ATHENS, Ga. — The 2024 college baseball season opens Friday as Georgia plays host to UNC Asheville at Foley Field.
First pitch is slated for 3:02 p.m. Saturday’s game will be at 3:02 p.m. and Sunday’s starts at 1:02 p.m.
As the oldest varsity sport on campus, this will mark the 137th season of Bulldog baseball and the beginning of the Wes Johnson era. As the new head baseball coach, Johnson’s first squad features 17 returning lettermen and 28 newcomers.
Series History: Georgia leads 11-1 as it dates to 1995. Georgia has won the past three meetings, the last coming in 2005 (4-2). UNCA’s lone win came in 2000 (5-3). All 12 meetings have been in Athens.
The Rotation: Georgia will go with graduate left-hander Charlie Goldstein Friday followed by graduate transfer right-hander Christian Mracna on Saturday and sophomore right-hander Leighton Finley on Sunday. UNCA will start junior left-hander Cole Schiff followed by senior left-hander Justin Honeycutt and junior right-hander Clay Edmondson.
Hitters To Watch: Georgia redshirt sophomore Charlie Condon is a consensus preseason All-American after hitting .386 with 25 home runs and 67 RBI. It was one of the greatest seasons in Bulldog history and led to him being named a consensus National Freshman of the Year. He is projected as a first-round pick for the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. Condon is capable of playing around the diamond and should this season as he did in the fall. Last season, he played mostly first base and in the outfield. UNC Asheville is led by junior infielder/outfielder Robbie Burnett (.379-13-35) who was named the 2024 Big South Preseason Player of the Year.
Preseason Coaches Picks: Georgia is picked to finish sixth in the East, according to a preseason poll of SEC coaches who voted Arkansas and Florida as the projected division champions with the Razorbacks the favorite to win the league. The Bulldogs of UNC Asheville are coached by Scott Friedholm who is now in his 10th season. They are picked to finish fourth in the Big South, according to a preseason poll of the league coaches.
