Trevor Holder sat on the dugout bench, staring at the field in disbelief.

His squad, the No. 1 Georgia baseball team, had just lost at home to Wright State and just returned from a less-than-pleasant team meeting in the outfield.

“It was just a frustrating time, and it’s hard to lose to an opponent you know you’re better than, but that’s the game of baseball,” Holder said. “You have to come out everyday and [Tuesday night] they were better than us. They came out ready to play and we were flat, and I was just sitting there thinking how a team like that comes in here and beats us on our own field in front of our own fans and it was a kick in the teeth.”

Execution and mental focus should not be an issue for the Diamond Dogs (19-3, 4-2 SEC) this weekend when they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face conference cellar-dweller Tennessee (11-12, 1-5 SEC) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The loss to Wright State and the subsequent rainout of Wednesday’s game against No. 3 Georgia Tech allowed time for the team to reflect and learn from what happened.

“It’s easy to let up sometimes during those midweek games,” junior first baseman Rich Poythress said. “You have to respect your opponents because anybody can beat anybody on any given day, and we just weren’t ready to play.”

“One of the things is that we sweep Mississippi State and then Wright State comes in there and beats us and shows us we aren’t that good,” Holder said.

While disappointed to have Wednesday’s game rained out, the team maintains it has a positive attitude going forward.

Holder (4-1, 2.22 ERA) takes the mound tonight looking to improve from his last start when he had his best off-speed pitches of the season but still felt “off.”

“I haven’t become as efficient as I want to be,” he said. “I’ve thrown 16- to- 18-pitch innings when I should be throwing 12- to- 13-pitch innings, and that’s what separates a five-to-six inning start from a seven-to-eight inning start, and I really want to cut down on the walks. It’s something I pride myself in, and it’s become an Achilles heel for me this year and is something I need to focus on.”

Head coach David Perno isn’t worried about his senior ace and wants to see the same enthusiasm from his team on the road he sees at home.

“Trevor knows the magnitude of Friday night and setting the tempo for the pitching staff and for the team and he knows the importance and will make the adjustment,” Perno said. “I want us to play better than we did at Alabama. Not just one inning, but in every game and to bring the intensity and energy we played with this past weekend on the road. . The biggest key is that we play in Knoxville like we do at home.”