As you step into Foley Field, home of the 11th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, it’s hard not to notice the resources at the team’s disposal. The renovated stadium and new turf are only part of the story; cameras line the field from every angle, the scoreboard displays pitching velocity, exit angle, and exit velocity. The new bullpen is tricked out with all the gadgets meant to turn America’s pastime into a science.
“We don’t do anything subjectively here,” said second-year head coach Wes Johnson. “Everything we do is going to be based on numbers and matchups.”
The players themselves talk in terms of numbers. Pitch speed and swinging techniques are a part of the common vernacular in the clubhouse. A pitching lab and new swinging tunnels are part of Georgia’s $45 million dollar investment project to take this team into the future.
The project has attracted eyes from all over the country, as the team welcomes 16 transfers for the 2025 season. One such transfer is Alton Davis, a former closer at the University of Alabama.
“I wasn’t a big analytical guy until I got here,” said Davis. “It helps me like be deceptive to a lot of the hitters… and my hitters out here say it’s really good. It’s gonna play a lot in the SEC so I’m ready for that.”
While analytics remain hotly debated in sports, professional teams are sparing no expense in using them to find some sort of edge. The Bulldogs seem to be emulating this strategy.
“We’re on video every day with our swings,” said Nolan McCarthy, a transfer center fielder from Kentucky. “There’s gonna be plenty of pop, and I think our two-strike approach is gonna help us a lot this year…”
The team has lost major players from last year’s team, namely Charlie Condon and Corey Collins. But talking to them, you wouldn’t know it.
“We knew we were going to have to… Moneyball it… you’re never going to replace Condon, you’re never going to replace Corey Collins, but can you recreate them and distribute it more one through nine…,” explained Johnson.
“Top to bottom, we got a lot of guys with belief,” said McCarthy. “Chatter in the clubhouse, it’s just… we’re going to win it all. We’re the best team in the country, and we fully believe that.”
Whether it’s the transfer portal, NIL deals, a pitching lab, or swinging tunnels, the Bulldogs are using every resource at their disposal to put this team on the map. They feel confident and ready to swing for the fences in 2025.
