Every student athlete knows, there is no real offseason. Even in August, baseball players are working out, doing drill work, and practicing in position groups. Though it's no comparison to the fun of SEC play, the Diamond Dawgs are still in full swing. A friend of mine and veteran on the pitching staff, Ryan Webb, was kind enough to answer a few questions for me, giving us a taste of the attitude in the locker room this time of year, and insight as to what they may be looking to improve upon or continue going into the 2020 season.
"What would you say the team's biggest area of focus is this offseason?"
"Probably team chemistry, we have a lot of new guys on the team. We have 17 newcomers so we're just trying to get everybody on the same page. We have a sour taste in our mouth from last year's regional and our team motto for the year is unfinished business".
17 New guys--that's half the roster. There's no question that going from a veteran heavy squad like last year's (19 upperclassmen) to a locker room full of fresh faces will take a bit of getting used to. Everyone has last year's regional on their mind, and there's no shortage of motivation. With that being said, it's going to be vital for the Dawgs that everyone gets on the same page sooner rather than later in order to really maximize the offseason and hit the ground running come springtime.
"It must be a different locker room dynamic this year considering all the new guys. Is the team changing their approach this offseason to address issues of chemistry, or are you sticking to what's been working, using a let-down of a 2019 postseason as added motivation?"
"We aren't really changing anything, we just have a lot of guys who are hungry. Everyone shows up to every optional lift and guys are just working that much harder because we know how close we are to reaching our goal. We just have to work a little bit harder and do just a little bit more in order to get there. All the new guys are eager to buy in and are eager to get out there with the team, and all of them are quick learners and look like they want to compete for spots".
It's certainly encouraging as a student, Athenian, or Dawgs fan in general, to hear that your team has full attendance to every optional workout, even in August. It's clear how bad that they want this, and it doesn't seem that getting guys to "buy in" will be an issue for the Dawgs, which is a huge deal considering the youth of the 2019-2020 squad. Everyone knows we had no business being put out in the regional, especially by dropping two games to the three seed. As Ryan said, there's unfinished business to be taken care of, and it sounds like seniors and freshman alike are doing whatever it takes to put themselves in the position to seal the deal when June 2020 rolls around.
"Alright, let's talk continuity. What are some upsides from last season that the team is looking to carry over into the 2020 season?"
"We're just looking to get back out and playing again, we have a good group of returners coming back plus our quick outs the last two postseasons are just motivation for wanting to get back out there".
It's easy to see why the boys just want to play. It's not as if there's a ton to fix--2019 saw a .730 winning percentage overall, and an impressively similar .700 in a ringer of an SEC schedule. Of the nine guys who saw an average of at least two plate appearances a game as well as appearing in 75% or more of their games played, we hit at an impressive .281 clip. On the flip side, our pitching staff put up a 3.25 combined ERA, compared to opponents' 5.79 against our lineup. I could go on and on with different figures illustrating why this team has what it takes to make a run at Omaha. The bottom line is this: we have the tools. Our pitching staff is top notch, our lineup is a force to be reckoned with, and in 2019 we tied with Vandy for the best fielding percentage in the conference. The fact of the matter is that there is no glaring weakness--don't let a premature elimination in 2019 distract you from the fact that we have one of the most talented rosters in the country. As Ryan said, It's just going to take a little bit more to finish the 2020 season on our terms. That may mean a couple more drills, one more rep in the weight room, etc. The Dawgs clearly don't care what it takes, they're just fired up and ready to get after it so that they can get back to playing, and winning, come February.
"For my fourth and final question, as a pitcher, what is it that you and the staff are focusing on? Obviously everyone's sights are set on Omaha, but aside from overarching team goals, what are the pitchers specifically looking to improve upon and/or continue going into the 2020 season?"
"Consistency. We had a really good pitching staff last year that threw a lot of strikes, struck a lot of dudes out, and had a really low batting average against so those were our strong points. We feel that if we continue to pound the strike zone and get 0-1 it's a huge advantage".
Everyone knows the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Well, the Dawgs' pitching staff is by no means broke--quite the contrary. In 2019, UGA landed second in the SEC in terms of earned run average, and fourth in terms of strikeouts. Our #1, Emerson Hancock, walked just 18 batters the whole season, and fanned a whopping 97. We have several guys who bring 95+ nearly every time they toe the rubber. Our pitchers don't have to fix anything. They've proven what they're capable of, it's now just a matter of repeating that dominance each and every series, game, inning, and pitch. Florida State didn't care what a talented pitching staff we had; they showed up and executed, twice. They performed when it mattered most, and we simply didn't have an answer. If we can just be more consistent and make big time pitches in those big time matchups, we'll be to Omaha in no time. In order to do that in June, though, there's work to be done now. The Diamond Dawgs have unfinished business, after all.
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