Last weekend, the No. 4 Georgia baseball team received a harsh dose of reality after being dealt its first two losses of the season in its SEC opener in Alabama.

This weekend, the Diamond Dogs (16-2, 1-2 SEC) return to SEC play in what is sure to be a dog fight, as they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-6, 2-1 SEC) at Foley Field beginning tonight at 7 p.m.

“We got away from playing our game the entire weekend and that was really the first time that we were behind, and it was a good learning experience,” junior first baseman Rich Poythress said.

After an error-filled weekend in Tuscaloosa, the Dogs believe the adversity – something they rarely faced in their first 14 games – will be beneficial.

“I think we definitely needed a little bit of adversity,” junior infielder Michael Demperio said. “And we really showed what we were about on Sunday fighting back like that after a rough day on Saturday. I think that it really says a lot about our team, and sometimes it’s good to lose a game to find your identity and see who you are.

“We had to do it all the last year, especially in the postseason,” he added. “That’s what it takes to win championships, being able to fight back from behind.”

Senior Trevor Holder returns to the mound tonight looking to bounce back from his first loss of the season in Alabama, when he allowed eight hits, five runs (one earned) and walked four batters in five innings of work.

Despite being put in jams that were not necessarily his own doing, the Georgia ace refused to pin the blame on his teammates.

“Nobody is trying to make an error, but when they come you have to be mentally prepared to overcome it, myself included,” he said. “I take full blame for what happened in game one on Saturday. There was an error, but we preach here, ‘not after an error.’

“We pick each other up and that’s how we’ve had success. It’s easy to take the easy way out when somebody makes an error and blame it on them. But you just have to take it one step at a time and refocus on that next hitter.”