The Diamond Dogs just started their season and haven’t been on the road yet. But tonight will be a homecoming for Mitchell Odom, a former Georgia pitcher and Bogart native.

Odom is now a relief pitcher for Presbyterian College, and has come full-circle since two seasons in Athens saw him not play at all.

“When the spring [of my second year at Georgia] came around it just became pretty obvious that I wasn’t going to play,” Odom said. “No hard feelings, it’s just everybody that was there was more talented than me at the time and I didn’t want to end my career like that.”

While Georgia was making its run to the College World Series final, Odom and his new team were wallowing in a 13-40 season, but he insists he never held a grudge.

“Everybody assumes I would be mad at [Georgia] coach [David] Perno for some reason, but I like him, he’s a good guy,” he said. “I was definitely cheering for them and was hoping they could get that one last win. And I hope they get back there this year, I just want to find some way to squeak out a win this week.”

Georgia infielder David Thoms, a close friend and high school teammate of Odom’s at Oconee County, knows something about transferring too. He redshirted his freshman year, then relocated to Chipola Junior College for a year before returning to Athens.

“Transferring was tough for me,” Thoms said. “You are leaving all of your close friends and going to an enviroment that you have never been before. But once you are with a group of guys, like the baseball team, it does get a lot easier. When I was at Chipola I made some friends that I will keep in contact with forever and I know Mitchell has done the same.”

“Mitchell was a special kid, and we enjoyed having him in our program,” Perno said. “He’s done well at Presbyterian and I’m a little concerned that he’ll know how to pitch our guys.”

Odom’s Blue Hose are in their first season as official members of the Big South Conference, and were on the wrong end of a season-opening sweep to Georgia Southern last weekend. Odom gave up four runs in 3.1 innings of relief for the series.

If he takes the mound this afternoon, he estimates he’ll have somewhere between 25 and 50 friends and family in the Foley Field stands. And he’ll have at least one in the batter’s box when he takes the mound.

“I hope I do get a chance to hit off him, it should be a good time and also good for bragging rights for whoever wins the battle,” Thoms said.

“The only part that would be tough for me is trying not to laugh when I stepped into the box because every time I see him he does something ridiculous to where I can’t help but laugh.”