It’s the bottom of the ninth inning and the Diamond Dogs are up by one run. The Foley Field crowd is on their feet, gazing anxiously toward the bullpen, waiting to see which Bulldog pitcher will emerge to preserve the win.

Senior Alex McRee is set to return to the bullpen as Georgia’s closer after some shoulder stiffness. Photo by DANIEL SHIREY

So far this season, it’s been anyone’s guess.

Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the Georgia bullpen this season, as was the case Sunday when the Bulldogs blew a 10-2 eighth inning lead in an eventual 11-10 loss to Mississippi State.

But one hurler appears poised to emerge as the dependable late-inning closer  for the Bulldogs after being sidelined with shoulder stiffness against Mississippi State.

Meet Alex McRee.

After starting his Georgia career coming out of the bullpen, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior from Gainesville joined the Bulldogs’ weekend rotation last season. McRee went 4-4 with a 6.27 ERA in 15 appearances for the Bulldogs.

McRee was drafted after last season in the 27th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. But after a sit down with Georgia head coach David Perno, McRee decided to stay in Athens for his senior season.

“Coming back this year, after he decided to come back after the draft, Coach [Perno] sat down with Alex and asked him about going back into the bullpen,” Georgia pitching coach Brady Wiederhold said. “He liked the idea a lot, especially if he could take on the closer’s role.”

Added McRee: “I like just being able to come out and throw as hard as you can. You don’t have to worry about lasting seven innings. The most I’ll go is one or two, so you just come out there and give it everything you’ve got.”

This season, despite battling nagging shoulder soreness, McRee is focused on assuming the pivotal closer’s role, a position that Perno feels McRee is suited for.

“He’s really got great stuff, but he’s much more effective when you don’t get to see him but once,” Perno said. “That’s when he had the success in 2008, and we felt like moving him back to the bullpen would help get him going.”

As an intimidating presence on the mound with “great life on his fastball” and “a put-away breaking pitch” in his arsenal, Perno predicted McRee had the potential to emerge as one of the country’s most dominant closers in 2010.

Though that prediction may not have come to fruition just yet, as McRee has an 8.38 ERA in nine appearances this season with three saves, Wiederhold said McRee has the stuff to torment SEC batters.

“He has to understand that he doesn’t have to be perfect every time, but if he gets out there and just throws like he’s capable of throwing, then he is dominant,” Wiederhold said. “We’ve all seen him in the past where he’s just almost unhittable.”

This weekend, the Bulldogs will need McRee to be just that, as Georgia heads to Baton Rouge, La., for a three-game series against the defending national champions, the No. 4 LSU Tigers (20-3, 5-1 SEC).

“We’re still a young team, and we’re going to have our ups and downs, but I really think we’re starting to turn the corner even though our record wouldn’t lead you to believe that, but I really think we are.”