Georgia’s return to Omaha could not have started much better.
Behind a historic performance from junior right-hander Joey Volchko and an early offensive surge, the third-seeded Bulldogs rolled past sixth-ranked Texas 7-1 Saturday night at Charles Schwab Field in their College World Series opener.
Volchko delivered one of the most dominant pitching performances in Georgia postseason history, tossing a complete-game four-hitter while striking out a career-high 15 batters in front of a crowd of 25,002. The victory improved Georgia to 52-12, tying the school record for wins in a season set by the 1990 national championship team.
From the opening inning, Volchko was in complete control. The junior struck out the side in both the first and fourth innings and consistently overpowered the Texas lineup with a mix of command and swing-and-miss stuff. His 15 strikeouts established a new Georgia record for a pitcher in a College World Series game.
The complete game was Georgia’s first nine-inning complete game of the season and the program’s first at the College World Series since Mike Rebhan accomplished the feat twice during the Bulldogs’ 1990 national championship run.
While Volchko dominated on the mound, Georgia’s offense wasted little time providing support. Sophomore center fielder Rylan Lujo put the Bulldogs on the board with a two-run home run that hooked around the left-field foul pole in the first inning. The blast, his 14th of the season, scored Tre Phelps after a leadoff walk and gave Georgia a quick 2-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs continued to capitalize on Texas mistakes in the opening frame. A pair of Longhorn errors, two wild pitches and two hit batters helped Georgia extend its lead to 4-0 before Texas could settle into the game.
That early cushion allowed Volchko to attack aggressively throughout the night.
Texas managed its lone run in the middle innings, but the Bulldogs answered with a decisive rally in the seventh. Lujo struck again with an RBI double, and Kenny Ishikawa followed with a two-run single to push Georgia’s lead to 7-1 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Georgia head coach Wes Johnson praised both the early offense and Volchko’s command after the game.
“We got on the board early with Rylan’s home run and then they had a couple miscues in the first and you combine that with the way Joey was throwing tonight, and everybody could relax a bit,” Johnson said.
“Then, Rylan gets another big hit and Kenny comes up with one and that really stretched it out. Obviously, the story tonight was Joey and the way he commanded pitches and hit spots. It was one of the most impressive complete game performances that I’ve been a part of.”
Volchko credited Georgia’s preparation and game plan for his success.
“I felt a lot of confidence and comfort with the gameplan we came in with tonight. We had a very clear plan and executed,” Volchko said.
“We always talk about it as a team in terms of don’t panic, don’t get sped up. I had to attack the zone, and I did that with the first hitter even after I got behind in the count 3-1 and then came back with a strikeout. I’ve grown as a pitcher and credit goes to coach Wes Johnson.”
The victory marked the 31st time this season Georgia has held an opponent to three runs or fewer, another indication of the balance that has carried the Bulldogs to Omaha. Now Georgia sits just one win away from the bracket final.
The Bulldogs will face Oklahoma on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The Sooners advanced after shutting out Alabama 9-0 in their College World Series opener Saturday.
If Volchko’s performance is any indication, Georgia looks every bit like a team capable of making a deep run toward its first national championship since 1990.
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