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By Olivia Sayer
Georgia Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson walks to the dugout before the first game of the NCAA Athens Regional between Army and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, May 31, 2024. Georgia won 8-7. (Photo/Mady Mertens; MadyMertensPhotography)
The rich get richer for Georgia baseball and head coach Wes Johnson. The Bulldogs added a pair of players through the transfer portal, as Air Force 1B Charlie Jones and Miami (OH) INF/OF Ryland Zaborowski announced their commitments to Georgia.
Jones, who hails from Cumming, Georgia, frequently gets on base. The rising junior finished his 2024 campaign with a .344 batting average, 1.097 OPS and .415 on-base percentage. Jones does not lack power with his bat either, as he finished second on Air Force with 13 home runs.
Jones is also a solid defender. In 40 games played, he committed just four errors. This season, five of Georgia’s everyday defenders, including All-American Charlie Condon, committed at least that number.
According to Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com, Jones played with Condon during his time at East Cobb.
Zaborowski’s power numbers declined this season, but the rising redshirt senior still had production at the plate. After leading his conference in home runs in 2023 with 20, Zaborowski hit just 10 in 2024. However, with a .305 average and .421 on-base percentage, the Arizona-native will fit in with Johnson’s offensive philosophy.
“This game is about base runners,” Johnson said earlier in the season. “The old Moneyball [line] ‘just get on base.’”
Zaborowski’s defensive play dropped in 2024, as he finished the season with 10 errors and a .942 fielding percentage in 51 games. However, routinely taking fungos with Brock Bennett and Josh Simpson will most likely improve that statistic.
Jones and Zaborowski’s commitments come almost a week after the Bulldogs added Georgia State right-hander Davis Chastain and Chipola infielder Knox Bennett. The latter is the younger brother of former Georgia quarterback and two-time National Champion Stetson Bennett.
Friday morning, Georgia also earned the commitment of former Texas-Arlington second baseman Ryan Black. The Texas-native is regarded as one of the more polished hitters in the portal, as Black hit .308 over his first two seasons with the Mavericks.
Jones and Zaborowski will play a key role in replacing a Georgia lineup that is projected to lose a majority of its production. Against Georgia Tech in the Athens Regional, the Bulldogs’ starting nine included five seniors and Condon, who is expected to turn pro after the season.
The transfer portal is familiar territory to Johnson, who refurbished Georgia’s roster in his first season as head coach. Last offseason, Johnson brought in 18 transfers. Against the Yellow Jackets in the Regional, six were either in the starting lineup or rotation.