Impressive Haul For Bulldogs As They Reload For 2026
ATHENS—–The Georgia Bulldogs have assembled one of the nation’s top baseball recruiting classes for the upcoming season with 26 newcomers joining the program as the fall semester at UGA began Wednesday.
In Baseball America’s “Way to Early” Top 25 rankings for 2026, Georgia checks in at No. 6 nationally after Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson and his staff reloaded the roster with an infusion of talented players from across the country. Georgia has six players included in the Baseball America (BA)Top 100 transfers from the portal and three players among BA’s top 50 high school prospects headed to college after the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Also, 64Analytics listed Georgia with the top-ranked portal class for 2025.
The Bulldogs listed in BA’s top 100 from the portal include pitchers Joey Volchko (No. 5/Stanford) and Matt Scott (No. 19/Stanford), catcher/outfielder Jack Arcamone (No. 20/Richmond), first baseman/pitcher Bryce Calloway (No. 41/New Orleans), pitcher Dylan Vigue (No. 55/Michigan) and pitcher Caden Aoki (No. 80/USC). The Bulldogs mentioned on the BA high school prospect list include pitcher Joe Nottingham (Loyola Blakefield, Windsor Mill, Md.), outfielder Ty Peeples (Franklin Co. HS, Lavonia, Ga.) and pitcher Dylan Wood (Franklin HS, Elk Grove, Calif.). Also, Peeples, Wood and prep outfielder Cole Johnson (Oconee Co., Watkinsville, Ga.) all were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft and opted to enroll at Georgia.
The Bulldogs welcome back four starting position players in senior shortstop Kolby Branch (.303 BA, 13 HR, 41 RBI), junior infielder/outfielder Tre Phelps (.318-10-44), junior catcher/outfielder Daniel Jackson (.240-14-36, 12 SB) and senior infielder Ryan Black (.276-7-18). The Bulldogs saw their top five starting pitchers all sign professional contracts and return just one pitcher who started a game last year in junior Zach Brown (3-1, 7.45 ERA, 19.1 IP). Georgia’s bullpen does return a couple of fireballers in junior Jordan Stephens (4-0, 3.92 ERA, 3 SV, 27K in 20.2 IP) and senior Justin Byrd (0-0, 3.74 ERA, 26K in 21.2 IP). Georgia’s 2025 pitching staff set a school record with 636 strikeouts in 60 games. Also, the Bulldogs set a school record for fielding percentage at .983.
Georgia will begin individual workouts this month with fall team practice set to begin Sept. 19. Here’s a snippet of information about the Bulldog newcomers:
Henry Allen, Utility: Spent his freshman season at Northwest Florida State in 2025 where he saw action in 49 games with 46 starts…Recorded a team-leading 54 runs scored with 52 RBI and 13 home runs while batting .325 as the Raiders finished 32-17.
Caden Aoki, RHP: Earned the 2025 Big Ten Medal Of Honor for USC which is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each institution, exemplifying excellence on and off the field throughout their career…Owns a 12-12 career mark with a 3.68 ERA, 202 strikeouts in 222.2 innings over 44 games with 38 starts… Started his career at Notre Dame before spending the past three seasons with the USC Trojans.
Jack Arcamone, C/OF: A 2025 All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection, he has spent the past two seasons at Richmond…Played in 110 games with 100 starts for the Spiders at catcher, outfielder and designated hitter…A left-handed hitter, he batted .319 with 122 hits, 31 doubles, 19 home runs and 95 RBI.
Andrew Behnke, LHP: Played the past three seasons at Tennessee and made 43 appearances…Posted a 5-1 record with a 3.52 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 46 innings…Posted a 3-1 mark with a 3.54 ERA in 23 appearances on the Volunteers 2024 national championship team.
Teddy Brennan, LHP: Made 42 appearances with 32 starts across three seasons at George Washington…Recorded 170 strikeouts across 172 innings for a 6.17 ERA and a 6-15 record with one save.
Bryce Calloway, 1B/RHP: A two-way standout and All-Southland Conference performer for the University of New Orleans in 2024 and 2025…Posted a .358 batting average with 127 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs and 102 RBI in that span…Also registered a 4-3 record, 13 saves and a 5.84 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.
Grant Edwards, RHP: Began his career at East Central Community College before spending the past two seasons at the University of New Orleans…Made 30 starts and recorded an 8-10 record and 5.29 ERA for the Privateers with 159 strikeouts across 149.2 innings in 30 starts.
Thomas Ellisen, RHP: Posted a 9-4 record and 5.93 ERA in 51 career appearances including 17 starts for the University of Connecticut the past four seasons…Tallied 111 strikeouts across 126 innings.
Kenny Ishikawa, LHP/OF: A two-way player and All-Western Athletic Conference selection for the Seattle Redhawks in 2025 after spending his first collegiate season at the University of Asia in Tokyo…Made 20 appearances with 10 starts on the mound and tossed 70.1 innings with 77 strikeouts in 2025…Posted a 5-7 mark and 4.35 ERA…Saw action in 52 games in the outfield and batted .312 with 23 doubles, eight home runs and 32 RBI.
Caleb Jameson, LHP: A redshirt junior, he went 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA, tallying 25 strikeouts across 28.2 innings for the Baylor Bears last season…He made 14 appearances, including seven starts.
Cole Johnson, OF: An 18th round selection of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2025 MLB Draft…A four-year member of the varsity for the Oconee County Warriors (Watkinsville, Ga.) and coach Brian Trivette… Helped the squad to a Class 3A-Region 8 title, the first for the Warriors since 2015… A three-time All-State and All-Region selection plus 2025 Athens Area and Region Player of the Year…Bated .441 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 37 RBI.
Cole Koniarsky, OF: Named 2025 All-Mountain West Conference Second Team and Academic All-MWC for UNLV…Batted .363 with 15 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 47 RBI…Spent the 2024 season with UC Riverside and led the team with a .361 average, 13 doubles and 31 RBI while starting all 52 games.
Mason Kosowick, RHP: A 6-7, 245-pound right-hander who has spent the last two years at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley…Made eight appearances for the Vaqueros, tossing 7.1 innings with a 7.40 ERA.
Rylan Lujo, INF: Named a 2025 First Team NCBWA Freshman All-American, he started all 58 games for the Dayton Flyers last season…He hit .361 with nine home runs and 56 RBI plus scored 52 runs with 87 hits, a team-high 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases…Earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors.
Scott Newman, OF: A redshirt junior, he started 60 games in his first season with the Spartans of USC Upstate in 2025…Batted .300 with a team-leading 10 doubles, 19 home runs and 60 RBI plus had 11 stolen bases…Began his career at Wichita State where he redshirted in 2023 and played at Parkland College (Champaign, Ill.) in 2024.
Joe Nottingham, RHP: A three-sport standout in baseball, football and basketball for the Loyola Blakefield Dons (Towson, Md.) and coach Mike Kelley…Tallied 110 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched during prep career…An All-Conference selection in 2024-25…Participated in the Area Code Games in 2023 and 2024…Ranked among Baseball America’s top 50 high school recruits from the 2025 draft class headed to college.
Jordy Oriach, Utility: A senior left-handed hitting utility player, he spent 2025 with the New Mexico Lobos and was named the NCBWA District 8 Player of the Year and a Third Team All-American…He started 52 games, batting .388 with a team-leading 65 runs, 25 doubles, 83 hits and 63 RBI to earn Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors…Began his career at Frank Phillips College (Borger, Texas) and was an NJCAA All-American.
Michael O’Shaughnessy, INF: In his first three seasons at Davidson, the left-handed hitting infielder saw action in 145 games with 142 starts…Owns a career .334 batting average with 30 doubles, 35 home runs and 155 RBI…Named 2025 Second Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference after hitting .369 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI.
Jackson Peavy, LHP: Posted a 13-1 mark with a 1.33 ERA, 160 strikeouts and 48 walks in 73.2 innings as a senior All-State selection for Peach County (Fort Valley, Ga.) and coach Joey Hiller as they advanced to the Class AAA semifinals… Ranked as the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 3 LHP in Georgia by Perfect Game (PG) and No. 48 LHP nationally by PG.
Ty Peeples, OF: A 20th round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB Draft…A first team All-State and All-Region selection in helping the Franklin County Lions (Carnesville, Ga.) finish 30-13 under coach Ryan Phillips…Ranked among the top 20 prep prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft…Set the Georgia prep record for career walks with 142…Hit .476 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 27 RBI with 41 walks and 25 stolen bases as a senior.
Brad Pruett, RHP: He began his career at Oklahoma before transferring to East Carolina last season…A 6-3, 205-pound junior who has made 38 appearances with five starts for a 5.55 ERA, tallying 79 career strikeouts through 73 innings with a 5-6 record and three saves.
Matt Scott, RHP: A 6-7, 245-pound senior who has spent the last three seasons at Stanford…He made 51 appearances with 38 starts for the Cardinal…The right-hander has tallied 221 career strikeouts across 199.1 innings and posted a 14-17 record with one save and a 5.69 ERA…Part of 2023 Pac-12 championship team…Member of 2024 USA Collegiate National Team.
Dylan Vigue, RHP: A 6-3, 200-pound junior right-hander who attended Michigan the past two seasons…He recorded a 6.00 ERA in 31 appearances with 19 starts…He posted a 3-8 record with two saves and 91 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched.
Joey Volchko, RHP: A 6-4, 218-pound junior who made 35 appearances including 21 starts for Stanford over the past two seasons…He registered a 5-5 career record with one save and a 5.89 ERA…In 113 innings pitched, he tallied 109 strikeouts…Member of 2024 USA Collegiate National Team.
Dylan Wood, RHP: A 19th round selection of the Kansas City Royals in the 2025 MLB Draft…Posted an 8-0 record, 1.65 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 59.1 innings as a senior for the Franklin Wildcats (Elk Grove, Calif.) and coach Bryan Kilby…Helped team go 26-8… Named to the 2025 MaxPreps California All-State team…. Won a gold medal with the USA Baseball 18U National Team at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.
Ryan Wynn, INF: Spent his first two seasons at Wofford and made 61 starts and appeared in 79 games for the Terriers…Posted a .326 career batting average with 20 doubles, five home runs and 51 RBI…Hit for the cycle against Ohio in 2025…Member of the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament championship team that earned program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the Chapel Hill Regional.
In Baseball America’s “Way to Early” Top 25 rankings for 2026, Georgia checks in at No. 6 nationally after Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson and his staff reloaded the roster with an infusion of talented players from across the country. Georgia has six players included in the Baseball America (BA)Top 100 transfers from the portal and three players among BA’s top 50 high school prospects headed to college after the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Also, 64Analytics listed Georgia with the top-ranked portal class for 2025.
The Bulldogs listed in BA’s top 100 from the portal include pitchers Joey Volchko (No. 5/Stanford) and Matt Scott (No. 19/Stanford), catcher/outfielder Jack Arcamone (No. 20/Richmond), first baseman/pitcher Bryce Calloway (No. 41/New Orleans), pitcher Dylan Vigue (No. 55/Michigan) and pitcher Caden Aoki (No. 80/USC). The Bulldogs mentioned on the BA high school prospect list include pitcher Joe Nottingham (Loyola Blakefield, Windsor Mill, Md.), outfielder Ty Peeples (Franklin Co. HS, Lavonia, Ga.) and pitcher Dylan Wood (Franklin HS, Elk Grove, Calif.). Also, Peeples, Wood and prep outfielder Cole Johnson (Oconee Co., Watkinsville, Ga.) all were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft and opted to enroll at Georgia.
The Bulldogs welcome back four starting position players in senior shortstop Kolby Branch (.303 BA, 13 HR, 41 RBI), junior infielder/outfielder Tre Phelps (.318-10-44), junior catcher/outfielder Daniel Jackson (.240-14-36, 12 SB) and senior infielder Ryan Black (.276-7-18). The Bulldogs saw their top five starting pitchers all sign professional contracts and return just one pitcher who started a game last year in junior Zach Brown (3-1, 7.45 ERA, 19.1 IP). Georgia’s bullpen does return a couple of fireballers in junior Jordan Stephens (4-0, 3.92 ERA, 3 SV, 27K in 20.2 IP) and senior Justin Byrd (0-0, 3.74 ERA, 26K in 21.2 IP). Georgia’s 2025 pitching staff set a school record with 636 strikeouts in 60 games. Also, the Bulldogs set a school record for fielding percentage at .983.
Georgia will begin individual workouts this month with fall team practice set to begin Sept. 19. Here’s a snippet of information about the Bulldog newcomers:
Henry Allen, Utility: Spent his freshman season at Northwest Florida State in 2025 where he saw action in 49 games with 46 starts…Recorded a team-leading 54 runs scored with 52 RBI and 13 home runs while batting .325 as the Raiders finished 32-17.
Caden Aoki, RHP: Earned the 2025 Big Ten Medal Of Honor for USC which is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each institution, exemplifying excellence on and off the field throughout their career…Owns a 12-12 career mark with a 3.68 ERA, 202 strikeouts in 222.2 innings over 44 games with 38 starts… Started his career at Notre Dame before spending the past three seasons with the USC Trojans.
Jack Arcamone, C/OF: A 2025 All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection, he has spent the past two seasons at Richmond…Played in 110 games with 100 starts for the Spiders at catcher, outfielder and designated hitter…A left-handed hitter, he batted .319 with 122 hits, 31 doubles, 19 home runs and 95 RBI.
Andrew Behnke, LHP: Played the past three seasons at Tennessee and made 43 appearances…Posted a 5-1 record with a 3.52 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 46 innings…Posted a 3-1 mark with a 3.54 ERA in 23 appearances on the Volunteers 2024 national championship team.
Teddy Brennan, LHP: Made 42 appearances with 32 starts across three seasons at George Washington…Recorded 170 strikeouts across 172 innings for a 6.17 ERA and a 6-15 record with one save.
Bryce Calloway, 1B/RHP: A two-way standout and All-Southland Conference performer for the University of New Orleans in 2024 and 2025…Posted a .358 batting average with 127 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs and 102 RBI in that span…Also registered a 4-3 record, 13 saves and a 5.84 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.
Grant Edwards, RHP: Began his career at East Central Community College before spending the past two seasons at the University of New Orleans…Made 30 starts and recorded an 8-10 record and 5.29 ERA for the Privateers with 159 strikeouts across 149.2 innings in 30 starts.
Thomas Ellisen, RHP: Posted a 9-4 record and 5.93 ERA in 51 career appearances including 17 starts for the University of Connecticut the past four seasons…Tallied 111 strikeouts across 126 innings.
Kenny Ishikawa, LHP/OF: A two-way player and All-Western Athletic Conference selection for the Seattle Redhawks in 2025 after spending his first collegiate season at the University of Asia in Tokyo…Made 20 appearances with 10 starts on the mound and tossed 70.1 innings with 77 strikeouts in 2025…Posted a 5-7 mark and 4.35 ERA…Saw action in 52 games in the outfield and batted .312 with 23 doubles, eight home runs and 32 RBI.
Caleb Jameson, LHP: A redshirt junior, he went 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA, tallying 25 strikeouts across 28.2 innings for the Baylor Bears last season…He made 14 appearances, including seven starts.
Cole Johnson, OF: An 18th round selection of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2025 MLB Draft…A four-year member of the varsity for the Oconee County Warriors (Watkinsville, Ga.) and coach Brian Trivette… Helped the squad to a Class 3A-Region 8 title, the first for the Warriors since 2015… A three-time All-State and All-Region selection plus 2025 Athens Area and Region Player of the Year…Bated .441 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 37 RBI.
Cole Koniarsky, OF: Named 2025 All-Mountain West Conference Second Team and Academic All-MWC for UNLV…Batted .363 with 15 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 47 RBI…Spent the 2024 season with UC Riverside and led the team with a .361 average, 13 doubles and 31 RBI while starting all 52 games.
Mason Kosowick, RHP: A 6-7, 245-pound right-hander who has spent the last two years at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley…Made eight appearances for the Vaqueros, tossing 7.1 innings with a 7.40 ERA.
Rylan Lujo, INF: Named a 2025 First Team NCBWA Freshman All-American, he started all 58 games for the Dayton Flyers last season…He hit .361 with nine home runs and 56 RBI plus scored 52 runs with 87 hits, a team-high 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases…Earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors.
Scott Newman, OF: A redshirt junior, he started 60 games in his first season with the Spartans of USC Upstate in 2025…Batted .300 with a team-leading 10 doubles, 19 home runs and 60 RBI plus had 11 stolen bases…Began his career at Wichita State where he redshirted in 2023 and played at Parkland College (Champaign, Ill.) in 2024.
Joe Nottingham, RHP: A three-sport standout in baseball, football and basketball for the Loyola Blakefield Dons (Towson, Md.) and coach Mike Kelley…Tallied 110 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched during prep career…An All-Conference selection in 2024-25…Participated in the Area Code Games in 2023 and 2024…Ranked among Baseball America’s top 50 high school recruits from the 2025 draft class headed to college.
Jordy Oriach, Utility: A senior left-handed hitting utility player, he spent 2025 with the New Mexico Lobos and was named the NCBWA District 8 Player of the Year and a Third Team All-American…He started 52 games, batting .388 with a team-leading 65 runs, 25 doubles, 83 hits and 63 RBI to earn Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors…Began his career at Frank Phillips College (Borger, Texas) and was an NJCAA All-American.
Michael O’Shaughnessy, INF: In his first three seasons at Davidson, the left-handed hitting infielder saw action in 145 games with 142 starts…Owns a career .334 batting average with 30 doubles, 35 home runs and 155 RBI…Named 2025 Second Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference after hitting .369 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI.
Jackson Peavy, LHP: Posted a 13-1 mark with a 1.33 ERA, 160 strikeouts and 48 walks in 73.2 innings as a senior All-State selection for Peach County (Fort Valley, Ga.) and coach Joey Hiller as they advanced to the Class AAA semifinals… Ranked as the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 3 LHP in Georgia by Perfect Game (PG) and No. 48 LHP nationally by PG.
Ty Peeples, OF: A 20th round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB Draft…A first team All-State and All-Region selection in helping the Franklin County Lions (Carnesville, Ga.) finish 30-13 under coach Ryan Phillips…Ranked among the top 20 prep prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft…Set the Georgia prep record for career walks with 142…Hit .476 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 27 RBI with 41 walks and 25 stolen bases as a senior.
Brad Pruett, RHP: He began his career at Oklahoma before transferring to East Carolina last season…A 6-3, 205-pound junior who has made 38 appearances with five starts for a 5.55 ERA, tallying 79 career strikeouts through 73 innings with a 5-6 record and three saves.
Matt Scott, RHP: A 6-7, 245-pound senior who has spent the last three seasons at Stanford…He made 51 appearances with 38 starts for the Cardinal…The right-hander has tallied 221 career strikeouts across 199.1 innings and posted a 14-17 record with one save and a 5.69 ERA…Part of 2023 Pac-12 championship team…Member of 2024 USA Collegiate National Team.
Dylan Vigue, RHP: A 6-3, 200-pound junior right-hander who attended Michigan the past two seasons…He recorded a 6.00 ERA in 31 appearances with 19 starts…He posted a 3-8 record with two saves and 91 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched.
Joey Volchko, RHP: A 6-4, 218-pound junior who made 35 appearances including 21 starts for Stanford over the past two seasons…He registered a 5-5 career record with one save and a 5.89 ERA…In 113 innings pitched, he tallied 109 strikeouts…Member of 2024 USA Collegiate National Team.
Dylan Wood, RHP: A 19th round selection of the Kansas City Royals in the 2025 MLB Draft…Posted an 8-0 record, 1.65 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 59.1 innings as a senior for the Franklin Wildcats (Elk Grove, Calif.) and coach Bryan Kilby…Helped team go 26-8… Named to the 2025 MaxPreps California All-State team…. Won a gold medal with the USA Baseball 18U National Team at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.
Ryan Wynn, INF: Spent his first two seasons at Wofford and made 61 starts and appeared in 79 games for the Terriers…Posted a .326 career batting average with 20 doubles, five home runs and 51 RBI…Hit for the cycle against Ohio in 2025…Member of the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament championship team that earned program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the Chapel Hill Regional.
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