Georgia baseball is coming off of its most impressive season since 2008, where it finished with a 43-17 record and fell just one game shy of a trip to the College World Series.
But it’s the start of a new season, which means new goals and a new team to fulfill them.
Wes Johnson completely revamped the program in his first year as head coach, but he didn’t stop there. Throughout the offseason, Johnson dug deep to find more players to add to his next All-Star team.
Along the quest, Johnson picked up outfielder Nolan McCarthy out of the transfer portal. The redshirt senior comes with a wealth of experience, as he spent four seasons at Kentucky, including the 2024 season, where he propelled the team to its first-ever College World Series appearance.
McCarthy appeared in a career-high 58 games last season, batting .288 with 57 hits, 41 RBIs and eight home runs.
“He’s a good leader,” said junior shortstop Kolby Branch. “He’s brought the veteran experience that we need and he’s been a great addition to this team.”
But McCarthy isn’t the only Wildcat stepping foot into Bulldog territory this year. McCarthy’s decision to transfer to Georgia came just days after former Kentucky assistant coach Nick Ammirati announced his departure and transition to Athens.
Last season, Ammirati helped lead the Wildcats to their second-ever SEC title and the College World Series. He drove Kentucky’s offense to the top of the conference in stolen bases, with 120, and helped lead the league to the top in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles, RBI and stolen bases in SEC play.
“Ammo brings just a different side of coaching,” said sophomore infielder Tre Phelps. “He’s a lot more calm. He’s not as loud in your ear. But he’s uptight. He’s going to let you know what you’re doing wrong and right.”
Transferring to a new school after four years of playing in the same program can bring about all sorts of challenges. But for McCarthy, having Ammirati right by his side has eased that transition just a little bit more.
“He kind of brings me that calming effect,” McCarthy said. “And he’s always the chill guy in the dugout. He’s not gonna just rip you because you hit a fly ball in the infield. He’s gonna be like ‘Hey, man, that was a good swing. You’re fine.’”
There is no doubt that McCarthy’s decision to put on a red and black jersey for his final year was partly due to Ammirati’s move to Athens. The two have formed a unique bond throughout their time together, which shows on the field.
“Coach Ammo is so steady and just really right here all the time,” said Johnson. “And I think that was good for Nolan. Nolan is a very high-energy player. [He] works extremely hard every day. So anytime you have a comfortable coach around you like that you’ve been with, it makes the transition seamless.”
Aside from Ammirati, another former Wildcat on Georgia’s coaching staff played a crucial role in their success last season. Assistant coach Will Coggin joined Georgia’s staff last season after spending four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Kentucky.
Coggin and Ammirati coached at Kentucky in 2022 and 2023 while sharing a season at Mississippi State in 2012.
“Them working together already at Kentucky, and having that chemistry coming here is beautiful,” Phelps said. “It’s like they’re like peanut butter and jelly. They just bounce off one another.”
In 2023, the two helped lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Super Regional for only the second time in school history. In the same season, Kentucky led the SEC in batting average, doubles, triples, stolen bases and fielding percentage, in which they also led the nation.
Though the two have very versatile coaching styles, their experience together has already fueled Georgia’s coaching staff this season.
“Coach Coggin and Ammo are like polar opposites,” Branch said. “When you’ve got that, you can kind of go to either one in certain areas. Sometimes you need a fire. Sometimes, you need some water to chill you out.”
With the 2025 College World Series in mind, McCarthy and Ammirati are sure to greatly contribute to Georgia’s success this season.
