Georgia’s Ryland Zaborowski Earns 2025 Perfect Game First Team All-American Honors, Joins Burnett and Alford on ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Team After Monster Season

Ryland Zaborowski’s 2025 season for the Georgia Bulldogs was the kind of campaign that makes baseball purists take notice and sends opposing coaches back to the drawing board. A 6-foot-5, 250-pound slugger from Gilbert, Arizona, Zaborowski came to Athens as a graduate student and immediately made his presence felt, powering his way through Southeastern Conference pitching with a combination of patience, poise, and raw strength that earned him national recognition. This week, he was named a 2025 Perfect Game First Team All-American, a prestigious honor reserved for the very best in collegiate baseball, recognizing him as the top designated hitter in the country. His name also appeared alongside teammates Robbie Burnett and Slate Alford on the ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Team, affirming that Georgia’s resurgence on the diamond in 2025 was built not just on one man’s performance, but on the efforts of a formidable core.

Zaborowski’s statistics were nothing short of jaw-dropping. In just 45 games, he led the Bulldogs with a .370 batting average, while also notching a staggering .788 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage. He blasted 17 home runs and drove in 61 runs, demonstrating both consistency and explosive power. Those numbers become even more impressive considering the level of competition in the SEC, where elite pitching is the norm, not the exception. Yet, time and time again, Zaborowski rose to the occasion, delivering in clutch moments, setting the tone early in games, and helping to anchor an offense that found ways to put pressure on even the toughest arms in the country.

Zaborowski’s arrival at Georgia was met with anticipation, but few could have predicted just how immediate and substantial his impact would be. His reputation as a power hitter was well-established, but it was the maturity in his approach that took coaches and scouts by surprise. Rarely chasing pitches outside the zone, he forced pitchers to come to him, and when they did, he made them pay. His 17 home runs were not just high in volume—they were timely, many coming in critical SEC matchups where a single swing could alter the course of the game. His ability to generate extra-base hits in big moments quickly made him a fan favorite in Athens and a leader in the Bulldogs’ clubhouse.

Beyond the numbers, Zaborowski brought a veteran presence to a relatively young roster. His leadership extended beyond the batter’s box and into the dugout and locker room. Coaches spoke frequently of his work ethic, preparation, and the way he elevated those around him. Younger players often looked to him for guidance, and he embraced that role without hesitation. His journey, which included transferring in as a graduate student from Grand Canyon University, where he had already established himself as a serious talent, gave him a unique perspective. That experience helped him handle the pressure of SEC play and provided a model of consistency and maturity for his teammates.

Robbie Burnett, one of the pitchers Zaborowski supported with his offensive output, was another standout for Georgia this season. A steady force on the mound, Burnett consistently gave the Bulldogs a chance to win with his command, movement, and poise. His selection to the ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Team was well-deserved, acknowledging a season in which he anchored the rotation and routinely went deep into games. Burnett showed an ability to adapt his approach based on the opponent, mixing speeds effectively and attacking the strike zone with confidence. His performances often set the tone for weekend series, giving Georgia a crucial advantage in a league where Friday night starts often determine the momentum of a series.

Meanwhile, Slate Alford provided the Bulldogs with a blend of power and versatility in the infield. Known for his steady glove and powerful bat, Alford was a two-way threat who could change the game on both sides. His bat provided key runs in tight games, and his defensive acumen helped stabilize the infield in high-pressure situations. Like Zaborowski and Burnett, Alford’s selection to the Southeast All-Region Team was a testament not only to his individual skills but to the overall strength and balance of the Georgia roster in 2025.

Together, Zaborowski, Burnett, and Alford formed the backbone of a Georgia team that exceeded expectations and made significant strides in the fiercely competitive SEC. The conference, widely regarded as the toughest in college baseball, presented weekly challenges from nationally ranked opponents, but Georgia never backed down. The Bulldogs battled throughout the season with a toughness and resolve that reflected the character of their leaders. Whether it was a comeback win on the road or a dominant performance at home, Georgia consistently showed it had the talent and the mental makeup to compete at the highest level.

Zaborowski’s First Team All-American recognition from Perfect Game adds a prestigious capstone to his collegiate career, placing him among the elite in the sport. Perfect Game’s selection process is rigorous, focusing on all aspects of a player’s performance—from statistical dominance to impact on team success—and Zaborowski checked every box. As a designated hitter, he was expected to produce, and he did so with authority, ranking among national leaders in nearly every major offensive category per game. More importantly, he did it with a consistency that made him one of the most feared hitters in the nation. Pitchers knew that any mistake left over the plate could turn into a highlight reel home run, and few teams were able to contain him for an entire series.

The ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Team selection added another layer to his recognition, aligning him with the best players across a region stacked with future professionals. The ABCA has long been known for its commitment to honoring excellence at all levels of the game, and inclusion on one of its all-region teams is a sign that a player has not only performed at a high level but done so consistently over the course of a grueling season. For Zaborowski, Burnett, and Alford to all be named to that team speaks volumes about the level at which Georgia competed and the respect the Bulldogs earned from coaches and media alike.

The 2025 season could very well be remembered as a turning point for Georgia baseball, a campaign that saw the program re-establish itself among the SEC’s upper echelon. While the league remains crowded with perennial powers, Georgia proved that it can not only compete but thrive, thanks to the leadership of players like Zaborowski, Burnett, and Alford. Their contributions went beyond stats and awards—they helped restore belief in the program and raised expectations for what the Bulldogs can achieve in seasons to come.

Zaborowski’s future appears bright, with the professional ranks likely calling soon. Scouts have taken notice of his power, patience, and physical tools, all of which translate well to the next level. He’ll enter the MLB Draft with momentum, experience, and a resume that few collegiate players can match. His time in Athens, though brief, was unforgettable, both for the fans who watched him launch towering home runs into the Georgia night and for the teammates who saw firsthand the work and dedication it took to reach such heights.

Burnett and Alford, too, will draw interest from pro scouts, and their development over the past year suggests that they could make successful transitions to professional baseball as well. Whether or not they take that step immediately, their impact on Georgia’s 2025 season will be long remembered. Together with Zaborowski, they helped lay a foundation for future success, showing younger Bulldogs what it means to perform at an elite level and lead by example.

As the accolades continue to pour in and postseason honors are announced, Georgia fans can take pride in knowing that their team produced not just great players, but great ambassadors for the program. Zaborowski’s First Team All-American nod serves as the headline, but the story is much broader—it’s a story of a team that came together, played hard, and earned the respect of the baseball world. It’s a story of players who arrived with talent and left with legacies.

Looking ahead, Georgia’s challenge will be to build on this momentum. Replacing players like Zaborowski, Burnett, and Alford won’t be easy, but the standard they set will endure. Young players now have a blueprint for success, and recruits will see a program capable of developing elite talent and competing on a national stage. In that sense, the achievements of 2025 are not just a culmination—they are a beginning.

For Ryland Zaborowski, his All-American season stands as one of the great individual campaigns in recent Georgia history. For the Bulldogs as a whole, it represents a reaffirmation of the program’s potential and a season filled with pride, passion, and promise. As the dust settles and the awards are tallied, one truth remains clear: Georgia baseball is back on the national radar, and Ryland Zaborowski led the charge.