The Georgia Bulldogs are headed back to Omaha for the first time since 2008 after surviving an instant classic in the Athens Super Regional, defeating Mississippi State 11-9 in 10 innings at a sold-out Foley Field. In a game that featured massive momentum swings, Georgia built early leads before watching Mississippi State claw back with a barrage of home runs late in the contest. The Bulldogs, however, stayed alive in front of their home crowd and delivered when it mattered most, completing the sweep to punch their ticket to the College World Series.
The defining moment came in extra innings, when star catcher Daniel Jackson stepped to the plate with the game tied 9-9 in the top of the 10th. Jackson crushed a go-ahead two-run home run—his 31st of the season—sending Foley Field into chaos and giving Georgia an 11-9 lead it would not relinquish. The blast capped off a wild sequence in which Mississippi State had erased a deficit and briefly taken control, only for Georgia to respond with clutch hitting in both the ninth and tenth innings to flip the game back in its favor.
The Bulldogs also got key contributions across the roster in a back-and-forth slugfest that saw both teams combine for double-digit home runs over the series. Brennan Hudson delivered a crucial RBI single in the ninth to tie the game before Jackson’s heroics, while pitcher Justin Byrd closed the door in the bottom of the 10th, stranding runners and securing the win. With Caden Aoki setting the tone on the mound earlier and Georgia’s offense showing resilience throughout, the Bulldogs now head to Omaha with momentum, belief, and one of the hottest bats in college baseball leading the way.
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