This story on Brett Stephens also includes contributions from Abby Halpin.
On June 10 2024, Foley Field rocked for nine innings straight. The noise and excitement from the crowd might’ve registered on the Richter scale as the Bulldogs faithful tried to deploy as much home-field advantage as they could in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. It was Georgia’s best season since 2008, the last time they made it to Omaha, and they had the potential first overall pick in Charlie Condon helping lead the way.
“It was electric,” said Brett Stephens, the man in the booth and over the PA system for the Dawgs. “The playoffs were really special.”
The Bulldogs came up a few inches short, losing their first-ever NCAA Super Regional series and ending the season one game short of the College World Series. But the story doesn’t end in 2025, if you ask people around the program. They believe the team’s success last year cemented a new baseball culture in Athens that’s here to stay.
“We got a good trajectory, and I think we’re gonna hit it this year, too,” said Stephens.
Like head coach Wes Johnson, Stephens is now in his second season with the Bulldogs. His first year as the PA announcer for Georgia saw several changes to the campus energy surrounding baseball.
“I think there’s going to be more of a want for Georgia baseball,” he said confidently. “I think the change just of adding Wes Johnson just really elevated the mindset, a new perspective coming in, new jerseys, new lights, now the expansions with the seating and sound system…”
Stephens saw firsthand how the attendance in Foley shifted from a half-empty stadium to a standing-room-only location. With Georgia being a traditionally football-centered school and Foley Field being just 0.8 miles from its football counterpart Sanford, it took a while for the people of Athens to notice what the Diamond Dawgs were doing. But now that they have, the feel around campus is hectic with preseason excitement.
“I think there’s going to be more of a fan presence this year, and I think we’re going to see that a lot more earlier in the season,” Stephens said excitedly. “I think a lot of people love Georgia baseball here, but when a team is really good, that’s when you get more people coming.”
Stephens has worked in PA capacities before. He finds it natural to be behind the mic. His experience at the student-run radio station WUOG analyzing sports live on air has made him a personality of the game when it comes to UGA athletics. But you can tell by talking to him that this new job is entirely different. He is seeing a team become a part of the culture of his own city. Whether or not he admits it, he’s part of that impact too, as his voice becomes an energetic staple when you head out to the ball game.
“I believe God made me to be a storyteller. I just want to be able to tell the story of Georgia baseball this year,” he said. “It’s bigger than me. Obviously, it’s not just me. It’s the fans, it’s promo, it’s my boss, it’s the players too. So, it’s all of us working in an effort to give a fan the best experience possible.”
When Georgia baseball returns to Athens in a newly renovated Foley Field on Feb. 20, it will be greeted by the excited cheers of a packed house and the voice of Georgia baseball, Brett Stephens.
