ATHENS — There are no push-ups in the middle of a game like Willie Mays Hayes in ‘Major League.’
But every time Georgia’s Tucker Maxwell lofts a ball into the air, a near eye-roll emanates from Bulldogs’ coach Scott Stricklin.
“He’s got speed and we want him to use that so we get on him every day to try and hit the ball on the ground every time,” Stricklin said. “Mainly to get him to focus on swinging down more and not pop the ball up. He also has great bat speed and power so when he hits (a home run) sometimes he can fall into trying to drive the ball.
“Basically we’re trying to get him to trick his mind. We’re getting there.”
Whether it was a Jedi Mind trick or just finding his groove, Maxwell put on a three-inning display Friday night in the Bulldogs’ Athens Regional opener against Mercer that helped set the tone for their 13-3 blowout win. The former Dawson County standout doubled to start the game and later in the first inning capped a huge 8-run frame with a Grand Slam that just cleared the glove of leaping left fielder Bill Knight.
Final first inning line for Maxwell: 2-for-2, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored. He added a two-run single in the third to finish with three hits, 6 RBI, and three runs scored on the night. The home run kept him second on the team with 11 and his now-37 RBI puts him fifth. His batting average jumped 21 points to .249 on the season with the three base knocks.
“He is so athletic he can really do anything he wants out there on the field,” Stricklin said of his junior center fielder. “We want him to take whatever he is given. On the home run, we told him going up there to hit it on the ground. Again, it’s just about getting him to swing level or down.
“He put a great swing on it. We didn’t get on him after that one.”
Maxwell said the talk before the opener was for everyone to just stay within themselves and do what they do.
“The coaches just told us to be ourselves and not try to do too much,” he said. “That’s really all I was trying to do. I got a good pitch to hit in that first at-bat and (on the slam) I was really just trying to not drop my shoulder.
“I got a pitch I could hit and I just took off. I didn’t know it was actually out until I saw the third base umpire circling with his hand. It’s nice having a game like that where I contribute. Probably the best game I’ve had since I got (to Georgia).”
Maxwell and Georgia now will turn their attention to Florida State and big sophomore right-hander CJ Van Eyk, who leads the Seminoles in wins (9-3) and has 106 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings, also a team-high, on the season. The Bulldogs will counter with sophomore Emerson Hancock (8-2) who leads Georgia in ERA (1.59) and has 94 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FSU is 39-27 vs. the Bulldogs all-time but Georgia took a 2-1 series win in their last meeting in 2015 at Foley Field. The Bulldogs also are 4-3 against FSU all-time in the postseason.
The winner will move into Sunday’s regional finals where one win gets you into next week's Super Regional. The loser will have to win three games in two days to advance.
“We’re going to go watch some more film on him and try to get ready,” Stricklin said of Van Eyk. “It should be a great pitcher’s duel. But if the wind is blowing out again like it was (Friday), you never know.”
Maxwell said wind or no wind, mind tricks or no mind tricks, he’s just trying to do what he does.
“Everyday I’m just trying to stay consistent,” he said. “I feel like I’m seeing (the ball) better right now. (Van Eyk) will be tough but we’ve seen a bunch of tough pitchers this year so it will really be just like any other game.”
Instead of push-ups, Georgia will hope he’s running laps, as in around the bases, as often as possible on Saturday.
