![Georgia hitter Ben Anderson (44) gestures to the dugout after hitting a leadoff double against LSU during the SEC Tournament Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Sec Tournament Lsu Vs Georgia](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/5e6e814d5a8083793f6ddb0642631f2ef0eadd71469a7eb14350171edf0896fe.jpg "Georgia hitter Ben Anderson (44) gestures to the dugout after hitting a leadoff double against LSU during the SEC Tournament Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Sec Tournament Lsu Vs Georgia")
Georgia baseball needed their veteran center fielder to produce in 2022, and he is turning in one of the best seasons of his collegiate career.
One of the questions for Georgia heading into 2022 was whether or not Ben Anderson would be able to bounce back from a rough 2021. During that season, Anderson batted a dismal .206.
This performance was a far cry from his 2020 season that saw him hit .414 (24-for-58) in his first 18 games as a Diamond Dawg. Anderson began his collegiate career at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. in 2018. As a freshman, he led the team in several hitting categories such as batting average, hits, runs scored, and on-base percentage before transferring to Georgia.
Georgia baseball has a playmaker in senior Ben Anderson.
Head coach Scott Stricklin said that Anderson practiced well in fall and preseason camps prior to the 2022 season, and he believed that Anderson would look more like his old self again at the beginning of the year. So far, that is exactly what we’ve gotten.
The senior from LaGrange, Ga. is batting .382 with two home runs, four RBIs, eight walks, and 12 runs scored in nine games for the 9-2 Bulldogs.
.@benandersonlg goes deep in the first at-bat of the season!#GoDawgs | #RunItBack pic.twitter.com/unl4JmM5th
— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) February 18, 2022
His best game so far this year came against Wofford on February 22nd. He went 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, one BB, and four runs scored.
Anderson has never been one to hit with much power. He only has nine career home runs and does not get many RBI opportunities either because he hits leadoff almost every time he is in the line-up.
His ability to drive up pitch counts and draw walks gives the team chances to score runs during early innings. Even in his rough 2021 season, he still led Georgia hitters with 34 walks.
Anderson is also a skilled defender out in center field. He has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and has yet to commit an error in his three years as a Bulldog. Anderson is 31-for 31 on putout opportunities this year.
Along with the other great veterans on this Georgia baseball team, Ben Anderson is a guy who has stepped up for the Diamond Dawgs in 2022. His plate vision, walk rate, and defense out in center field will be necessary for the team as the season continues.
Georgia is currently in a two-game series against the Georgia Southern Eagles, with Game 1 tonight at 6:35 p.m.