Charlie Condon took a redshirt in his true freshman season at Georgia. The hope for the under-recruited walk-on in Athens was to build weight and get himself better prepared for a redshirt freshman campaign in 2023.
He looked more than ready, bashing 25 home runs with a .386 batting average en route to winning the consensus National Freshman of the Year honors. If he looked college-ready then, he looks near-MLB ready now. As a redshirt sophomore, Condon has emerged as the favorite to go first overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.
His slugging percentage is over 1.000, meaning that he averages more than one total base per at-bat, a seemingly impossible statistic. He also has maintained a comfortable lead in the home-run race nearly all season, and it appears to be cruising to the home-run crown in 2024 barring a short campaign for Condon and extended seasons from his competitors.
Here's where Condon's record season ranks among the NCAA Division I all-time leaders.
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NCAA home run records
Most home runs in a season
Condon has hit 34 home runs in 48 games. If he were to play in 75 games, he'd be on pace for 53 home runs.
Pete Incaviglia at Oklahoma State played in 75 games in 1985, and he launched a record 48 home runs. However, that also came in the pre-BBCOR era when home runs were flying at a much faster pace.
Here's a look at the all-time home run leaderboards:
Player | School | Year | G | HR |
Pete Incaviglia | Oklahoma State | 1985 | 75 | 48 |
Jeff Ledbetter | Florida State | 1982 | 74 | 42 |
Lance Berkman | Rice | 1997 | 63 | 41 |
Brandon Larson | LSU | 1997 | 69 | 40 |
Steve Hacker | Missouri State | 1995 | 58 | 37 |
Mike Willes | BYU | 1988 | 60 | 35 |
Daylan Holt | Texas A&M | 1999 | 70 | 35 |
Charlie Condon | Georgia | 2024 | 47 | 34 |
Troy Glaus | UCLA | 1997 | 67 | 34 |
Jac Caglianone | Florida | 2023 | 71 | 33 |
Nate Gold | Gonzaga | 2002 | 56 | 33 |
Kevin Mench | Delaware | 1998 | 52 | 33 |
Joe Dillon | Texas Tech | 1997 | 57 | 33 |
Frank Fazzini | Florida State | 1985 | 81 | 33 |
Condon has five regular-season games left before the SEC Tournament. The SEC Tournament is single-game elimination in the first round if the Bulldogs are only seeded fifth or lower. The Bulldogs are currently the fifth seed. Should the Bulldogs advance, they'll be in double-elimination through the rest of the tournament.
Georgia also appears headed to at least an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, which will mean playing at least two games. Assuming Georgia does get the appearance, that will mean Condon has at least nine total games left with the potential for more depending on how long the Bulldogs keep playing.
BBCOR era home run single-season record
While Condon appears to be a long shot to reach the all-time home run record, he is already the sole record-holder for the BBCOR-era home run holder.
Condon's 34th home run of the season surpassed the previous record held by Florida's Jac Caglianone from 2023. Given six more regular-season games and several other postseason contests to surpass the record, he seems all but certain to add some more separation.
The BBCOR (bat-ball coefficient of restitution) era dates back only to 2011 when the NCAA established a standard for bats to reduce exit velocity and promote player safety.
Most home runs in a game
There is not likely to be anyone who will touch the single-game home run record, in part because it came in the pre-BBCOR era. Florida State's Marshall McDougall hit six home runs on May 9, 1999, in a 26-2 walloping of Maryland. McDougall also set a record with 16 RBI in the game.
Behind McDougall is Campbell's Henry Rochelle, who launched five against Radford on March 30, 1985, in a 38-0 steam-rolling of the Highlanders.
Most home runs in a career
That record also belongs to Incaviglia. No player that has performed in the BBCOR-era has reached the top 10 in career home runs.
Incaviglia finished his three-year Oklahoma State career with 100 home runs. Jeff Ledbetter followed him with 97. No other player in NCAA baseball history has more than 88.
Player | College | Years | Games | Home Runs |
Pete Incaviglia | Oklahoma State | 1983-1985 | 213 | 100 |
Jeff Ledbetter | Florida State | 1979-1982 | 262 | 97 |
Todd Greene | Georgia Southern | 1990-1993 | 240 | 88 |
Eddy Furniss | LSU | 1995-1998 | 265 | 80 |
Frank Fazzini | Florida Sate | 1983-1985 | 234 | 79 |
Brad Cresse | LSU | 1997-2000 | 236 | 78 |
George Canale | Virginia Tech | 1984-1986 | 180 | 76 |
Chad Sutter | Tulane | 1996-1999 | 244 | 75 |
Matt LaPorta | Florida | 2004-2007 | 215 | 74 |
Cory Snyder | BYU | 1982-1984 | 173 | 73 |