Georgia WEs JOhnson

ATHENS — Georgia first-year baseball coach Wes Johnson could — and should — take a bow.

Already, the Bulldogs — UGA’s beloved “Diamond Dawgs” have exceeded most outside expectations by landing a No. 7-national seed after being picked to finish sixth in the SEC East Division.

Georgia (39-15) opens NCAA Regional play at Foley Field with a 1:06 p.m. game (ESPN-plus stream) against Army (31-21).

READ: How Wes Johnson lit fire under red-hot Georgia baseball

The Bulldogs are a heavy favorite to win and advance to play the winner of the 7:06 p.m. game between UNC-Wilmington (39-19) and Georgia Tech (31-23) on Saturday in the four-team, double-elimination regional.

Johnson, however, is not looking past Army.

And he’s not ready to reflect on what has already been a magic season that has seen him …

• Become UGA’s only first-year coach to host a regional

• Record the most wins by UGA baseball coach in his first season

• Record the most SEC wins by a UGA baseball coach in his first season

• Set a program-record with a 22-1 non-conference record

• Become the first UGA baseball coach to host an NCAA Regional in his first season

So it would certainly be appropriate if the first-year — and first-time — head coach took a moment to catch his breath and appreciate what he has done with a roster that includes 28 newcomers.

But …

“No,” Johnson said, “I’m always the guy who’s afraid if I stop, somebody is going to catch me or catch us or get closer.

“I’ll probably reflect in July at some point.”

Johnson, however, wants his players to appreciate what they have done as part of his winning formula has been positive reinforcement.

You could say Georgia enters the NCAA Regional having lost three games in a row, which was suggested to Johnson.

“We remember different here,” Johnson pointed out, “so we look at it, and we won seven out of our last 10 league games. We built off that.”

The power of positive thinking that Johnson has brought to a Georgia baseball program that has not advanced beyond NCAA Regional play since the 2008 CWS team cannot be denied.