No. 7 Georgia opens 2018 WCWS today against No. 2 Florida

The No. 7 UGA softball team will begin its 2018 Women’s College World Series tonight in Oklahoma City as it takes on the No. 2 Florida Gators. This will be the fourth WCWS in program history, with the Bulldogs seeking their first ever National Championship.

Game/Series notes:

#7 Georgia (48-11)

#2 Florida (55-9)

Date: May 31, 2018

Game Times: 7 p.m., EDT

Location: Oklahoma City

Stadium: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium

Media Information

TV: ESPN 2

Streaming Video: Watch ESPN

Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com

Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

#7 Georgia softball is set to make its fourth Women’s College World Series appearance in Oklahoma City. The Bulldogs open WCWS play Thursday, May 31 against Southeastern Conference foe and second-ranked Florida.

The Bulldogs find themselves in bracket play with #2 Florida, #3 UCLA, and #6 Florida State. The winners of each double-elimination bracket will square off in a best-of-three finals.

Follow the Bulldogs

» The 2018 Women’s College World Series will air in its entirety on the networks of ESPN. Georgia’s opening game will air on ESPN 2. Thursday’s game will feature Beth Mowins providing play-by-play with analysts Jessica Mendoza and Michele Smith along with reporter Holly Rowe.

» Every game will stream online on ESPN3 and via the ESPN app.

» Live stats will be available. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.

» Live Twitter updates will be available all season long at @UGAsoftball.

Bulldog Bulletin

NCAA Tournament Tidbits

» 2018 is Georgia’s 17th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

» Georgia is 67-35 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, advancing to 10 Super Regionals and four Women’s College World Series.

» The 2009 and 2010 seasons saw the Bulldogs advance to the Final Four.

» In Regional action, Georgia is 48-17

» In Super Regional play, Georgia is 10-12 all-time; however, the Bulldogs are 8-4 in Athens.

» Georgia has a 7-6 WCWS record in its history.

» Athens hosted to its fifth NCAA Super Regional. Athens has hosted 10 Regionals in the past including 2018.

» In Athens, Georgia is 40-11in NCAA Tournament play; in just home Regional action, UGA is 33-7.

» Four current Bulldogs were part of the team that last advanced to the WCWS (2016): Cortni Emanuel, Brittany Gray, Alyssa DiCarlo, and Kylie Bass

» The Bulldogs faced 14 total teams in this season’s NCAA Tournament field and posted a 23-10 record against said teams.

» Of the WCWS field, Georgia faced Oregon and Florida. Georgia fell to Oregon in the second game of the season on Feb. 8. The Bulldogs did not lose again until falling to Florida in the series finale on Mar. 18 in Athens.

Series Histories

Oregon - Georgia trails 1-4

» All five meetings have been on neutral fields, most recently in Tempe, Arizona on Feb. 8, 2018. Oregon bested the Bulldogs 8-3.

Florida - Georgia trails 26-39

» For the first time since 2011, Georgia won a series against Florida. Game two featured a run-rule of the Gators, the first since Apr. 2, 2006 (12-4, 6 innings)

» In the postseason, the Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings including sweeping the Gators in the 2016 Super Regional

» Georgia and Florida met in the World Series in 2010; Georgia won 3-2

UCLA - Georgia trails 2-14

» Georgia’s postseason history with UCLA includes the 2005 and 2008 Super Regionals (UCLA won both) and a meeting in the 2010 World Series (UCLA won 5-2)

Oklahoma - Georgia leads 3-2

» Georgia and Oklahoma have never met in the postseason, only in early season tournaments, the last in 2015 at the Mary Nutter Challenge in California

Washington - Georgia trails 4-9

» Georgia has played Washington in two Regionals (2004, 2007) and two World Series (2009, 2010). Each have two wins in WCWS meetings

» Last meeting was in 2013 at the Cathedral City Classic

Florida State - Series tied 8-8

» Last five meetings have been in the postseason including last year’s Tallahassee Regional and a meeting in the 2016 World Series; Georgia won 5-4

Arizona State - Georgia Trails 0-4

» Last met in the 2013 Athens Regional; Georgia lost both meetings

» Prior to 2013, the Bulldogs and Sun Devils last met in 2001 in the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Arizona

Tournament Recap to this Point

Georgia has swept its way to its fourth WCWS appearance. The Bulldogs defeated Harvard and Northwestern (twice) to win the Athens Regional. Georgia edged #10 Tennessee twice to clinch the Super Regional crown. The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 33-13, hitting .339 as a team and slugging nine home runs. Alyssa DiCarlo is hitting .750 with eight RBI, four home runs, and a 1.917 slugging percentage and .824 on base clip. In the circle, the staff has recorded a 1.60 ERA. Mary Wilson Avant (1.60 ERA) has worked 21.1 innings, almost 61 percent of total innings, earning three wins. Kylie Bass has worked 10.1 innings with a 2-0 record and a 2.03 ERA in the postseason.

Georgia reached the WCWS in 2009 and 2010 with perfect 5-0 records as well.

Georgia in the Top 25

The Bulldogs drew the #7 national seed of the NCAA Tournament, it was announced on Selection Sunday.

The Bulldogs fell to #9 in the week 14 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll while also falling to #12 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.

Georgia Sweeps Athens Regional

The seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs swept the NCAA Athens Regional last weekend, defeating Harvard and Northwestern. Georgia outscored opponents 27-9, slugging six home runs and hitting .390 as a team in three games. The last time Georgia swept a Regional was 2012, also in Athens.

Bulldogs Edge Tennessee in Super Regional

Georgia earned a pair of one-run victories over #10 Tennessee in the Athens Super Regional. Friday’s game saw Georgia hold a 4-0 lead going to the sixth inning. Tennessee plated two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to narrow the lead but the Bulldogs were able to strand the go-ahead runs on base to take a 1-0 lead in the series with the 4-3 win. Saturday’s game featured a pitcher’s duel with the game remaining scoreless through six innings. Mary Wilson Avant recorded a no-hitter into the sixth. An RBI triple by Alyssa DiCarlo plated the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh. Tennessee answered with a two-out RBI single to tie the game and force extra innings. In her final at bat at Jack Turner Stadium, Cortni Emanuel blasted her third career home run to put Georgia back in front in the eighth inning, 2-1. In the bottom of the inning, Ciara Bryan made a catch at the wall in left center for out number two, potentially saving a run. A come-backer to Avant was the final out, sending Georgia to the Women’s College World Series.

Seven Bulldogs Earn NFCA All-Region Honors

Seven Bulldogs were named NFCA All-Southeast Region: Brittany Gray, Alyssa DiCarlo, and Cortni Emanuel were all named First Team All-Region. Alysen Febrey was Georgia’s lone Second Team selection while Justice Milz, Kendall Burton, and Ciara Bryan all earned Third Team accolades.

This is the second time Georgia has landed seven All-Region honors, tying the program record set in 2014 and 2015. Three First-Team honors is the most since Georgia had four in 2006. The most first teamers came the season prior in 2005 with five selections. For senior Emanuel, this is her fourth All-Region honor in her career, third as a First Team selection. DiCarlo picks up her second All-Region nod.

DiCarLONG Ball

Junior Alyssa DiCarlo has knocked a team-leading 20 home runs this season, cracking Georgia’s single-season top-10 list to rank fifth. In her career, she ranks seventh all-time with 44 home runs. Her 20 is a career-high in a season for the Arizona native.

In the second game of the Athens Regional, DiCarlo tied an NCAA Tournament record with three home runs. The last Georgia player to hit three home runs in a game was Geri Ann Glasco (at South Carolina, Apr. 2013). She is the first player since Amber Flores (2010, Oklahoma) to hit three home runs in the NCAA Tournament. DiCarlo is only the fourth player to accomplish the feat. She became only the second Georgia player to do it, Glasco being the first.

She has also cracked the career list with 193 RBI. With 66 this season, she has cracked the single-season top-10 list for the second time. She is tied for fourth with 66 RBI this season. Her 64 RBI in 2017 ranks tied for eighth.

Harris-Champer Named SEC Coach of the Year

Lu Harris-Champer, who wins her third SEC Coach of the Year honor (2003, 2005) guided the Bulldogs to a 43-10 regular-season record, finishing second in the SEC with a 16-8 clip. Georgia’s second-place exceeded expectations as the Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth in the Preseason Poll, finishing in last place a season ago. Georgia won seven of eight conference series including wins over then #2 Florida, #7 Tennessee, and #17 Alabama. The Bulldogs opened the season 26-1, the best start in school history, including a 25-game winning streak to tie the program record. 2018 is the 16th40-win season under Harris-Champer. Georgia’s 16 SEC wins are the most since 2012 (17). The Bulldogs are expected to make their 17th-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance this month.

Four Bulldogs Earn All-SEC Honors

Pitcher Brittany Gray, infielder Alyssa DiCarlo, and outfielder Cortni Emanuel earned First Team All-SEC accolades while infielder Justice Milz earned Second Team honors. The honors for Gray and Milz are firsts in their careers while Emanuel earns her fourth (All-Freshman Team in 2015, Second Team in 2016, then First Team in 2017). It’s the third-straight for DiCarlo (First Team, All-Freshman in 2016; Second Team in 2017).

Emanuel, DiCarlo Names Top 25 Finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year

Cortni Emanuel and Alyssa DiCarlo were named two of 25 finalists for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. 2018 is the second time Georgia has landed two on the finalist list, the other being 2015 (Alex Hugo, Paige Wilson). Georgia has had six top-25 finalists for the award in the program’s history. Alisa Goler (2009) is Georgia’s lone top-10 finalist. The 2018 season is Emanuel’s second-straight season on the list.

Gray, Emanuel Selected in NPF Draft

Seniors Brittany Gray and Cortni Emanuel were drafted in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch Draft Monday evening. Gray was selected by the Beijing Shougang Eagles as the 14th pick while Emanuel was selected as the 23rd pick by the USSSA Pride.

Gray and Emanuel become the 12th and 13th Georgia Bulldogs to be drafted in the NPF. Gray is the highest pick out of Georgia since Chelsea Wilkenson was taken as the 14th pick in 2016. 2016 was also the last time Georgia had two student-athletes drafted in the same year.

Shout-outs for Shutouts

The Georgia pitching staff has recorded 22 shutouts in 2018. UGA’s record for shutouts in a season is 33 set in 2003.

The Bulldogs recorded six-consecutive shutouts from Feb. 17-24, tying a program record set twice, first in 2003 then again in 2016.

Down But Not Out

Georgia has come back to win five games when trailing after six innings this season. Three wins have been on the road while comebacks at home have been against Florida and Alabama.

In the road series at Mississippi State, Georgia found itself down a run in the top seventh with two out in every game. The Bulldogs either tied or took a lead in each game with one out left, winning games Friday and Sunday.

Emanuel Joins Greatness

In the Apr. 8 game against Missouri, Cortni Emanuel recorded her 300th career hit. She becomes only the third Georgia player with 300 career hits, joining Nicole Barber and Kim Wendland. She moved into second all-time during the Alabama series. She is also only one of four with over 200 runs scored at Georgia.

Winning Series is Key

Georgia won seven of eight Southeastern Conference series played. Georgia won all but one league series in 2006, a season after winning all 10 series in 2005. Game three of the series has been a rubber game in four of seven SEC series. Georgia won the opening game of the series six times.

A Power-Packed Offense

At the plate, Georgia leads the SEC in four offensive categories including batting average (.335), slugging (.528), hits (524), and total bases (825).

In the country, Georgia’s team batting average ranks third while slugging ranks fifth and coming in ninth in on base pct. and 12th in scoring (6.08 runs/game).