Georgia earned the right to host the Athens Regional at the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament, which begins on Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs will be favored to emerge from the Regional round and advance to the Super Regionals next weekend. If they do take care of business, UGA would also be in line to host a Super Regional as the No. 3 overall seed.
First, though, Georgia must win the Athens Regional, which also includes Liberty, Boston College and LIU.
Athens Regional schedule
The Athens Regional schedule was altered slightly due to expected inclement weather in the area. Here’s the schedule for the first two games of the Athens Regional on Friday:
Game 1: Boston College vs. Liberty | 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 3 Georgia vs. Long Island | 5 p.m.
Is Georgia Baseball on TV?
Georgia’s opening game of the Athens Regional will be televised on ESPN+. Additional TV assignments will be made as the weekend progresses.
If Georgia beats Long Island on Friday night, it will face the winner of Boston College vs. Louisville on Saturday in the semifinals. That game is slated to begin at 5 p.m. local time but a TV designation has not yet been announced.
Who is Georgia’s starting pitcher on Friday?
When the Bulldogs take the field against Long Island on Friday, it will be junior pitcher Joey Volchko on the mound. Head coach Wes Johnson announced that decision earlier in the week.
Volchko was Georgia’s ace this season and is expected to be selected in this summer’s MLB Draft. He owns a 4.18 ERA and has struck out 88 hitters in 75.1 innings of work in 2026. He also recorded a 9-2 record this spring.
Dylan Vigue and Caden Aoki could be in line to start for the Bulldogs later on in the regional.
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Athens Regional betting odds
Prediction markets like Kalshi have posted odds for the Athens Regional and other college basketball futures.
Entering the weekend, Georgia is a significant favorite to emerge victorious with roughly an 83% chance to do so. As of publication, Liberty and Boston College both have a 10% chance to win the Athens Regional, per Kalshi’s latest odds.
Here’s a look at Kalshi’s marketplace for the Athens Regional:
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
