The Red and Black

Issue date: 7/3/08 Section: Sports

PERNO

It didn't take very long for Georgia head baseball coach David Perno to start reaping the benefits of his team's second-place finish in Omaha.

Less than a week after returning from the College World Series, Perno signed to a five-year extension worth $2.25 million, keeping him at his alma mater through the 2013 season, Athletic Director Damon Evans announced Wednesday.

"I'm excited we have reached an agreement with David to ensure he will continue to build upon the tremendous success our baseball program has enjoyed under his guidance," Evans said in a statement.

Perno's new pact, which replaces his current contract that was supposed to expire in 2011, will pay him an average of $450,000, a raise of $150,000, and puts him amongst the highest-paid coaches in the Southeastern Conference.

"First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed my discussions with Damon after the College World Series, and we're excited about the future of the Bulldog baseball program," Perno said in a statement.

Since he was hired in 2002 to replace Ron Polk, Perno is only one of 12 coaches to lead his team to three Omaha appearances (2004, 2006 and 2008).

He has accumulated a 251-184-1 overall record and a 105-103-1 SEC record.

- Michael Fitzpatrick

Incoming soccer class ranked among top 15

For the third consecutive year, the Georgia soccer recruiting class has been rated in the top 15 in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine.

Head coach Patrick Baker echoes that sentiment and feels that this is the highest quality class his coaching staff has ever brought to Georgia.

"We have addressed needs to make the team better," Baker said. "These are players that have individually been able to perform at high youth levels. There are three All-Americans in this class. Before this, we had maybe three All-Americans in 10 years."

The recruits for the 2008 class, rated No. 2 in the Southeastern Conference for the third straight year, is highlighted by goalkeeper Ashley Baker from Lilburn.

Baker was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior and was chosen to represent England in the UEFA Euorpean Women's U-19 Championships.

This class reflects the strong efforts to recruit the best talent within the state of Georgia, something that Baker felt is very important.

"It is imperative," Baker said. "That is part of why we were brought here, to get the best players in Georgia to come to [the University of] Georgia."

With the release of the 2008 schedule, Georgia will play 11 matches against NCAA Tournament teams from last season, including defending champion Southern California, and is something Baker says he and the team are looking forward to.

"We are very excited," Baker said. "We have finally gotten control of our schedule. It is daunting, but those are the games the girls want to play in."

- Kaleb Frady

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