Weather permitting, the 25th season of University of Georgia softball is scheduled to begin today. UGA is set to host South Alabama and Virginia in a tournament. First pitch in a Georgia double-header vs South Alabama is on tap for 2 o’clock this afternoon.
From Sean Stevenson, UGA Sports Communications…
#14 Georgia (0-0) hosting the 14th Annual Red & Black Showcase Dates: Friday, Feb. 12-Sunday, Feb. 14 Location: Athens, Ga. Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium Participating Teams: Georgia, South Alabama, Virginia Tournament Schedule Friday: South Alabama vs. Georgia – 2 p.m. (doubleheader) Saturday: Virginia vs. Georgia – 2:15 p.m. Virginia vs. South Alabama – 5:30 p.m. Sunday: Virginia vs. South Alabama – 10 a.m. Virginia vs. Georgia – 1:15 p.m. Media Information Streaming: SEC Network+ (all Georgia games) Play-by-play: Karlie Smith Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball Complete Game Notes Attached The 25th season of Georgia softball begins this weekend with the 14th Annual Red & Black Showcase at Jack Turner Stadium. No. 14 Georgia will host South Alabama and Virginia in the tournament beginning Friday. Following a schedule change for weather, the season will open with a doubleheader against South Alabama Friday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play Virginia Saturday afternoon at 2:15 then close the tournament against the Cavaliers Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Follow the Bulldogs » All Georgia games of the Red & Black Showcase will stream live on SEC Network+. Karlie Smith will be on the call. » Live stats will be available for all games. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com. » Live Twitter updates will be available at the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball. 2021 Georgia Softball Fan Attendance Policy Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, guests will be permitted through a “Player Pass List” only. Admission will not be open to the general public. For student-athlete families and guests, social distancing measures will be in effect while in the stadium and face coverings will be required. Only cashless payments will be accepted at Jack Turner Stadium this season for concessions. BULLDOGS BULLETIN Series Histories South Alabama » Series tied 1-1 » Georgia won the first-ever meeting in 2010 in Athens, 4-1 » The Bulldogs and Jaguars met again in 2014 in Orlando. Then #20 South Alabama defeated Georgia 3-2 Virginia » Georgia leads series 1-0 » Georgia’s lone meeting with Virginia game on opening weekend in 2019 in Boca Raton, Florida. Georgia won the game 15-7. A Look at What’s Ahead Georgia will host the 18th Annual Georgia Classic next weekend, Feb. 19-21. Florida A&M, Kent State, and Longwood will all come to Athens for the 10-game tournament. The Bulldogs will play a doubleheader against Kent State on Friday, doubleheader against Longwood Saturday, and a single game with Florida A&M on Sunday to wrap up tournament play. 25 Seasons of Georgia Softball The 2021 season will be the 25th of softball in Athens. In 25 seasons, Georgia has accumulated more than 1,000 program victories, 17 40-win season, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, and four appearances in the Women’s College World Series. 20 Bulldogs have earned All-American distinction and 17 have been drafted to the NPF. Georgia in the Polls The Bulldogs checked in at No. 14 in the preseason NFCA and USA Softball polls, No. 13 in the D1Softball poll, and No. 15 in Softball America’s preseason poll. Georgia concluded the abbreviated 2020 season No. 14 in all four major polls. Georgia Tabbed Seventh in SEC Preseason Poll The Georgia softball team was picked seventh in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll with 78 points in the poll. Alabama drew nine of the 13 first-place votes en route to being named the SEC preseason favorite, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. LSU, who picked up the two first-place votes, was picked second. Florida (one first-place vote), Tennessee, and Kentucky rounded out the top five in the preseason poll. Kuma Tabbed a Top Sophomore by Softball America Sophomore infielder Sydney Kuma was ranked No. 16 on Softball America’s list of top 25 college sophomores. Kuma, who stated all 28 games at shortstop last season, led the Georgia offense with a .438 average with 32 hits, 28 runs, eight doubles, and 24 RBI as a rookie in 2020. Trio of Bulldogs Earn Undergraduate Degrees This season roster will feature three Bulldogs who all earned their undergraduate degrees in May 2020. Mary Wilson Avant (Marketing), Alley Cutting (Psychology), and Jacqui Switzer (Communications Studies) became UGA graduates. All three began work toward their Masters degrees in the fall semester. Roster Breakdown The 2021 roster carries 27 student-athletes including 12 upperclassmen. Graduates Mary Wilson Avant and Alley Cutting returned for their final season after being granted another year of eligibility. The rest of the upperclassmen feature seven seniors and a trio of juniors. The roster offers a good mix of experience and youth with five sophomores and a 10-member freshmen class. A Look a the Schedule The 2021 schedule features 55 total games, 39 of which are set to be played at Jack Turner Stadium. The Bulldogs will host four non-conference tournaments to begin the season. Home SEC series include Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, and Alabama. Georgia will also host Oklahoma on April 20 in a midweek doubleheader. Freshman Class Ranked High in Recruiting This season’s freshmen class was ranked by Extra Innings Softball as the fourth-best signing class in the nation last year as the class featured five of its Elite 100 players and eight on its list of top 200. Georgia Signs Five Georgia Natives in Early Signing Period The Bulldogs signed five home-grown recruits in November during the early signing period. The class includes infielder Faith Barth, catcher/first baseman Lyndi Rae Davis, and pitchers Kylie Macy, Rebecca Muh, and Sydney Osada.