# SEC Evening Report: Georgia Loses Key Edge Rusher, Bulldogs Baseball Clinches Series **Published:** 2026-04-18 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** daily-roundup — **Type:** daily-roundup **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-report-georgia-williams-injury-baseball-series-win --- ### Georgia Pass Rush Takes a Hit with Williams Injury The Georgia Bulldogs' defense suffered a significant setback Saturday, as head coach Kirby Smart confirmed that edge rusher Amaris Williams is expected to miss extended time with a non-contact knee injury. The injury occurred during practice earlier in the week, and the news was confirmed following the annual G-Day spring scrimmage. Williams, who transferred to Georgia after two seasons with the Auburn Tigers, was anticipated to be a major contributor to a pass rush that struggled in 2025. Last season at Auburn, Williams recorded two sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. His absence will be felt by a Bulldogs team that ranked near the bottom of the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss a season ago. The focus now shifts to Georgia's existing depth at the outside linebacker position to fill the void left by Williams' absence. ### No. 17 Mississippi State Baseball Blanks South Carolina to Clinch Series Behind a dominant complete-game shutout from pitcher Duke Stone, the No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs secured a decisive 9-0 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, clinching the weekend series on the road. Stone was masterful on the mound, recording a career-high 12 strikeouts while allowing only five hits in the victory at Founders Park. The Bulldogs' offense provided plenty of support, breaking the game open with a four-run fourth inning. The scoring was highlighted by a three-run home run from first baseman Blake Bevis. Mississippi State later padded its lead with a two-run homer from Ace Reese in the eighth inning. The victory improves Mississippi State's record as they continue to navigate a challenging SEC schedule. ### QUICK HITS * **No. 11 Alabama Baseball Falters Late in 3-1 Loss to No. 4 Texas:** The Crimson Tide held a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning, but a three-run frame for the Longhorns proved to be the difference in Austin. The loss drops Alabama to 27-13 on the season and 8-9 in SEC play. * **Texas A&M Softball Shuts Out Mississippi State:** Sydney Lessentine delivered a complete-game shutout to lead the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies to a 4-0 victory over the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs, clinching the series. Lessentine was dominant, allowing just three hits in the win. * **Mississippi State Men's Tennis Reaches SEC Final:** The No. 6 ranked Bulldogs advanced to the SEC Men's Tennis Championship final for the first time since 2019 after defeating No. 5 LSU 4-2. They will face No. 1 Texas for the conference title. * **Missouri's Newman Wins 1500m:** Missouri track and field's Allison Newman took home the event title in the women's 1500 meters at the Big Red Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska. ### PORTAL WATCH The University of Texas continued to be active in the transfer portal, securing a commitment from Nick Hudson. Hudson's previous school and position have not been specified. ### RECRUITING BUZZ There were no new recruiting commitments to report across the Southeastern Conference in the last 12 hours. ### GAMES TO WATCH While the provided schedule contains dates from 1970, fans should keep an eye on the SEC Network and ESPN2 for a full slate of conference matchups across baseball, softball, and other spring sports. Key baseball series continue this weekend, including Alabama at Texas and Mississippi State at South Carolina. --- *Original article: [SEC Evening Report: Georgia Loses Key Edge Rusher, Bulldogs Baseball Clinches Series](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-report-georgia-williams-injury-baseball-series-win) — SEC Scouts*