ATHENS, Ga. - On Sunday, October 18, the Georgia Bulldogs played the Clemson Tigers in a fall exhibition game at Foley Field. 

World Baseball Network takes a look at some of the Georgia players who stood out. 

Cristofer Cespedes throws two scoreless innings on the mound

Maryland transfer Cristofer Cespedes entered the game for Georgia after starting pitcher Marcos Paz exited. 

Cespedes looked poised and impressive as he tossed two scoreless innings against the Clemson Tigers. He also had three strikeouts during those two innings. 

In 2026, Cespedes had a 4.18 ERA in 51 ⅔ innings. He also had 70 strikeouts during that stretch of play and allowed a .235 opposing batting average. 

Although he was mostly a reliever, Cespedes did make three starts for the Terrapins last season. He also had three saves during his two seasons playing for Maryland. 

In the past, Georgia has shown their ability to develop pitchers who transferred into Athens. Last season, Joey Volchko was an example of that. He came from Stanford and became an All-American pitcher with the Bulldogs. 

No matter what role he plays in Georgia’s pitching staff next season, Cespedes has the tools to be a beneficiary of that same pitching development. 

Matthew Farner and Naulivou Lauaki Jr. hit home runs for Georgia 

Two transfer hitters smashed home runs for Georgia during the fall exhibition game against Clemson. 

Matthew Farner hit a solo home run out to left field in the fifth inning. He transferred to Georgia after playing for the North Florida Ospreys in 2026. During that season, Farner had a .286 batting average with 13 doubles, 12 home runs, and 46 RBIs. 

He was also a threat on the base paths with 17 stolen bases. 

Later on in the exhibition game, Oregon transfer Naulivou Lauaki Jr. hit a three-run home run to give Georgia a commanding lead over Clemson. 

Lauaki brings a lot of power to the 2027 Georgia baseball team. In 2026 with Oregon, he hit 14 home runs and had a .321 batting average. Lauaki was also named third-team All-Big Ten. He was one of the best players on an Oregon Ducks team that made it to the Austin Super Regional in 2026. 

Farner and Lauaki are two players that will play a role in providing Georgia with the home run hitting that they are known for. Last season, the Bulldogs hit 179 home runs as a team. That was 21 more home runs than Oklahoma State, who finished in second place. 

Casey McCoy and Hunter Carns come up big with RBIs

In the fifth inning of Sunday’s exhibition game, Casey McCoy and Hunter Carns had back-to-back RBI knocks for the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Like Farner and Lauaki, McCoy and Carns are also incoming transfers on Georgia’s 2027 team. 

McCoy played for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the 2026 season. As a freshman, he had a .281 batting average with five home runs, 28 RBIs, and five stolen bases. He was a part of Conference USA’s All-Freshman team. 

Carns transferred to Georgia after playing for the Florida State Seminoles for two seasons. In 2026, he had a .289 batting average with 11 doubles, six home runs, and 38 RBIs. 

Carns also showed great plate discipline for the Seminoles. During his two seasons in Tallahassee, he had a .401 on-base percentage. 

McCoy and Carns could both be integral parts of Georgia’s lineup in the 2027 college baseball season.


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