The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team fell to the Oklahoma Sooners in both of their losses in the College World Series. Oklahoma eliminated Georgia when the Bulldogs had a shot to advance to the national championship series (with two wins over the Sooners).
The Sooners ended Georgia’s season, but the Bulldogs were far from Oklahoma’s only victim. Oklahoma won the national championship series against the North Carolina Tar Heels with a dominant 13-2 victory.
The Sooners won the national title despite going just 14-16 in SEC this season. That did not matter as they eliminated No. 3 Georgia, No. 2 Georgia Tech and No. 5 North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament on their way to winning a national championship.
In Oklahoma’s Game 3 win over North Carolina, the Sooners got a monster game from Kyle Branch, the brother of Georgia shortstop Kolby Branch. Kyle Branch had three hits, one home run, and six RBIs in the Sooners’ national title-clinching victory. In the final at bat of Branch’s season, he hit a home run just like his brother, Kolby, who hit a home run in his final at bat of Georgia’s season-ending loss to Oklahoma. During Kolby Branch’s home run, he gave a high five to his brother, which most have felt really special even though Georgia was surely going to be eliminated.
Kolby Branch stuck around Omaha to watch his brother win a national championship. He also watched his brother win a key NCAA Tournament game against Georgia Tech.
The end of Georgia baseball’s season may not have been perfect, but the Branch family has to be feeling pretty good right now. Looking back, Georgia still had a historic season where the Dawgs won the SEC during the regular season and the SEC Tournament. Georgia advanced to the College World Series and lost twice to the hottest team in the country, Oklahoma.
Follow UGA Wire on Instagram, Facebook, X, or Threads for more Georgia baseball coverage!
This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Why one Georgia baseball player stayed for the College World Series
