Three Georgia baseball players poised for breakouts in 2022

Georgia baseball has swung and pitched its way to a terrific start to 2022.

In their opening series, the team swept the Albany Great Danes back to New York and beat up on Wofford earlier this week. At 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the country, things could not be any better for the Diamond Dawgs.

With another weekend full of baseball, it’s time to introduce some of the stars to everyone.

The strength of Georgia baseball this year is a roster full of seasoned veterans, including brothers Connor and Cole Tate, Johnathan Cannon, Josh McCallister, Ben Anderson, and Chaney Rogers. These young men have proven their leadership and experience often this year.

Georgia baseball has a squad full of talented players ready to impress.

In a season preview video released by the UGA Athletics website, Coach Scott Stricklin spoke about how in the past, Georgia had some talented teams, but they were very young and inexperienced. He mentioned how much of an advantage it was to have an experienced team who knows what it takes to win and succeed in the postseason.

Though Georgia will rely heavily on its veterans throughout 2022, there are some new and young players who have shown so far that they can get to that next level. Whether they are freshmen, sophomore, or even first-year transfers, each player on this roster is capable of helping the Dawgs make a College World Series run.

Here are three to keep an eye on as the 2022 season continues.

Jaden Woods, LHP

Jaden Woods impressed Georgia fans during his freshman year, which came as no surprise to those who recruited him out of high school.

Woods played at Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Ga. Coming out of high school, he was ranked the third best left-handed pitcher in the state of Georgia. As a junior, he carried a 1.18 ERA in 58 innings while also batting .314. He did not play his senior year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He started a couple of games early in the 2021 season but shifted to a bullpen role down the stretch after Georgia starters returned from injuries.

He was named to the All-SEC Freshman team by coaches at the end of the 2021 season. Although his 4.58 ERA was a bit high, he managed to strikeout 53 batters in 53 innings.

That success has carried over so far in 2022, and he is quickly becoming the best bullpen option for Georgia. Against Wofford on Tuesday, Woods pitched 3.2 innings of relief and allowed one run, one hit, and had a career-high seven strikeouts.

Even though Woods had a high strikeout rate as a freshman, he often struggled to control his pitches. He ran into this problem on opening day against Albany this year. Despite getting four strikeouts over two innings, he allowed two runs on two hits, a walk, a hit by pitch, and had a wild pitch. Woods has improved in his last few appearances this season.

His fastball, which he has thrown in the upper 90s, and changeup combo have proven deadly to opposing lineups. Expect Woods to become a significant part of the Georgia pitching staff moving forward.

Corey Acton, 2B

Don’t be alarmed at the picture, Georgia baseball fans. After three years as a Florida Gator, Corey Acton joined the good guys at the end of the 2021 season. He looks much better in red and black anyways.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native, was a star in high school, where he batted over .450 in his junior and senior seasons with a combined 68 RBIs. Those numbers helped Acton get drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 39th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He ultimately chose to commit to Florida instead of signing a contract with the Tigers.

He played in every game as a freshman in 2019 and batted .251 with six home runs and 30 RBIs. More impressively, he was only charged five errors during the year.

Acton got off to a slow start on offense in 2020, but the season was canceled due to COVID.

His transfer was a big pickup for the Bulldogs. He provides the team with a veteran presence who has played in some high-profile games. He is an excellent defender who can also swing the bat when needed.

So far in 2022, he is 5-for-17 with three doubles and four RBIs.

This year, expect Acton to continue having a breakout year with Georgia thanks to his skills with the glove. An elite 2022 could help him catch the eye of MLB teams who are looking for a great infielder.

Luke Wagner, LHP/OF

Thanks to Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, two-way players have become fan favorites in baseball over the past few years. In his MVP 2021 season, Ohtani hit 46 home runs and 100 RBIs as a designated hitter. He also pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts.

Georgia’s Luke Wagner is no Ohtani, but he is a player who can both hit and pitch for the Dawgs. Like his cousin Cole, a fellow Bulldog teammate, he has gotten off to a good start as a pitcher in 2022.

Luke is 2-0 so far and has not allowed a run yet. His work has mostly come out of the bullpen, with his most impressive performance coming against Wofford after he came into pitch following a lengthy weather delay.

The New Cumberland, PN native, had a great high school career. As a junior in 2019, Wagner went 11-2 with a 1.44 ERA pitching, and he also batted .385 at the plate. During his freshman year at Georgia, Wagner posted a 4.58 ERA in 17 appearances and hit .229 in 35 at-bats.

Wagner’s best role so far seems to be as a relief pitcher. He has gotten the Dawgs out of some tough situations this year and should continue doing so out of the bullpen. I expect him to get more pitching than hitting opportunities this season due to the talent of Georgia’s hitters this year.

That being said, don’t discount Wagner’s bat. He isn’t a guy who will be in the everyday lineup, but he can be a solid option as a pinch hitter. He was 3-for-9 with an RBI double off the bench last year. Though he isn’t flashy, Wagner is a guy who will get outs as a pitcher and find ways to get on base late in games.

Along with others on the Bulldog roster, these players will be critical if this team wants to make a run at the College World Series. It’s a long season, and each day provides an opportunity for someone to go from player to legend.