Chance Veazey had won the starting second baseman’s job during fall workouts in 2009 when he was hurt in a motor scooter accident and he was in the dugout when Taylor was hurt. The team was emotionally distraught after seeing something like that happen to them two seasons in a row.
On the field, they have not really been able to replace him. Levi Hyams is probably batting out of position in leadoff and the No. 2 hole has not settled. The outfield defense does not have the range it used to and Taylor’s accident is probably at least in the backs of their minds whenever they chase a line drive in the gap. You’ll probably see Cone, Hyams, or Peter Verdin wearing Taylor’s No. 2 jersey during games. They swap it around depending on whether they won or lost the last game.
WBR: What is Georgia’s style of play? Do they play “small ball” or “long ball”?
RC: Georgia is an aggressive, gap-hitting team. The team has power in some spots and will play small ball in some spots. But on the whole, they’re going to swing away and try to hit line drives to the fence.
WBR: How deep is the Bulldog pitching staff? How solid is the bullpen?
RC: Michael Palazzone is Georgia’s top pitcher. He locates his fastball well and has a knee-buckling curveball and changeup. Tyler Maloof has been really consistent as a closer. He’s had a couple of disasters in non-save situations that inflated his ERA but he’s Georgia’s go-to guy in the bullpen. Alex Wood has been solid as a No. 2 starter. Blake Dieterich has moved from the bullpen to starter and done well. Georgia hasn’t been deep in the bullpen all season. But last weekend Vanderbilt beat Palazzone 10-0 to open the SEC Tournament then Georgia won three straight so it’s hard to figure.
WBR: Who does Creighton need to avoid in the Georgia lineup?
RC: Shortstop Kyle Farmer and Hyams have been Georgia’s most consistent hitters all season. Hyams isn’t a true leadoff hitter but he gets on base and has some power. Farmer has been Georgia’s clutch-hit guy all season and RBI leader by a lot. Cone and Chase Davidson have been inconsistent but are capable of big games.
WBR: Was there a series you can point to that really showed that they had a great opportunity to make the postseason?
RC: To tell the truth, I thought they were done when Vanderbilt shut them out on one hit to open the SEC Tournament. Then they beat Auburn, South Carolina and Florida to qualify. I think the turning point of the season came after Taylor’s injury. They won five straight, including three games on the west coast, and built some momentum going into conference.
WBR: What was the biggest change from last year to this year for the baseball team that made them that much better?
RC: The biggest change has been the pitching staff. David Perno fired his pitching coach after last season and took it over himself. They’ve drastically cut down walks and specialized in limiting damage. They’ll give up some hits and home runs. But walks will earn Perno’s hook faster than anything.
WBR: What is your final prediction? Who will win the game between the Bulldogs and the Bluejays? Who will win the regional?
RC: I’m not very good at predictions so I don’t do it. Georgia has been a hard team to figure all season. Georgia can beat anybody with Palazzone on the mound but pitching depth has been an issue all season. Obviously Oregon State is hosting for a reason and they’re the team to beat. Georgia has been playing what amounted to elimination games for the last month so they’ll be very tough to eliminate.