The Road to Omaha: Here's what each team brings to the 2025 Athens Regional

Photos by Jonathan Cohen/Binghamton University, Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman, Andy Jiang/The Chronicle and Conor Dillion/UGAAA

It’s almost time. The 2025 NCAA Baseball Regionals begin this weekend, and the Georgia Bulldogs will host the Athens Regional once again.

Coming to Foley Field will be the Binghamton Bearcats, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Duke Blue Devils. Here’s a quick recap of every team going into this weekend.

Binghamton Bearcats (29-24, 13-11)

Hailing from New York, the Binghamton Bearcats capped off their season winning the America East championship, defeating Bryant 6-5. It’s the sixth conference title in their program’s history. The last time the Bearcats made regionals was the Stanford Regional in 2022, where they were eliminated in two games. Binghamton is headed to the Classic City with five first team all-conference players. Leading the team offensively is DH Evin Sullivan. The junior from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, ranked second in the America East in homeruns (12), fifth in slugging percentage (.601) and sixth in RBIs (42). Sullivan also had many starts this year at catcher for Binghamton, so expect to see him to get some time behind the dish in Athens. According to DraftKings, Binghamton is the overwhelming underdog, currently sitting at +6000 odds to win the regional. The Bearcats will need their best performance this season in hopes to have an upset in Athens.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (28-23, 15-12)

Oklahoma State earned their 50th regional bid all-time, which means the Cowboys will saddle up and head down to Athens. This appearance makes it 12 straight bids for the team, placing it as the fourth best streak in college baseball. Most recently, OSU lost to No. 21 Kansas 7-6 in the Big 12 conference playoffs in the quarterfinals. The heart of the team runs through junior Brayden Smith, who leads the team in several offensive categories, including batting average (.312) and hits (62). Notably, Smith earned Big 12 Player of the Week and Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards towards the end of the regular season amidst a sweep of Arizona State. Pitching has been solid this year for the Cowboys, as they rank in the top 25 in team ERA (4.33). Look out for junior right-hander Sean Youngerman to be dealing on the bump for the team. He has a 0.87 WHIP with four saves on the year, and OSU will certainly need him to hold back the bats of the other teams at Foley Field.

Duke Blue Devils (37-19, 17-13)

A team from the ACC made it to the Athens Regional last year, and this year, it’s the Duke Blue Devils. This is the team’s third consecutive regional appearance. Duke proved to be a force in the batter’s box, as they are 14th in the country in home runs (99). The bats are solid across the board for the Blue Devils, with four players having a .300 batting average or higher. Graduate 3B Ben Miller has been a standout for Duke, with 18 homeruns and 58 RBIs. Miller’s level of play has earned him an All-ACC First Team honor and he is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser trophy, which goes to the national college baseball player of the year. At one point this season, Miller had an 18-game hit streak, showcasing his ability to get hot and stay consistent in the box. The Blue Devils are planning to rally behind his talent at the plate and on the field, as they strive to advance to their first super regional since 2019.

Georgia Bulldogs (42-15, 18-12)

The No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs are hosting NCAA Regionals in back-to-back years. In the second year under head coach Wes Johnson, UGA’s offensive firepower has soared them to national acclaim as they hope to make a run to Omaha. Last year, the Bulldogs fell one game short of their first trip to the College World Series since 2008, losing to NC State in game 3 of the Athens Super Regionals. Replacing Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon seemed like an impossible task heading into 2025, but some portal additions helped UGA complete their offense this year. DH/1B Ryland Zaborowski and OF Robbie Burnett have contributed significantly in the box, combining for 36 homeruns and 136 RBIs. Georgia’s firepower has been displayed all across the lineup, as UGA leads the country in homeruns with 133. UGA also retained veteran leadership in 3B Slate Alford and SS Kolby Branch, who have had great seasons for the Bulldogs as well. Not to mention, VCU transfer Brian Curley has shined on the mound, leading the country in hits allowed per 9 innings (4.96). If all these factors play out in postseason play, Georgia should have no issues in winning their regional.

My Prediction: Call me biased, but the Georgia Bulldogs are the team to beat. I think based on Oklahoma State’s arm talent, they will give UGA the hardest time in putting runs on the board. I believe their pitching matches up the best to the Bulldog offense. The Cowboys will put up a fight, but the Bulldogs will score as many runs as they need to in order to win. Georgia has a 29-4 record at Foley Field, and home field advantage will certainly be a factor in Athens.

This Friday, May 30th, marks the first day of the Athens Regional at Foley Field, as the Georgia Bulldogs face the Binghampton Bearcats at 12 p.m. The Oklahama State Cowboys will then take on the Duke Blue Devils at 6 p.m. Fans can watch the first game on the SEC Network and the second game on ESPNU.