Sports Page Atlanta

Georgia came back down 3 in the 8th inning to pull ahead of Fresno State to win game one last night by the score of 7 to 6 and they can win it all with a win tonight.

Joey Lewis came through again in Omaha by getting a rbi single to score Matt Cerione with the go-ahead run.  Cerione who went 0-for-5 with 5 strikeouts in his last game, shook it off by twice getting game-tying hits.

Gordon Beckham was the other big offensive star by clubbing his 27th home run of the season which was also his 52nd of his career (a new Georgia record).

Trevor Holder for the most part pitched well (except for a few long balls).  Alex McRee struggled for the first time in a long time and Justin Earls allowed a hit to the only batter he faced.  Will Harvill did the job and closed the 8th and then Joshua Fields came through and retired the side in the 9th to save his 18th game of the season.

The Fresno State Bulldogs threw 5 pithers last night.  Justin Miller who I thought was going to pitch yesterday did not and will most likely pitch tonight (but then again I could be wrong).

Nick Montgomery will take the mound for Georgia and this would be a nice way for him to end his career with the Bulldogs.

Gordon Beckham just hit his 27th home run of the season last night… but bigger news statistically is that he hit his 52nd career home run and if you remembered from my stat of the day a few days ago, that breaks the school record once held by Josh Morris.

The 27 home runs is also a single-season record.

With that 2-run home run, Beckham has 74 rbi this season, which ties the season record which is also held by J.R. Showalter in 1990.  Ironically he was the shortstop the last time Georgia won the NCAA title.

I don’t think he has a chance to get the other triple crown single season category.

Charley Trippi holds the single-season record for the highest batting average in a single season with qualified at-bats.  He hit an incredible .464 in 1946.  If Beckham goes 30-for-30 tonight, his average would climb to .465 (I don’t think that is going to happen).

After trailing for the majority of the game, the Dawgs came back and defeated Stanford 4-3. Senior Nick Montgomery struggled in the 3rd inning and allowed all 3 runs score, 2 courtesy of Jason Castro’s 2-run homer (this guy is a stud… offensively and defensively… Houston got a good player in the draft… it might be tought, but remember… Castro the Astro).

Anyway… Stephen Dodson came in to pitch and was lights out and so watch Alex McRee, both were big-time nasty at times.

Georgia fought back with one in the 4th and one in the 6th. Then in the 7th with 2 outs and no one on, All-American Gordon Beckham ignited a rally with a single to left, Rich Poythress walked and then Bryce Massanari appeared to hit a 3-run homer, but it was just foul… he was later hit-by-the-pitch and with the bases loaded, Matt Cerione singled to center and the tying and go ahead runs scored. Dawgs up 4-3.

In the 9th, Joshua Fields came into the game for his first save opportunity since May 13th. After getting the first batter out, he then hit the next batter, then walked the one after that. With the tying run just 180 feet away, he got pinch-hitter Colin Walsh to hit into the 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Georgia will now face the Stanford/Miami winner on Friday. If the Bulldogs win that one they will advance to the College World Series Championship series. If they lose they will play that same team again on Saturday.

The Georgia Bulldogs are going to Omaha as they destroyed NC State in the deciding game by the score of 17 to 8.  The game started off with a bang when the Dawgs scored 9 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. 

Later in the game All-American Gordon Beckham helped continue the onslaught by hitting a home run in the 6th inning and another one in the 7th inning which will most likely be his last two at-bats at Foley Field.  The 2 home runs adds to his school single season record 26 this season and it ties him with the school career record of 51.

Here is the career leaderboard for most home runs in a career by a Georgia Bulldog…

Gordon Beckham - 51 (2006-08)

Josh Morris - 51 (2004-06)

Doc Brooks - 45 (1999-01)

Roger Miller - 45 (1986-89)

Jeff Keppinger - 35 (1999-01)

Derek Lilliquist - 35 (1985-87)

Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham made the final list for the prestigous Golden Spikes Award given to the nation’s top college baseball player.  Beckham has already won the SEC Player of the Year Award and was named first team All-America by Collegiate Baseball.

Beckham on the year is batting an incredible .397 this season with a Georgia single-season record 24 home runs and 65 rbi.  He has also scored 85 times and has 17 stolen bases, plus has played outstading defense.

The other finalists include:

P - Aaron Crow - Missouri

P - Brian Matusz - San Diego

C/P - Buster Posey - Florida State

3B - Brett Wallace - Arizona State

The honor will be awarded on June 16th and fans can keep track of the award on goldenspikesaward.com.

After the series concluded on Monday, the members of media selected their all-region team.  Georgia Bulldog Matt Olson was the region’s most outstanding player.  The senior right fielder hit an incredible .692 (18-for-26) in the series with 6 rbi and 10 runs scored.

In all 6 Georgia Bulldogs and 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets made the team.  Here is the complete list from the region.

Catcher: Jason Haniger - Georgia Tech

First Base: Rich Poythress - Georgia

Second Base: Justin McClanahan - Louisville

Third Base: Ryan Peisel - Georgia

Shortstop: Gordon Beckham - Georgia

Outfield: Matt Olson - Georgia

Outfield: Charlie Blackmon - Georgia Tech

Outfield: Blake Bratcher - Lipscomb

Designated Hitter: Bryce Masssanari - Georgia

Pitcher: Nick Montgomery - Georgia

Pitcher: Rex Brothers - Lipscomb

Most Outstanding Player:  Matt Olson - Georgia

Like I said yesterday, Georgia had good karma and was going to win. They did it with a monster 7-run 7th inning including a 3-run blast by Gordon Beckham. The All-American now has 49 in his career and 24 this season.

The 24 is a record by a Georgia Bulldog. Two other players have hit 23 in a season. Andy Osbolt did it in 1998 and Josh Morris did it a few years back in 2006.

In case you were wondering the record for most home runs in a season by a Georgia Tech player is 25 by Anthony Maisano back in 1990.

For the first time ever the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Pitcher of the Year, SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year were all given to student-athletes from the same school.

The University of Georgia were the lucky ones to pick up that hardware. Gordon Beckham won the SEC Player of the Year as well as the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Joshua Fields won the SEC Pitcher of the Year and Head Coach David Perno won his 2nd ever SEC Coach of the Year Award after winning it in 2004 as well.

Beckham, Fields and catcher Bryce Massanari all won first team honors. 2nd team honors went pitchers Trevor Holder and Stephen Dodson.

First baseman Rich Poythress was first team All-Defense while no Bulldog made the freshman team.

Here is a complete list of all the SEC winners…

No Georgia Tech player made first team All-ACC, but they had a lot of Yellow Jackets representing the second team.

Third Baseman Brad Feltes, Pitcher David Duncan, Outfielder Charlie Blackmon and shortstop Derek Dietrich were all winners in that category.

Florida State’s Buster Posey was named ACC Player of the Year. He is from Leesburg, Georgia. I think he wished he went to either Georgia or Georgia Tech (that way I would have written more about him, oh well, congrats).

Here is a complete list of all the ACC winners…

John Sickels over at Minor League Ball came up with a list of college hitters and pitchers to look out for in June’s amateur draft. To no one surprise Georgia’s Gordon Beckham and Joshua Fields made the list.

Here are the complete lists…

• Top College Hitters for the 2008 Draft
• Top College Pitchers for the 2008 Draft

Both the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won their weekend series after posting victories on Sunday. Georgia continues their winning ways as they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 11-4. Four Bulldogs hit home runs including Gordon Beckham who hit his NCAA leading 22nd in the game. He is now one away from tying the team season record and four away from tying the team career record. In the game, closer Joshua Fields gave up his first earned run of the season.

Georgia Tech on the other hand defeated #15 ranked Coastal Carolina 11-4 as the Yellow Jackets won their 2nd straight weekend series. First Baseman Tony Flagman hit his ACC leading 15th home run and Derek Dietrich hit his 14th.

These two local powers will square off against each other on Wednesday night in Athens at 7:00 pm.