Charlie Condon hits walk-off winner for Team USA on Fourth of July
Georgia Baseball’s Charlie Condon is continuing his hot streak from the spring into the summer, doing so on an international stage with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Condon, who will be a redshirt sophomore next season for the Bulldogs, hit a two-run walk-off single in Team USA’s Fourth of July win over Chinese Taipei Tuesday night in North Carolina.
Condon hit a team-best .533 in the four intrasquad games to earn one of the 31 spots on the final roster. In the friendship series against Chinese Taipei, he started all five games, hitting in the three-hole and DHing for two while playing in left field for three. Condon spent the majority of his time this spring at Georgia playing first base.
In the five-games, Condon has hit .481 (8-for-21) with six runs scored, two doubles and two home runs. His 16 total bases is third on the team while his nine RBI leads the way for the squad.
“It’s been a great time with these guys. Getting to know this group, as we continue to get closer we’re going to keep playing better. It’s been a ton of fun,” Condon said after his walk-off winner. “It’s an absolute honor just to be included in this lineup. You look top to bottom and it’s talented guys, talented names. It’s really just an honor to be able to be a part of it. All this stuff is great, and it’s just consistent 1-9. Everybody is doing their job, pitchers are doing their job and that’s what’s giving us all this success.”
Team USA won all five games over Chinese Taipei, outscoring them 46-11 over the course of the tour throughout North Carolina. Next up is a five-game series against Japan in Cary, N.C. (July 7-9) and Charleston, S.C. (July 11-12).
“It’s been really cool,” Condon continued. “I haven’t really played in this area too much growing up, but to kind of bounce around, see all these parks and all these fields, it’s been a great time and I’m looking forward to keeping it going.”
Condon was named SEC Freshman of the Year at Georgia this spring, as well as national Freshman of the Year according to D1Baseball.
Condon led the SEC in slugging percentage and finished second in batting average to Golden Spikes Award winner and national champion Dylan Crews, a potential No. 1 overall pick in this month’s MLB Draft. A product of The Walker School in Marietta, Ga., Condon won the team’s triple crown, leading Georgia in batting, home runs and RBI (.386-25-67).
Condon’s 25 home runs, which broke an SEC freshman record that had stood since 2006, ranks only behind Gordon Beckham from the 2008 season in program history when the Bulldogs reached the College World Series Finals. That team played 71 games. Condon and company only played 56.
During the season, Condon had a 37-game on base streak and 24-game hit streak. He hit a home run in each of Georgia’s 10 SEC series and leads the league for home runs in conference games with 16.
“Charlie is a hard worker and obviously very talented, and he comes to work every single day,” former Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin said about Condon. “You look at him, and he’s got the skill set. He was 195 pounds last year when he got to campus. The idea to redshirt him last year was like a football mentality with an offensive lineman where you put some weight and strength on him and see where he goes. If you would’ve told me he was going to hit 25 home runs, I don’t know if I would’ve believed that. He did everything in the last 365 days to prepare for today. He’s a great kid and deserves it.”
Condon, who was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy – both of which go to recognize the top player in college baseball – had many Georgia fans concerned that he may transfer after such an outstanding season. After all, had he hit the transfer portal just about everybody in the country would have wanted him. However, after conversations with Georgia’s new coaching staff, Condon took to social media to announce that he was staying put in Athens for another season.
