Georgia is back in action at the College World Series after beating Texas 2-0 on Tuesday. Waiting for the Bulldogs in the final of their CWS bracket is Oklahoma, who just beat Georgia by one run two days ago.
Georgia will need to beat this Oklahoma team twice in order to advance to the National Championship series, but before they can worry about a second game they need to get past the Sooners Wednesday night first.
Georgia's projected starting pitcher against Oklahoma in CWS
Paul Farley, RHP (8-1 record, 4.53 ERA)
Georgia's traditional starters won't be ready to return to the mound just yet. There is a case for starting Joey Volchko who pitched the best outing of his career against Texas during the Bulldogs' first CWS game to start against the Sooners, but starting him for this matchup may be a little too early still.
Georgia also will need to beat Oklahoma a second time on Thursday if they win this game, so that would be the perfect time to start Volchko again.
Through three games at the College World Series Georgia has only had to use four pitchers. Their bullpen has plenty of arms ready to go for this game, and considering Volchko will probably get the nod on Thursday if that game is needed Wes Johnson will be ready to use all of his bullpen on Wednesday if needed.
It may not matter who gets the start, but Paul Foley is the most likely candidate. He won't pitch as deep into the game like Volchko or Caden Aoki did, but he has had really good moments all season and is capable of giving UGA a solid four or five innings if he is on.
Probable starting lineup for Georgia vs Oklahoma at the CWS
- Tre Phelps - Third baseman
- Daniel Jackson - Catcher
- Rylan Lujo - Center fielder
- Micahel O'Shaughnessy - Designated hitter
- Kenny Ishikawa - Left fielder
- Ryan Wynn - Second baseman
- Brennan Hudson - First baseman
- Kolby Branch - Shortstop
- Ryan Black - Right fielder
There was a good argument for Johnson to shake up the lineup ahead of their matchup with Texas on Tuesday. He was never going to move any of these nine players out of the lineup, but the guys at the top of the order were struggling so it may have been smart to shift them down in the order.
Johnson however decided to keep things the same against Texas, and after winning that game there is no shot he changes anything now. So while Georgia's starting pitcher is up in the air, the batting order should be the same once again.
How to watch Georgia face Oklahoma in CWS
Georgia and Oklahoma will do battle at 7:00 pm EST on Wednesday, June 17.
The game will be aired on ESPN and can be streamed on the WatchESPN app as well.
What does Vegas believe will happen in Georgia's rematch with Oklahoma at the CWS?
Even though Georgia lost to Oklahoma two nights ago, Vegas still has them favored to win this rematch by 1.5 runs. They also have -215 odds to win, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Georgia must win this game to keep their season alive. Oklahoma is as hot as anyone, but Georgia is as good as anyone, so if any team is capable of cooling this Sooners team off it is the Georgia Bulldogs.
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