The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Sports

BECKHAM

The Diamond Dogs begin their 2008 season Friday, starting their quest for a return to the College World Series with a three-game series against top-ranked Arizona.

After making an appearance in the College Word Series in 2006, last season was disappointing, marred by timely defensive miscues and failures to close out games and series.

"Last year was something we've all put in the past and we don't really talk about it much just because we had some chances to win games that we didn't," junior pitcher Trevor Holder said. "We've been thinking about this year and all the opportunities we have."

However, Georgia will have to prove the critics wrong if it intends to be competitive, since SEC coaches chose the Diamond Dogs to finish fourth in the SEC East this season. Key returns from a team that went 23-33 a year ago and a few transfers may not sound like much to them, but they have Georgia coach Dave Perno ready to start the season.

"We've always excelled when we've been picked near the bottom, and I don't see it any different this year," he said.


Junior shortstop Gordon Beckham, a Baseball America First-Team Preseason All-American, was last season's Bulldog leader in home runs (13) and RBI (51) and looks to be a leader on the team this year.

Beckham will join returning starting pitchers Stephen Dodson, Nathan Moreau and Holder.

Despite being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the Major League draft, senior closer Joshua Fields returns for his final season in Athens. After being an All-SEC performer as a sophomore, Fields hit a tough stretch last season, going 1-6 with a 4.46 ERA and six blown saves.

Fields also will be asked to fill designated hitter duties. He had seven starts there as a freshman, and his performance in both roles will be a key to the Bulldogs' success.

Speedy transfers Michael Demperio (Texas) and Adam Fuller (Andrew JC) look to bring solid defense and aggressiveness on the base paths, both areas the Bulldogs were lacking last season.

Demperio will ply his wares at second base and give the Bulldogs the true leadoff hitter that they lacked in 2007.

Fuller will play left and likely bat ninth - at 5-feet-9 inches, he stole 47 bases and scored 101 runs during his two seasons in Cuthbert.

"(Demperio and Fuller) have brought a lot to our lineup in that they both can run," Perno said. "Demperio can really run so, he gives us a bona fide base stealer. We needed both of them to really fill our lineup and bring it together."

The Diamond Dogs will have to navigate one of their most difficult schedules in recent memory, opening Friday with No. 1 Arizona before an exhibition against the Braves in Florida on Wednesday leads them into a weekend road series against two-time defending national champions Oregon State.

"I'll take our group of guys up against any team in the SEC and much less the nation," Holder said. "We've been battling our butts off getting better."

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