17th Annual Bulldog Classic Set for This Weekend
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs will host South Alabama and UNC-Wilmington in the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic this weekend at the Jack Turner Stadium.
No. 11/15 Georgia (13-5)
at the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Jack Turner Stadium
Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, 2026
Tickets: GeorgiaDogs.com
Tournament Schedule (home team listed first):
Friday, Feb, 27
6:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
Saturday, Feb, 28
10:30 a.m. – South Alabama vs. UNC-Wilmington
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
3:30 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Sunday, Mar. 1
10:30 a.m. – UNC-Wilmington vs. South Alabama
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+
PxP: Hank Tatum
Live Updates: GeorgiaDogs.com
X Updates: @UGASoftball
Leading Off
No. 11 Georgia enters the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic on the back of a midweek game against Clemson at The Jack. Georgia will host South Alabama and UNC-Wilmington this upcoming weekend in a six-game round-robin style event.
Series History
South Alabama
– Georgia is 2-2 all-time against South Alabama
– In the last meeting, the Panthers won in a thriller, 9-8, in 2021
UNC-Wilmington
– Georgia is perfect in all eight meetings between the two schools
– Last time out, the Bulldogs defeated the Seahawks in an 8-0, run-rule victory in 2024
Georgia in the Polls
Georgia in the Polls: Week Three
– NFCA/GoRout: 15
– ESPN/USA Softball: 11
– D1Softball: 11
– Softball America: 12
Opponent Outlook
South Alabama enters the weekend with an 11-5 record and on a four-game win streak after sweeping competition at home last weekend in the South Alabama Invitational. The Jaguars outscored their opponents 28-9 across four games against West Georgia, Loyola-Chicago, UT-Martin and North Alabama.
In the circle for South Alabama, RHP Rylee Harrison leads the way with a 6-2 record and a 1.71 ERA. She has 46 strikeouts to 16 walks on the year and has yielded 13 earned runs. RHP Sydney Scapin follows behind with a 2-2 record and 3.05 ERA on the season.
Batting for the Jaguars, OF Presley Lively paces the offense with a .378 average to go with 17 hits, 13 runs, two doubles, three triples and three RBIs. INF Olivia Branstetter has a team-high 16 RBIs, and INF Lillie Stagner commands a team-best three home runs. As a team, South Alabama is batting .280 with 111 hits and 75 runs.
UNC-Wilmington enters the weekend at 8-5. Last weekend, the Seahawks went 4-0 with shut-out wins over Georgetown and Iona (twice) before defeating Lafayette, 5-2, to close out the slate.
The Seahawks are led in the circle by sophomore Lynsie Herman who has made four starts this season with a 2.86 ERA and 1-0 record. Freshman Camille Hamilton leads UNCW with a 1.52 ERA in seven appearances (one start).
Offensively, the Seahawks are batting .322 collectively. UTL Emily Whitwell paces the UNCW offense batting at a .476-clip with 20 hits, six runs, one double, one triple and seven RBIs. UTL Becca Merrick and IF Avery Daughtry each have a home run on the year, and Merrick, alongside IF Ava Brookshire, lead the offense with 10 RBIs each.
Conference Stat Leaders
Sarah Gordon
The senior from Louisville, Ky. is among the top ten in the conference in a number of statistical categories:
Batting Average: Third – .531
Slugging Percentage: Eight – .959
On-Base Percentage: Seventh – .596
Runs Scored: Tied Eight – 20
Hits: Tied Third – 26
Doubles: First – 10
Kierstin Roose:
The graduate from Wolcottville, Ind. ranks in the top ten in the conference in three categories:
Slugging Percentage: Ninth – .943
Doubles: Tied Fifth – 6
Home Runs: Tied Sixth – 7
Fielding Double Plays: Tied Fifth – 5
Assists: Sixth – 31
Tyler Ellison:
The senior from McDonough, Ga. is top ten in the SEC in two statistical categories:
RBIs: Tied Third – 23
Walks Drawn: Tied Ninth – 12
Bailey Lindemuth:
The sophomore from Burleson, Texas ranks second in the conference in assists (fielding) at 35.
Randi Roelling:
The junior from Modesto, Calif. ranks fourth in the conference in innings pitched at 42.1.
Addisen Fisher:
The sophomore from Bend, Ore. is tied for fourth in the conference in wins at six.
NCAA Stat Leaders (Last Updated 2/24/26)
Addisen Fisher:
Wins: Tied Eighth – 6
Kierstin Roose:
Home Runs: Tied 14th – 7
Sarah Gordon:
Batting Average: Tied 20th – .543
Hits: Tied 14th – 25
Doubles: First – 10
Midweek Breakdown
On Wednesday night, the Bulldogs dropped a non-conference game to Clemson in six innings, 10-1.
The Tigers jumped ahead on a five-run fifth inning. The Bulldog scored the lone run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice ground out to third by Jaydyn Goodwin.
Georgia Classic Recap
The Bulldogs opened the 23rd Annual Georgia Classic against Seton Hall last Friday night with a 9-1 (5 inn.) victory. The Bulldogs took a swift 3-0 lead after two innings off an Emily Digby RBI single and Bailey Lindemuth two-RBI triple. The Pirates added one in the third before Georgia cruised to the run-rule win in five. Later Friday evening, Georgia defeated Utah State, 4-1, paced by freshman LHP Ada Little’s first career win and three-run second inning.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs opened the rain-delayed afternoon with an afternoon loss to No. 20 Virginia Tech, 9-3 before turning around and beating Utah State, 11-2 (5 inn.) on Saturday evening.
Georgia closed the weekend dropping the Georgia Classic finale to the Hokies, 9-3.
National Recognition
A trio of Bulldogs have earned preseason recognition from both Softball America and D1Softball. In the Softball America preseason Top 100 Player Rankings, Sarah Gordon checked in at No. 78 and transfer pitcher Addisen Fisher spotted in at No. 93. More, Jaydyn Goodwin, Gordon and Fisher were tabbed as the No. 12 outfielder, the No. 8 UTL player and the No. 23 pitcher, respectively, by the outlet.
D1Softball had three Georgia players in it’s D100 preseason Player Rankings with Goodwin at No. 52, Gordon at No. 67 and Fisher at No. 74. Positionally, by D1Softball, Goodwin was pinned as the No. 20 outfielder, Gordon as the No. 14 outfielder and Fisher as the No. 25 pitcher.
Eyes on the Freshman
Four Bulldog freshmen earned spots on Softball America and D1Softball’s preseason Freshman Watch Lists. Pitchers Presley Harrison and Ada Little along with infielder Brooke Smith were all selected to the Softball America Freshman Watch List. More, Harrison and Little joined infielder Gabi Novickas on D1Softball’s SEC Freshman Watch List.
New Faces, New Places
12 new players will don the red and black this season with six transfer athletes and six freshmen.
Out of the portal, Baldwin and his staff welcome sophomore pitchers Addisen Fisher and Maddie Johnson. Fisher, a UCLA transfer, was tabbed to the Big-10 All-Freshman Team last season, as well as the D1Softball Freshman All-American First Team. Johnson, an Athens native, arrives from Georgia Southern after being named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and to the D1Softball Freshman All-American Second Team. Outfielders Natalie Ray and Delani Sullivan join infielders Bailey Lindemuth and Keirsten Roose to round out the portal class. Ray is a North Georgia transfer who started her career at Ole Miss while Sullivan arrives from SEC opponent Kentucky. Lindemuth comes to Athens after reaching the Womens’ College World Series with Texas Tech last season, and graduate transfer Roose joins the Bulldogs after four strong seasons with Coastal Carolina.
Two of Georgia’s six freshman signees will join the pitching staff in lefty Ada Little from Georgetown, Ky and the right-handed Presley Harrison from Baxley, Ga. Infielders Gabi Novickas, Brooke Smith and Katelin Smith hail from Chicago, Ill., Brandon, Miss. and Glennville, Ga. Outfielder Natalie Donaldson, a native of DeWitt, Mich. rounds out the six-person freshman class and the 12 newcomers.
Clearwater Recap
After suffering a loss in the opener in Clearwater to No. 23 Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs rallied for five successive wins including two ranked wins to close out play in Florida.
On Thursday, down 6-0 going into the sixth inning, the Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the frame before adding another two runs in the bottom of the seventh against Oklahoma State. Later that afternoon after falling to Oklahoma State, 6-5, Georgia rebounded with a 6-5 win over No. 8 Nebraska.
On Saturday, the Bulldog bats came alive in successive five inning, rule-rule victories over NC State and UCF. Georgia took down the Wolfpack, 16-2 (5 inn.), and UCF, 13-5 (5 inn.).
To end play in Clearwater, Georgia won both games against Northwestern and No. 22 Duke. With the score level after three innings against Northwestern, the Bulldogs punched a seven-spot in the top of the fourth inning en route to an 8-3 win. Later, against Duke, Georgia hit three straight home runs in the top of the first inning – the first time since Feb. 9, 2024 against Murray State – to run out 9-1 (5 inn.) victors.
Over the course of the weekend, Georgia tallied 57 runs in six games. More pointedly, in the fourth inning alone across all six games, the Bulldogs tallied 26 runs.
What’s Up Next?
Baldwin’s side will welcome South Alabama and UNC-Wilmington to Athens this weekend for the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic at the Jack Turner Stadium. A complete schedule is compiled below (home team listed first):
Friday, Feb, 27
6:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
Saturday, Feb, 28
10:30 a.m. – South Alabama vs. UNC-Wilmington
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
3:30 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Sunday, Mar. 1
10:30 a.m. – UNC-Wilmington vs. South Alabama
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Gordon Tabbed National Player of the Week
Senior Sarah Gordon was tabbed the National Player of the Week by D1Softball, Softball America and Softball on SI following play in Clearwater, Florida. During the week, Gordon went 12-18 with nine runs, 10 RBIs, six doubles, one triple, three home runs and two walks while only striking out once. She also slugged 1.444 while boasting a 0.700 OBP with a perfect fielding percentage and a team-high 17 put-outs.
Clearwater Team of the Tournament
Sarah Gordon and Kierstin Roose were named to the 2026 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Team of the Tournament following their performances in Florida.
Georgia was one of four schools with two or more players named to the team.
2025 Season Recap
– Georgia finished the 2025 season at 35-23 after reaching the Gainesville Super Regional, falling one win short of a sixth trip back to Oklahoma City.
– The Bulldogs tallied a 7-16 mark in conference play, finishing 12th overall in the Southeastern Conference.
– In the SEC Tournament, hosted in Athens, Georgia reached the second round of play before falling to No. 5-seed Arkansas.
– Senior Dallis Goodnight was named Second Team All-SEC after hitting at a .345 clip for 45 runs off 61 hits with four doubles, four triples, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
– Four Bulldogs earned NFCA All-South Region honors. Goodnight and Jaydyn Goodwin landed on the Second Team, and Sarah Gordon and Marisa Miller were named to the Third Team.
– Rising senior Destin Howard was named to the 2025 SEC Softball Community Service Team for her actions within and commitment to her home and Athens communities.
– 53,867 fans packed into The Jack over the course of the 2025 season – a new season record. More, during the series against No. 3 LSU, a program-best 7,098 fans were in attendance.
No. 11/15 Georgia (13-5)
at the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Jack Turner Stadium
Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, 2026
Tickets: GeorgiaDogs.com
Tournament Schedule (home team listed first):
Friday, Feb, 27
6:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
Saturday, Feb, 28
10:30 a.m. – South Alabama vs. UNC-Wilmington
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
3:30 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Sunday, Mar. 1
10:30 a.m. – UNC-Wilmington vs. South Alabama
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+
PxP: Hank Tatum
Live Updates: GeorgiaDogs.com
X Updates: @UGASoftball
Leading Off
No. 11 Georgia enters the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic on the back of a midweek game against Clemson at The Jack. Georgia will host South Alabama and UNC-Wilmington this upcoming weekend in a six-game round-robin style event.
Series History
South Alabama
– Georgia is 2-2 all-time against South Alabama
– In the last meeting, the Panthers won in a thriller, 9-8, in 2021
UNC-Wilmington
– Georgia is perfect in all eight meetings between the two schools
– Last time out, the Bulldogs defeated the Seahawks in an 8-0, run-rule victory in 2024
Georgia in the Polls
Georgia in the Polls: Week Three
– NFCA/GoRout: 15
– ESPN/USA Softball: 11
– D1Softball: 11
– Softball America: 12
Opponent Outlook
South Alabama enters the weekend with an 11-5 record and on a four-game win streak after sweeping competition at home last weekend in the South Alabama Invitational. The Jaguars outscored their opponents 28-9 across four games against West Georgia, Loyola-Chicago, UT-Martin and North Alabama.
In the circle for South Alabama, RHP Rylee Harrison leads the way with a 6-2 record and a 1.71 ERA. She has 46 strikeouts to 16 walks on the year and has yielded 13 earned runs. RHP Sydney Scapin follows behind with a 2-2 record and 3.05 ERA on the season.
Batting for the Jaguars, OF Presley Lively paces the offense with a .378 average to go with 17 hits, 13 runs, two doubles, three triples and three RBIs. INF Olivia Branstetter has a team-high 16 RBIs, and INF Lillie Stagner commands a team-best three home runs. As a team, South Alabama is batting .280 with 111 hits and 75 runs.
UNC-Wilmington enters the weekend at 8-5. Last weekend, the Seahawks went 4-0 with shut-out wins over Georgetown and Iona (twice) before defeating Lafayette, 5-2, to close out the slate.
The Seahawks are led in the circle by sophomore Lynsie Herman who has made four starts this season with a 2.86 ERA and 1-0 record. Freshman Camille Hamilton leads UNCW with a 1.52 ERA in seven appearances (one start).
Offensively, the Seahawks are batting .322 collectively. UTL Emily Whitwell paces the UNCW offense batting at a .476-clip with 20 hits, six runs, one double, one triple and seven RBIs. UTL Becca Merrick and IF Avery Daughtry each have a home run on the year, and Merrick, alongside IF Ava Brookshire, lead the offense with 10 RBIs each.
Conference Stat Leaders
Sarah Gordon
The senior from Louisville, Ky. is among the top ten in the conference in a number of statistical categories:
Batting Average: Third – .531
Slugging Percentage: Eight – .959
On-Base Percentage: Seventh – .596
Runs Scored: Tied Eight – 20
Hits: Tied Third – 26
Doubles: First – 10
Kierstin Roose:
The graduate from Wolcottville, Ind. ranks in the top ten in the conference in three categories:
Slugging Percentage: Ninth – .943
Doubles: Tied Fifth – 6
Home Runs: Tied Sixth – 7
Fielding Double Plays: Tied Fifth – 5
Assists: Sixth – 31
Tyler Ellison:
The senior from McDonough, Ga. is top ten in the SEC in two statistical categories:
RBIs: Tied Third – 23
Walks Drawn: Tied Ninth – 12
Bailey Lindemuth:
The sophomore from Burleson, Texas ranks second in the conference in assists (fielding) at 35.
Randi Roelling:
The junior from Modesto, Calif. ranks fourth in the conference in innings pitched at 42.1.
Addisen Fisher:
The sophomore from Bend, Ore. is tied for fourth in the conference in wins at six.
NCAA Stat Leaders (Last Updated 2/24/26)
Addisen Fisher:
Wins: Tied Eighth – 6
Kierstin Roose:
Home Runs: Tied 14th – 7
Sarah Gordon:
Batting Average: Tied 20th – .543
Hits: Tied 14th – 25
Doubles: First – 10
Midweek Breakdown
On Wednesday night, the Bulldogs dropped a non-conference game to Clemson in six innings, 10-1.
The Tigers jumped ahead on a five-run fifth inning. The Bulldog scored the lone run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice ground out to third by Jaydyn Goodwin.
Georgia Classic Recap
The Bulldogs opened the 23rd Annual Georgia Classic against Seton Hall last Friday night with a 9-1 (5 inn.) victory. The Bulldogs took a swift 3-0 lead after two innings off an Emily Digby RBI single and Bailey Lindemuth two-RBI triple. The Pirates added one in the third before Georgia cruised to the run-rule win in five. Later Friday evening, Georgia defeated Utah State, 4-1, paced by freshman LHP Ada Little’s first career win and three-run second inning.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs opened the rain-delayed afternoon with an afternoon loss to No. 20 Virginia Tech, 9-3 before turning around and beating Utah State, 11-2 (5 inn.) on Saturday evening.
Georgia closed the weekend dropping the Georgia Classic finale to the Hokies, 9-3.
National Recognition
A trio of Bulldogs have earned preseason recognition from both Softball America and D1Softball. In the Softball America preseason Top 100 Player Rankings, Sarah Gordon checked in at No. 78 and transfer pitcher Addisen Fisher spotted in at No. 93. More, Jaydyn Goodwin, Gordon and Fisher were tabbed as the No. 12 outfielder, the No. 8 UTL player and the No. 23 pitcher, respectively, by the outlet.
D1Softball had three Georgia players in it’s D100 preseason Player Rankings with Goodwin at No. 52, Gordon at No. 67 and Fisher at No. 74. Positionally, by D1Softball, Goodwin was pinned as the No. 20 outfielder, Gordon as the No. 14 outfielder and Fisher as the No. 25 pitcher.
Eyes on the Freshman
Four Bulldog freshmen earned spots on Softball America and D1Softball’s preseason Freshman Watch Lists. Pitchers Presley Harrison and Ada Little along with infielder Brooke Smith were all selected to the Softball America Freshman Watch List. More, Harrison and Little joined infielder Gabi Novickas on D1Softball’s SEC Freshman Watch List.
New Faces, New Places
12 new players will don the red and black this season with six transfer athletes and six freshmen.
Out of the portal, Baldwin and his staff welcome sophomore pitchers Addisen Fisher and Maddie Johnson. Fisher, a UCLA transfer, was tabbed to the Big-10 All-Freshman Team last season, as well as the D1Softball Freshman All-American First Team. Johnson, an Athens native, arrives from Georgia Southern after being named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and to the D1Softball Freshman All-American Second Team. Outfielders Natalie Ray and Delani Sullivan join infielders Bailey Lindemuth and Keirsten Roose to round out the portal class. Ray is a North Georgia transfer who started her career at Ole Miss while Sullivan arrives from SEC opponent Kentucky. Lindemuth comes to Athens after reaching the Womens’ College World Series with Texas Tech last season, and graduate transfer Roose joins the Bulldogs after four strong seasons with Coastal Carolina.
Two of Georgia’s six freshman signees will join the pitching staff in lefty Ada Little from Georgetown, Ky and the right-handed Presley Harrison from Baxley, Ga. Infielders Gabi Novickas, Brooke Smith and Katelin Smith hail from Chicago, Ill., Brandon, Miss. and Glennville, Ga. Outfielder Natalie Donaldson, a native of DeWitt, Mich. rounds out the six-person freshman class and the 12 newcomers.
Clearwater Recap
After suffering a loss in the opener in Clearwater to No. 23 Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs rallied for five successive wins including two ranked wins to close out play in Florida.
On Thursday, down 6-0 going into the sixth inning, the Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the frame before adding another two runs in the bottom of the seventh against Oklahoma State. Later that afternoon after falling to Oklahoma State, 6-5, Georgia rebounded with a 6-5 win over No. 8 Nebraska.
On Saturday, the Bulldog bats came alive in successive five inning, rule-rule victories over NC State and UCF. Georgia took down the Wolfpack, 16-2 (5 inn.), and UCF, 13-5 (5 inn.).
To end play in Clearwater, Georgia won both games against Northwestern and No. 22 Duke. With the score level after three innings against Northwestern, the Bulldogs punched a seven-spot in the top of the fourth inning en route to an 8-3 win. Later, against Duke, Georgia hit three straight home runs in the top of the first inning – the first time since Feb. 9, 2024 against Murray State – to run out 9-1 (5 inn.) victors.
Over the course of the weekend, Georgia tallied 57 runs in six games. More pointedly, in the fourth inning alone across all six games, the Bulldogs tallied 26 runs.
What’s Up Next?
Baldwin’s side will welcome South Alabama and UNC-Wilmington to Athens this weekend for the 17th Annual Bulldog Classic at the Jack Turner Stadium. A complete schedule is compiled below (home team listed first):
Friday, Feb, 27
6:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
Saturday, Feb, 28
10:30 a.m. – South Alabama vs. UNC-Wilmington
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. South Alabama
3:30 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Sunday, Mar. 1
10:30 a.m. – UNC-Wilmington vs. South Alabama
1:00 p.m. – Georgia vs. UNC-Wilmington
Gordon Tabbed National Player of the Week
Senior Sarah Gordon was tabbed the National Player of the Week by D1Softball, Softball America and Softball on SI following play in Clearwater, Florida. During the week, Gordon went 12-18 with nine runs, 10 RBIs, six doubles, one triple, three home runs and two walks while only striking out once. She also slugged 1.444 while boasting a 0.700 OBP with a perfect fielding percentage and a team-high 17 put-outs.
Clearwater Team of the Tournament
Sarah Gordon and Kierstin Roose were named to the 2026 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Team of the Tournament following their performances in Florida.
Georgia was one of four schools with two or more players named to the team.
2025 Season Recap
– Georgia finished the 2025 season at 35-23 after reaching the Gainesville Super Regional, falling one win short of a sixth trip back to Oklahoma City.
– The Bulldogs tallied a 7-16 mark in conference play, finishing 12th overall in the Southeastern Conference.
– In the SEC Tournament, hosted in Athens, Georgia reached the second round of play before falling to No. 5-seed Arkansas.
– Senior Dallis Goodnight was named Second Team All-SEC after hitting at a .345 clip for 45 runs off 61 hits with four doubles, four triples, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
– Four Bulldogs earned NFCA All-South Region honors. Goodnight and Jaydyn Goodwin landed on the Second Team, and Sarah Gordon and Marisa Miller were named to the Third Team.
– Rising senior Destin Howard was named to the 2025 SEC Softball Community Service Team for her actions within and commitment to her home and Athens communities.
– 53,867 fans packed into The Jack over the course of the 2025 season – a new season record. More, during the series against No. 3 LSU, a program-best 7,098 fans were in attendance.
Source link
editor's pick
latest video
Sports News To You
Subscribe to receive daily sports scores, hot takes, and breaking news!
