The Georgia Bulldogs (33-10, 10-8) dropped another game to a top-ranked opponent in the Clemson Tigers on Tuesday night. Their losing streak has now reached four in a row after being swept in a three-game series vs Vanderbilt last weekend. The loss to Clemson was particularly gut-wrenching because Clemson held the Bulldogs’ powerhouse offense scoreless for the first time this season in the 3-0 Tiger win.
“It’s going to turn around for us, and that was the message to the guys, you just hope it’s sooner rather than later,” said Georgia head coach Wes Johson.
The Bulldogs entered Tuesday the 10th-ranked team in the nation. They have been up and down the rankings list recently as the cannibalistic SEC battles it out. If the Bulldogs expected easier competition from their out-of-conference opponents, they were in for a rude surprise. In the past two weeks, they’ve faced a top 25 in-state rival Georgia Tech team and the number two team in the nation, Clemson.
“You have to be mature enough to trust the adjustments you made,” said Johnson. “There’s battles that you’re going to be in and you want to show progress in those.”
The Bulldogs have had particular trouble on the road, posting a 6-8 record as the away team. The rowdy Clemson crowd might have factored into the Bulldogs’ offensive struggles. Georgia had opportunities with men on base but ended the night 0-8 with runners in scoring position.
The bad news for the Bulldogs is that the road ahead isn’t any easier. 10 of the 25 nationally ranked teams, according to D1baseball, are in the SEC, including Georgia’s next opponent, the Oklahoma Sooners. Two of Georgia’s last five regular-season opponents are currently ranked in the top 20.
The good news is Georgia is coming home. The Bulldogs play host to the Sooners this weekend and round out the year at home against the former No. 1 team in the nation, the Texas A&M Aggies. Georgia boasts an impressive 24-2 record in their newly renovated home park, Foley Field.
The bats will have to return for things to turn around in Athens. Georgia has scored less than three runs in three of its last four games and has been outscored by a combined 14 runs. While the lineup has impressive numbers one through nine, a team-wide slump has hit Georgia in the final stretch of the regular season. Bulldog fans remember a similar cold streak hitting at the end of last season when the once red-hot Bulldogs found themselves a game short of Omaha.
Predictably, Georgia has not been flawless on their road through 2025. With a ruthless schedule and conference, Georgia was expected to hit some roadblocks in its march toward the postseason. However, the next series will be pivotal for a Bulldog team hoping to make their first trip to Omaha since 2008. Johnson feels confident that the once-top-five team is ready for the trials ahead. The people of Athens hope desperately he is right.
