The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: DANIEL SHIREY Alisa Goler is one home run shy from the Georgia school record. [Click to enlarge]

The No. 8 Georgia softball team (34-8, 14-6 SEC) and No. 15 Tennessee (36-11-1, 7-6-1 SEC) will renew their rivalry this weekend as the Bulldogs host their final conference series at home this season.

At a quick glance, the Bulldogs appear to be the better team between themselves and the Volunteers - but only by the smallest of margins.

Georgia sits in second place in the SEC East with Tennessee right behind in third.

Georgia has the highest batting average (.337) of any team in the conference, and Tennessee (.322) is in second.

Georgia has the advantage by only 10 points in team ERA (.213), and the two squads even have the same number of triples with 15 on the year. But none of these numbers seem to cause head coach Lu Harris-Champer to take a different approach in this series.

"Well, every team in the SEC is very talented and tough," Harris-Champer said. "Tennessee is a really good team, too, and we are just looking forward to the competition."

Georgia pitchers have not faced a lineup this potent since going up against powerhouses Florida and Alabama this year - teams they combined to go 0-5 against.

The Volunteer lineup is led by star junior Tiffany Huff, who has reached base in more than half of her at-bats and has driven in 64 runs with eight homers. Freshman Jessica Spigner has lived up to her high expectations, as the two-time EA Sports High School All-American has hit 14 home runs and 46 RBIs in her first season.

Tennessee also has five other hitters who are batting over the .300 mark.

Matchup to watch: Georgia sophomore third baseman Alisa Goler will face Tennessee freshman pitcher Cat Hosfield, and Hosfield (27-9, 2.32 ERA) has turned in a terrific first season while logging a bunch of innings against top competition. But she has not faced a player having a season like Goler has had this year. Goler will sit on the verge of Georgia history in every single at-bat, as she is tied for the single-season home run, RBI and extra-base hits records.

Tennessee also needs to keep an eye on freshmen Tori Moody and Kristyn Sandberg, who have combined to go 12-for-21 with 15 RBIs in their last three games.

Games are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. The final game of the series will begin Sunday at 2 p.m.

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