NCAA baseball tournament: Michael O’Shaughnessy rises to the occasion for Georgia

Georgia State Advances to Super Regionals

Georgia State secured a place in the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals after defeating Liberty with a score of 6-1 last Sunday. Tre Phelps, the team’s standout third baseman, made a significant impact by hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning. However, his celebratory antics got him ejected from the game, which means he won’t be playing in the Super Regional opener against Mississippi State on Saturday.

That’s when Michael O’Shaughnessy stepped in. All he did was hit two home runs, including a crucial three-run blast in the eighth inning, leading the Bulldogs to a thrilling 13-12 victory over Mississippi State. This win puts them just one game away from the Men’s College World Series.

The game started with Mississippi State taking a commanding six-run lead, scoring all those runs in the second inning against Georgia’s starting pitcher, Joey Volchko. But Georgia bounced back with a five-run fourth inning, flipping the script to take a 7-5 lead as they moved into the fifth.

After a scoreless fifth for Mississippi State, Georgia erupted again, scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning, with O’Shaughnessy hitting a two-run homer into right field.

By then, the game was tied at 7-7, but when O’Shaughnessy came up to bat again in the eighth, the Bulldogs seized a 12-10 lead. Facing off against lefty Dane Barnes, he knew he needed to capitalize.

And capitalize he did. With a pitch coming in at 90 mph, O’Shaughnessy connected, launching a three-run homer that put Georgia ahead 13-12.

The ninth inning brought its own share of excitement. Mississippi State’s Reese, a top MLB draft prospect, hit a line drive to center field. The ball sailed over center fielder Rylan Lugo’s head, giving Mississippi State a chance to level the game. After Justin Byrd walked Noah Sullivan, Georgia’s coach, Wes Johnson, stepped in for a quick chat with the pitcher.

O’Shaughnessy continued to shine, as Coach Byrd brought in freshman Jacob Parker, who then got a fly out for the second out. Next up was Vitas Valincius, known for his performance in the SEC tournament. Byrd struck him out, snuffing out the threat and sealing the comeback win.

This victory was significant, as it marked the first time in three years that the Bulldogs had managed to overcome a seven-point deficit to win in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Until now, teams in such situations had a record of 0 wins and 149 losses.

O’Shaughnessy’s two-home-run game is especially remarkable considering he was struggling recently, with a tally of 17 strikeouts over the last 12 games, including nine strikeouts in just the past seven games.