197.

Prior to this year, that is the number of consecutive games Ryan Peisel and Gordon Beckham played at third base and shortstop respectively for the Georgia baseball team.

Now enter freshman Colby May (third base) and Levi Hyams (shortstop), the new left side of the infield for the Diamond Dogs (29-7, 11-4 SEC). Tonight, when they open up a three-game series at Foley Field against No. 5 Arkansas (25-9, 10-4 SEC), they will be starting game No. 18 next to each other.

But don’t tell them or their teammates they’re replacing Peisel and Beckham, because it will just fall on deaf ears.

“This is a new team,” senior pitcher Trevor Holder said. “We have some guys from last year, but this is a completely different ballclub.

“You don’t want to compare guys and I don’t want to compare guys to Gordon because then they will try to do too much and be something they’re not.”

And the mentality of a brand new team has been extremely beneficial for the success of May and Hyams.

“It takes a huge weight off our shoulders because it’s not cool coming in here and having guys say, ‘You have to step up to this role’ or, ‘You have to do this or do that,’” Hyams said. “We come in here and we are a new team, and we are not worrying about who is filling whose shoes and we just do what we can to help the team win. That’s what we’re here for.”

Both players have stepped in with superb play, offensively and defensively, and have been an integral part of the team’s success.

May is batting .375 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. Hyams has been no slouch either, hitting .283 with four home runs and 21 RBIs.

“I wasn’t expecting [this kind of success],” May said. “I’m not worried about the numbers and we still have a long season ahead of us.”

But it’s the humility of the two that has endeared them with their teammates.

“Those guys have come into their own on the left side of the infield and they have a maturity about them that is very hard to find as freshman,” Holder said. “They are very humble about everything and it’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but that’s what I love about them.”

But they are still freshman and are still subject to playful teasing.

“I enjoy just messing around with them and being sarcastic with them. But they are great guys and it’s great to have them around,” junior closer Dean Weaver said. “With Levi, I’m always messing with him about his hamstrings. I don’t know why, it just came out of nowhere. It has nothing to do with anything, but working out one day I came out and was ‘God you’re hamstrings are looking really good.’”

Added Holder: “Its pretty easy to mess with them because [the freshmen] aren’t the brightest crayons in the box.”

For Hyams and May, roommates and good friends, despite the teasing from the upperclassmen, they see the bigger picture.

“It’s a lot harder to play when everyone is serious and uptight,” Hyams said. “The game is meant to be fun, and when it’s played that way, you find that the teams that play with the most fun and with the best chemistry do the best. Look at last year. I find that’s a good thing that we joke around and that we aren’t an insignificant freshman, but a teammate.”