Notes: UGA also in women's NCAAs, updates on Johnathan Taylor, and more

Some updates from around Georgia athletics:

Women's basketball

The Georgia women’s basketball team is going to the NCAA tournament too, but that’s not anything new. It will be the 17th straight appearance for the Lady Bulldogs, and the 28th time overall, the second-most in the nation.

Georgia earned a No. 6 seed, and will open against Middle Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The winner faces either No. 3 Florida State or No. 13 Samford. The regional pod is being hosted by Auburn.

"It doesn't get old," head coach Andy Landers said in a release by UGA. "I was thinking about it this morning. We've been very fortunate through the years to have the players and teams that have allowed us to play in the NCAAs so many times. I think it's something that you appreciate more and more. I know I do. It's much more competitive and much more difficult to make the field now. It may be more difficult than it was when only 32 teams got in because there are so many more good players and good teams out there now."

The Lady Bulldogs enter the tournament with a record of 21-10 – almost identical to the Georgia men – and advanced to the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

Baseball

The Georgia baseball team has recovered from its rough start and won five in a row. That included a sweep of three games in Los Angeles last weekend, beating UCLA, USC and Saint Mary’s.

The Bulldogs (8-8) play Kennesaw State on Wednesday before opening SEC play with a three-game series at defending national champion South Carolina. That starts Friday.

Here’s also an update on Johnathan Taylor: The junior outfielder is still in the intensive care unit at the Shepherd Center, where he was transported last week. You can get updates from his family at this site.

Softball

The Bulldogs softball team is still ranked No. 1 in the country, and is 21-1. Its only loss came last month to Oklahoma State.

Starting pitcher Morgan Montemayor is 9-1 with a 1.22 earned run average, striking out 60 batters in 51 2/3 innings. Left-fielder Megan Wiggins is leading the team with a .479 batting average and 29 RBI, and first baseman Brianna Hesson leads the team with six homers.

Gymnastics

The SEC championship begins Saturday at 5 p.m., and Georgia will be aiming for its 17th league title, more than all other teams combined. But this year the Bulldogs, ranked eighth in the nation, have to compete with No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama.

As a team, the Bulldogs’ best event is the beam, where they rank fourth nationally. Junior Kat Ding is tied for fourth nationally on the bars.