Georgia
How Jalin Flores’ mindset helped Texas baseball take SEC series from Georgia
Jim Schlossnagle: What to know about Texas baseball coach
Four things to know about Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle
Texas baseball shortstop Jalin Flores walked to the plate in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against Georgia with a stat line full of mishaps.
He’d committed an error in the first inning that enabled the Bulldogs to plate the game’s first run. And he’s struck out in all three of his at-bats, giving him five whiffs in the series.
So what was the Longhorns’ star feeling as he dug in with two runners on and Texas down by two runs?
“Those at-bats happened a second ago, a million years ago, so they don’t really affect you going into the next one,” Flores said. “Knowing that those two guys got on before me, the crowd was into it at that moment, I’m just trying to have fun and play baseball and do my job as well.”
Flores roped a 3-1 pitch from Georgia’s Kolten Smith off the wall in center field, scoring both Easton Winfield and Ethan Mendoza and erasing what had been a four-run deficit for the Longhorns.
Fun achieved.
Will Gasparino followed up with another two-run double two batters later, giving the Longhorns the lead for good in a game they eventually won 7-4.
Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle praised Flores for his professionalism on Friday night, when he made a handful of key defensive plays despite taking an ugly 0-for-4 at the plate. The same traits helped him deliver in a crucial moment for the Longhorns (25-4, 10-1 SEC) on Saturday after six difficult innings.
“He’s a professional,” Schlossnagle said Saturday. “He doesn’t feel good, he has emotions too. But he’s got (assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki) there, and Troy helps him through all that stuff. But part of being a real player is being able to separate defense from offense, and knowing that the most important at-bat you have is the next at-bat.”
Together with Gasparino, Flores completed the comeback that Jaquae Stewart began when he launched a two-run homer to right for his first career long ball. That big swing came in the fifth inning, and served as Texas’ first hit of the game against Georgia starter Brian Curley, who had been dominating.
By contrast, Texas starter Luke Harrison struggled early. He gave up four runs ‒ three of which were earned ‒ in the first four innings.
With the way the two starting pitchers were trending, Schlossnagle already had Sunday’s game in mind as he managed his pitching staff.
“The decision was to leave Harrison in there and not burn (Max) Grubbs and have him ready for tomorrow, but then Stewart hit the homer and kind of gave us a little life,” Schlossnagle said.
And Harrison did enough to keep the Longhorns close. He struck out a career-high nine Bulldogs (29-4, 8-3) in 5⅔ innings of work before Schlossnagle finally went to Grubbs. He kept Georgia, which leads the country in home runs, within UFCU Disch-Falk Field’s outfield walls, too.
“I think mixing it up, just keeping them off-balance was going well for me,” Harrison said. “Using the cutter, slider and introduced a curveball today, so that was fun.”
Grubbs stranded a Georgia baserunner in the sixth, then needed just 10 batters to record nine outs as he secured the win and lowered his ERA to 1.27 on the season.
His work, and the length provided by Harrison, allowed the Longhorns to keep swingman Ruger Riojas rested. He’ll get the start for Texas as it looks for the sweep on Sunday (2 p.m., SEC Network+).
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Georgia
New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
WR Ted Hurst
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 206 lbs
- Class: Senior
- School: Georgia State
- Hands: 9 ¾”
- Arm length: 32 ⅝”
- 40-yard dash: 4.42s
- 10-Yard Split: 1.55s
- Vertical Jump: 36 ½”
- Broad Jump: 11’3”
- STATS
An unranked recruit out of Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, where he enrolled at Valdosta State and played two years at the small school before transferring to Georgia State in 2024.
He was a three star recruit in the transfer portal; the 211th wide receiver, and the 1,624th player. Hurst was raised in a military family and his brother, Darrell Myers Jr. was a wide receiver for Valdosta State when they won the 2018 Division II National Championship.
Hurst dominated the smaller level of competition and caught 61.1% of his contested catches during his two years at Georgia State. He dropped 14 passes (drop rate of 9.7%) and his average yards per reception was 15.4-yards with an 14.8-yard aDot and a 2.18 yards per route run number.
Hurst had an excellent 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and has quietly been a “sleeper” during the draft process.
Strengths
- Elite size + fluidity combination
- Solid thickness + muscle definition + excellent AA
- Excellent size/speed/fluidity combination
- Long strider with IMPRESSIVE acceleration and stop/start
- Has an explosive second gear
- Above-average change of direction + excellent explosiveness on in-breaking routes
- Swift transitions on the vertical plane
- Quickly gets his numbers back to the QB on curls/comeback
- Excellent ability to gear down on the vertical plane
- Very good ball skills – tracks and secures deep balls well
- Concentration is great – can pluck away from his frame
- Has acrobatic catch ability
- Wide catch radius with above-average hands
- Solid YAC ability
Weaknesses
- Limited route tree
- Route nuance and pacing could improve
- Solid YAC ability, but won’t consistently make NFL defenders miss
- Not much special teams in his past
- Was not used much as a run blocker
Summary
Ted Hurst possesses a rare blend of size, speed, and fluidity. He has an elite ability to smoothly transition/break on routes within the vertical plane (comeback/curl); he has great hip bend and explodes out of his breaks with above-average suddenness.
Hurst has traits that any WR coach would love to develop + his ball-skills are great. He’s a developmental option with a high ceiling, but his route running, timing, and ability to consistently beat NFL athletes must be refined and/or proven. He’s a high upside traits pick that may find his way into Day 2.
GRADE: 6.22
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Georgia
What to Expect from Georgia Football’s Quarterback Room During G-Day
What to expect from Georgia’s quarterback room during the spring game.
While the Georgia Bulldogs do not have a quarterback battle occuring at the moment for the starting spot, it’s still a very important position to pay attention to during the spring game. Gunner Stockton returns as the starter, but fans have not gotten to see the guys behind Stockton a whole lot throughout their careers.
With that said, here is what fans expect to see from Georgia’s quarterback room during the spring scrimmage on Saturday.
What to Expect from Georgia’s Quarterback Room on Saturday
For starters, fans should not expect to see a whole lot from Stockton. He has been with the program for a long time now. The coaching staff knows what they have in him, so the most important part is that he is ready to go when the fall rolls around.
What’s more important is for Georgia to get a good look at guys like Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery on Saturday. Puglisi served as the backup quarterback last season, but with Montgomery fully healthy this offseason, it could create a little bit of a battle for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
So the expectation should be that Puglisi and Montgomery get the bulk of the reps during Saturday’s scrimmage. The best way to get in good graces with Georgia’s coaching staff at quarterback is to not turn the ball over and have the offense stay ahead of the sticks.
Puglisi has all of the tools in the world to be successful at the college level. The arm talent is there and he is the perfect mold for what most are looking for in a quarterback. However, he did turn the ball over against Kentucky in some limited playing time last season, so it will be important to see if he has cleaned that up this year.
As for Montomgery, this is the first real look fans will get of him since he got to Athens. He was rehabbing a knee injury he suffered during his senior season in high school last spring, but is a full go this year.
Fans can also expect to see Colter Ginn, Hezekiah Millender and Bryson Beaver some this weekend as well. Beaver got to Georgia in January after transferring out of Oregon.
Fans who are not able to attend Saturday’s spring scrimmage will be able to watch the game on ESPN+. Kickoff is set for 1 PM ET.
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Georgia
Georgia Democrats try to make their move in a jumbled, low-dollar primary for governor
ATLANTA — Four years ago, Democrat Stacey Abrams commanded the spotlight with her campaign for Georgia governor, dumping millions of dollars into the race as the media followed her every move.
But there is little of that energy so far in 2026. Even though Democrats may have a better shot at winning, there is far less attention and money as their candidates compete for the nomination in next month’s primary.
Their struggles raise the possibility that the Democrats could miss another chance to win the Georgia governor’s office for the first time since 1998.
National Democrats say they are not going to let that happen. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, said Georgia is “in play” and the money will be there for the party’s eventual nominee.
“We’re going to make sure the Democratic candidate in Georgia has the funding they need to compete,” Beshear told The Associated Press on Saturday as he visited Atlanta to keynote a party dinner.
While Republicans have flooded the state with nearly $100 million in advertising, Democrats have spent only $1.24 million. Most observers believe no Democrat will win a majority in the rapidly approaching May 19 primary, prolonging the party’s uncertainty.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms could be headed toward a June 16 runoff, thanks to superior name identification and being the only Black woman running in a party that has historically relied on support from Black women. But the scramble for a second spot appears wide-open, with likely contenders including former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves and former state labor commissioner and CEO of suburban DeKalb County Mike Thurmond.
Mike Thurmond, a Democrat running for governor in Georgia, speaks to reporters after a debate on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at WXIA-TV in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Jeff Amy
Democrat could face big Republican money
On the Republican side, health care billionaire Rick Jackson has already spent or pledged $50 million toward his bid, twice as much as any previous primary candidate for Georgia governor. There is also Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump; Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; and Attorney General Chris Carr.
It is a contrast to 2022, when Abrams outraised Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. She ended up losing the race, her second defeat to Kemp.
But Democrats say they are not worried this year even if they are outspent.
“I’ll still win,” Bottoms said after a campaign event Monday, echoing other Democrats who say money can’t paper over voter discontent with Republicans.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms smiles while waiting in line to file paperwork to qualify for the 2026 Georgia governor’s race at the Georgia State Capitol, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Matthew Pearson
She argues that she is a “battle-tested leader” who gained national experience in President Joe Biden’s administration. Like other Democrats, she cites expanding health care, affordable housing and better education as among her top issues.
“When given the opportunity to lead, I led on behalf of not just the city of Atlanta, but people across the state, and I am ready to go and fight for all of our communities to make Georgia a better place for our children,” Bottoms said Wednesday.
The Democratic race doesn’t feature notable policy splits along the lines of the progressive-moderate fissures that have opened around the country. It is not even a clear-cut contrast on style like in the Texas Senate primary that James Talarico won over Jasmine Crockett. Only Esteves, who started nearly unknown statewide, has been willing to attack the other candidates.
The noncombative nature of the other candidates was on display Wednesday night in a televised debate that included only Bottoms, Duncan and Thurmond. Duncan made only the most oblique criticisms of Bottoms’ record as mayor. After Thurmond blamed Duncan for supporting a bill allowing people to carry guns more widely, he said in a postdebate interview that the criticism wasn’t aimed at Duncan directly.
Esteves tries to go from unknown to contender
Esteves is banking on a late surge to propel him to the runoff. He has spent about $1 million on a burst of advertising, the only significant spending by any Democrat thus far. The 42-year-old, who has a Puerto Rican father and a Black mother, argues he can build the “multiracial, multigenerational coalition” needed to win the young and diverse electorate in Georgia.
He often references his experience as a middle school teacher and small business owner in addition to his time as a lawyer, school board member and state senator.
“A lot of the challenges that Georgians are facing, I am facing in real time,” Esteves said in a Wednesday interview. “They’re looking for someone who not only wants to solve their issues, but can identify personally with their issues.”
Esteves is the only Democrat attacking Bottoms on how she managed crime, disorder and the COVID pandemic as mayor before her surprise decision not to seek a second term.
“The fact that she did not run for reelection confirmed people’s belief that when the going gets tough, she stepped out on the city,” Esteves said.
Bottoms defends her stewardship and says she declined to run again “based on what was best for me personally and my family.”
Esteves has also repeatedly taken aim at Duncan, saying Duncan “oversaw some of the passage of the worst bills” while lieutenant governor, including Georgia’s ban on abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected. Although dozens of state lawmakers are backing Esteves, his top surrogate has been Shanette Williams, the mother of Amber Nicole Thurman, a woman who died in a suburban Atlanta hospital in 2022 after taking abortion pills and developing an infection.
New Democrat Duncan seeks ‘trust’
Duncan is best known for opposing Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. He has spent the past year apologizing for his Republican past and argues he is the only Democrat who can win over enough moderate voters to give his new party a win. In recent weeks, Duncan has begun to pick up some endorsements from moderate Democrats and unions.
“I don’t want to only earn your vote, I want to earn your trust,” Duncan said in Wednesday night’s debate.
Thurmond calls himself a “throwback” and says his experience in state and local government, including leading the state child welfare agency, serving as labor commissioner and helping to bail out the DeKalb County school district as superintendent, would let him move quickly to enact Democratic priorities.
“I have a track record of service to the people of Georgia, and I believe this election would turn not on promises, but on performance,” Thurmond said in an interview after Wednesday’s debate.
He has been trying to knit together a coalition of rural voters and older Democrats. Among those backing him are Roy Barnes, the last Democratic governor, and Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta and one of the last surviving leaders of the 1960s Civil Rights movement.
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