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ATLANTA -- This was just what the Atlanta Braves envisioned a year ago.
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Well, almost.
Joshua Fields was dominant on the mound at Turner Field on Tuesday night, throwing fastballs clocked at 97 mph and striking out two batters in the ninth inning for another save.
Such outings prompted the Braves to select Fields in the second round of the draft last June. One problem: Fields didn't sign, so he's still collecting saves for the University of Georgia. This one came in the Bulldogs' win against Georgia Tech in the teams' annual game at Turner Field.
Fields, who was represented by agent Scott Boras, chose to return for his senior season at Georgia. The decision made him 2007's highest drafted player who did not sign, and it left Braves management disappointed.
Fields is still working on his consumer economics degree instead of working his way up the Braves' farm system. He said the decision to complete his college career has worked out just as he planned, and denies his choice was only the result of tough negotiating by Boras.
"It was all my decision to come back here," Fields said. "I just really didn't want to finish out with the type year I had last year. I wanted one more go at it, and I just felt like I should be here. I just felt it was right to come back and I just went with that decision."
Fields led the Southeastern Conference with 15 saves in 2006 while posting a 1.80 ERA as he helped lead Georgia to the College World Series as a sophomore. He couldn't repeat that success last year, when he was 1-6 with a 4.46 ERA and six blown saves in 13 chances.
"Last year after the draft, I didn't think I was really ready to go into professional baseball," Fields said. "I feel like this year has prepared me. Going through last year and to bounce back has helped me tremendously on the mental game."
Georgia, ranked seventh in Baseball America's poll, clinched the SEC championship last weekend before opening its final regular-season series against Alabama on Thursday.
Fields' perfect ninth inning in the 3-2 win over Georgia Tech gave him a Georgia-record and Division I-leading 16 saves. He also extended his SEC career record to 39 saves.
"I came back just to prove what I could do," he said.
Entering the Alabama series, the right-hander had allowed only two earned runs in 27 1-3 innings for a 0.66 ERA. He hasn't blown a save and is averaging almost two strikeouts per inning.
