Georgia Vs. Mississippi State Predictions & Preview: 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament Super Regional
Image credit: Daniel Jackson (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
The 2026 NCAA baseball tournament super regional round is set to get underway on Friday, June 5.
To get ready, Baseball America presents our team-by-team previews, including winner predictions for all eight matchups. You can find all of our super regional previews here.
Georgia Bulldogs
Key Player To Know
Daniel Jackson is putting together one of the greatest seasons ever by a Division I catcher. The Georgia star enters super regional play hitting .396/.493/.830 with 29 home runs, 13 doubles and 25 stolen bases, making him the only primary catcher and just the sixth player in Division I history to produce a 25-homer, 25-steal season. As if that weren’t enough, Jackson became the third player and first catcher ever to win the SEC Triple Crown. Georgia’s lineup is loaded, but no player is more central to its championship aspirations than Jackson.
Standout Stat
With Georgia Tech eliminated, Georgia enters super regional weekend as the highest-scoring offense remaining in the field. The Bulldogs average nearly 10 runs per game and have powered their way to that mark with the most prolific home-run hitting offense in program history. Their lineup is relentless from top to bottom and becomes even more dangerous inside the hitter-friendly confines of Foley Field, where Georgia will play at least two games this weekend. There isn’t a team remaining that can match the Bulldogs’ ability to create crooked numbers in a hurry.
Why They Could Win
Georgia’s preferred method of winning this season has been simple: overwhelm opponents. The Bulldogs ranked fourth nationally with a plus-4.3 run differential per game in the regular season, making them one of just five teams in the country to post a mark of four or better. Their explosive offense frequently turns competitive games into comfortable victories and puts immense pressure on opposing pitching staffs to be nearly perfect. Ironically, one of the few teams that matched Georgia’s dominance by run differential was Mississippi State. But with one of the nation’s most dangerous lineups and home-field advantage at Foley Field, the Bulldogs have a clear path to Omaha.
Why They Could Lose
Georgia’s pitching staff has been good for most of the season, ranking among the nation’s top 60 teams in both ERA and FIP while checking in at No. 12 nationally in strikeout rate. The Bulldogs have plenty of arm talent and miss bats at an elite clip. That same stuff-heavy approach can also lead to trouble. Georgia is prone to issuing walks, and patient offenses can force its pitchers back into the strike zone where damage becomes possible. The Bulldogs’ offense often creates enough cushion to cover those mistakes, but in a vacuum, this isn’t a dominant pitching staff.
| Pos | Player | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI | |
| C | Daniel Jackson | .396 | .493 | .830 | 235 | 29 | 83 | |
| 1B | Brennan Hudson | .278 | .452 | .729 | 144 | 20 | 48 | |
| 2B | Ryan Wynn | .358 | .408 | .726 | 106 | 9 | 36 | |
| 3B | Tre Phelps | .370 | .490 | .674 | 227 | 19 | 57 | |
| SS | Kolby Branch | .290 | .390 | .603 | 214 | 17 | 54 | |
| OF | Kenny Ishikawa | .346 | .485 | .481 | 104 | 2 | 17 | |
| OF | Rylan Lujo | .373 | .453 | .627 | 193 | 11 | 42 | |
| OF | Ryan Black | .306 | .422 | .526 | 173 | 9 | 30 | |
| DH | Jack Arcamone | .312 | .400 | .494 | 77 | 4 | 20 | |
| Pos | Player | W | L | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB/9 | SO/9 |
| SP | Joey Volchko | 10 | 2 | 81.1 | 3.87 | 1.40 | 4.8 | 10.8 |
| SP | Dylan Vigue | 4 | 1 | 57.0 | 4.42 | 1.35 | 5.2 | 10.7 |
| SP | Caden Aoki | 9 | 1 | 72.1 | 3.86 | 1.33 | 3.2 | 11.8 |
| RP | Matt Scott | 7 | 0 | 53.1 | 3.38 | 1.24 | 4.7 | 11.3 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Key Player To Know
Ace Reese gives Mississippi State the kind of middle-of-the-order thump that can change a series with a few swings. The third baseman enters super regional play hitting .328/.429/.698 with 22 home runs, 21 doubles and 72 RBIs. Reese does his damage in multiple ways, pairing elite power with a disciplined approach that has produced 41 walks. Georgia’s pitching staff can be vulnerable to free passes, making Reese a particularly dangerous matchup if the Bulldogs struggle to consistently get ahead in counts.
Standout Stat
Mississippi State’s pitching staff misses bats at an elite level. The Bulldogs enter super regional play with a 29.3% strikeout rate, the fifth-highest mark in the country, and pair that swing-and-miss ability with a solid 9.4% walk rate. Only four teams nationally have generated strikeouts more frequently. In a matchup against a Georgia offense that can overwhelm opponents with power, Mississippi State’s ability to avoid contact altogether may be its greatest weapon.
Why They Could Win
Mississippi State is one of the few teams left in the field that can realistically match Georgia’s offensive firepower. The Bulldogs have plenty of power throughout the lineup and don’t need to manufacture runs to keep pace in a high-scoring game. Just as importantly, they have enough quality arms to avoid overexposing any one pitcher over a three-game series. Georgia has overwhelmed many opponents this season, but Mississippi State has the talent on both sides of the ball to keep the pressure on throughout the weekend and force the Bulldogs into a more uncomfortable brand of baseball.
Why They Could Lose
Mississippi State’s offense is capable of carrying the team for stretches, but it can also be vulnerable to swing-and-miss. The Bulldogs have piled up strikeouts throughout the season, a tendency that becomes particularly relevant against a Georgia pitching staff built around power stuff. While the Bulldogs’ arms can occasionally battle command and issue walks, they also have the ability to miss bats in bunches when they’re around the zone. If Georgia consistently gets Mississippi State hitting from behind in counts and chasing swing-and-miss stuff, the Bulldogs could struggle to generate the sustained offensive pressure needed to keep pace in Athens.
| Pos | Player | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI | |
| C | Kevin Milewski | .220 | .343 | .517 | 118 | 10 | 26 | |
| 1B | Reed Stallman | .319 | .415 | .626 | 163 | 12 | 52 | |
| 2B | Gehrig Frei | .338 | .402 | .559 | 222 | 11 | 46 | |
| 3B | Ace Reese | .328 | .429 | .698 | 235 | 22 | 72 | |
| SS | Ryder Woodson | .280 | .359 | .482 | 193 | 8 | 40 | |
| OF | Vytas Valincius | .373 | .458 | .608 | 102 | 6 | 29 | |
| OF | Bryce Chance | .340 | .430 | .465 | 200 | 2 | 34 | |
| OF | Jacob Parker | .340 | .446 | .717 | 159 | 16 | 58 | |
| DH | Noah Sullivan | .346 | .449 | .578 | 211 | 12 | 45 | |
| Pos | Player | W | L | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB/9 | SO/9 |
| SP | Duke Stone | 7 | 3 | 74.0 | 5.23 | 1.47 | 3.2 | 12.4 |
| SP | Tomas Valincius | 11 | 2 | 93.1 | 2.99 | 1.03 | 1.8 | 12.5 |
| SP | Ryan McPherson | 4 | 1 | 41.2 | 2.81 | 1.06 | 2.2 | 10.8 |
| RP | Ben Davis | 0 | 2 | 45.2 | 3.35 | 1.18 | 2.8 | 10.6 |
