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Georgia Beats Mississippi State In An Extra Innings Thriller To Reach First CWS Since 2008

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(BCSNN) -- Third‑seeded Georgia is headed back to Omaha for the first time since 2008. The Bulldogs defeated No. 14 Mississippi State, 11–9, in a dramatic extra‑innings battle Sunday afternoon at a sold‑out Foley Field, sweeping the Athens Super Regional and earning the program’s seventh College World Series berth.

Georgia (51–12) captured its fifth NCAA Super Regional title and has now won five of the six super regionals in which it has appeared. The Bulldogs also swept an NCAA Super Regional at home for the first time in program history.

Junior catcher Daniel Jackson, a finalist for National Player of the Year, delivered the decisive blow — a two‑run homer in the top of the 10th inning, his team‑leading 31st of the season. Redshirt junior Justin Byrd then struck out the final batter in the bottom half to seal Georgia’s trip to Omaha.

Graduate right‑hander Caden Aoki started and struck out nine over 5.2 innings. Byrd (5–2) earned the win after tossing the final two innings, striking out two and holding off Mississippi State’s late push.

Georgia opened the game with two runs in each of the first two innings, but Mississippi State (43–19) answered with a two‑run homer in the second. The Bulldogs from Athens added three more runs over the next three frames, including senior Brennan Hudson’s 21st home run of the year in the third.

Senior Kolby Branch added solo home runs in the second and seventh innings — his 18th and 19th of the season — setting a new career high.

Mississippi State surged back with seven runs on five home runs from the sixth through eighth innings, including three straight solo shots in the seventh, taking a 9–8 lead into the ninth.

"I tell our guys all the time I think toughness gets a bad rap. People think it's some kind of physical element, and it's not," said Georgia Head Coach Wes Johnson. "You have to learn to be capable of great endurance and understand that our game is really long."

Hudson kept Georgia alive with a game‑tying RBI single in the top of the ninth, scoring Ishikawa to make it 9–9. Byrd then held Mississippi State scoreless in the bottom half to force extras.

Jackson’s 10th‑inning blast and Byrd’s final strikeout sent Georgia to Omaha for the first time in 18 years.

Now, Georgia travels to Omaha, Nebraska, for the NCAA Men’s College World Series, held June 12–22. The full CWS schedule will be announced Monday after 7 p.m. ET by the NCAA and ESPN.