University of Georgia Athletics
Vigue, Byrd Lead Bulldogs Past Longhorns
June 16, 2026 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
The Georgia baseball team's bats did a lot of the work in the Bulldogs' historic season. Home runs flew out of ballparks all over the South as Georgia captured the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, and then advanced to the College World Series.
But Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., as the third-seeded Bulldogs faced sixth-seeded Texas in a CWS elimination game, it was Georgia's pitchers that led the way. In the Bulldogs' 2-0 win, starter Dylan Vigue and reliever Justin Byrd combined to hold the Longhorns scoreless while allowing just five hits.
In the bottom of the ninth, Byrd, in his fifth inning of relief, struck out Texas' Ashton Larson for the final out, sending the Bulldogs into a Wednesday matchup with Oklahoma. It was a fitting way to end the shutout; it was the Bulldogs' 12th strikeout of the game.
Georgia's pitching was excellent, while Texas' was almost as good. The Longhorns' Luke Harrison and Sam Cozart held Georgia to just four hits while striking out 17, but the Bulldogs made their hits count. Tre Phelps and Ryan Black each had two hits, Kenny Ishikawa had the other, and Phelps and Rylan Lujo drove in the game's only runs.
Harrison struck out the side in the first and third innings, but Georgia finally got to him in the top of the fifth. Brennan Hudson led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a Kolby Branch sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a Black ground ball, and then scored for a 1-0 lead on a Phelps double to left field. It was just the fourth hit of the NCAA tournament for Phelps, and the Bulldogs' first hit with a runner on base in their last 25 at-bats.
Vigue walked the first batter in the bottom of the fifth and was then replaced on the mound by Byrd. Vigue struck out eight Longhorns, allowed two hits, and walked two in 4.0 innings.
In 22 innings over three games at the College World Series, Georgia had only used its three starters when Byrd came in. In Game 1 last Saturday, Joey Volchko struck out 15 Longhorns in Georgia's 7-1 win. In Game 2, a 4-3 loss to Oklahoma on Monday night, Caden Aoki also pitched a complete game with six strikeouts.
After Byrd took care of the Longhorns in the fifth, Georgia loaded the bases against Harrison in the sixth, ending his night. He struck out 11 in 5.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits and walking four, including two in the sixth. Cozart replaced Harrison and got out of the jam.
In the top of the seventh, Black singled to center field — the play was initially ruled an out before a review determined that the fielder dropped the ball while rolling on the turf after a diving grab — and then Phelps hit a dribbler past the second baseman, sending Black to third. Two batters later, Black barely beat the tag at the plate after a Lujo shallow pop fly to left field, putting the Bulldogs ahead 2-0.
Texas had two runners on with two away in the bottom of the eighth, but Byrd got a ground ball out to end the threat. In the bottom of the ninth, Byrd got a pop-up, a fly ball, and then the final strikeout to seal the Bulldogs' seventh shutout of the season.
Staff Writer
The Georgia baseball team's bats did a lot of the work in the Bulldogs' historic season. Home runs flew out of ballparks all over the South as Georgia captured the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, and then advanced to the College World Series.
But Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., as the third-seeded Bulldogs faced sixth-seeded Texas in a CWS elimination game, it was Georgia's pitchers that led the way. In the Bulldogs' 2-0 win, starter Dylan Vigue and reliever Justin Byrd combined to hold the Longhorns scoreless while allowing just five hits.
In the bottom of the ninth, Byrd, in his fifth inning of relief, struck out Texas' Ashton Larson for the final out, sending the Bulldogs into a Wednesday matchup with Oklahoma. It was a fitting way to end the shutout; it was the Bulldogs' 12th strikeout of the game.
Georgia's pitching was excellent, while Texas' was almost as good. The Longhorns' Luke Harrison and Sam Cozart held Georgia to just four hits while striking out 17, but the Bulldogs made their hits count. Tre Phelps and Ryan Black each had two hits, Kenny Ishikawa had the other, and Phelps and Rylan Lujo drove in the game's only runs.
Harrison struck out the side in the first and third innings, but Georgia finally got to him in the top of the fifth. Brennan Hudson led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a Kolby Branch sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a Black ground ball, and then scored for a 1-0 lead on a Phelps double to left field. It was just the fourth hit of the NCAA tournament for Phelps, and the Bulldogs' first hit with a runner on base in their last 25 at-bats.
Vigue walked the first batter in the bottom of the fifth and was then replaced on the mound by Byrd. Vigue struck out eight Longhorns, allowed two hits, and walked two in 4.0 innings.
In 22 innings over three games at the College World Series, Georgia had only used its three starters when Byrd came in. In Game 1 last Saturday, Joey Volchko struck out 15 Longhorns in Georgia's 7-1 win. In Game 2, a 4-3 loss to Oklahoma on Monday night, Caden Aoki also pitched a complete game with six strikeouts.
After Byrd took care of the Longhorns in the fifth, Georgia loaded the bases against Harrison in the sixth, ending his night. He struck out 11 in 5.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits and walking four, including two in the sixth. Cozart replaced Harrison and got out of the jam.
In the top of the seventh, Black singled to center field — the play was initially ruled an out before a review determined that the fielder dropped the ball while rolling on the turf after a diving grab — and then Phelps hit a dribbler past the second baseman, sending Black to third. Two batters later, Black barely beat the tag at the plate after a Lujo shallow pop fly to left field, putting the Bulldogs ahead 2-0.
Texas had two runners on with two away in the bottom of the eighth, but Byrd got a ground ball out to end the threat. In the bottom of the ninth, Byrd got a pop-up, a fly ball, and then the final strikeout to seal the Bulldogs' seventh shutout of the season.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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