March 2, 2017

Georgia Tech Baseball Hosts Belmont Bruins for Weekend Series

March 2, 2017

Georgia Tech Game Notes | Belmont Game Notes | 2017 GT Baseball Information Guide

THE FLATS – No. 17 Georgia Tech baseball continues its early non-conference schedule with a three-game weekend series this weekend, Mar. 3-5, against the Belmont Bruins at Russ Chandler Stadium.

FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE

• All three games over the weekend will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN App.

• Live stats can be found at RamblinWrek.com. A link to live stats can also be found on the baseball schedule page or at the top of this page.

• Wiley Ballard will also call the action live over the radio air waves on WREK 91.1 FM.

THINGS FANS NEED TO KNOW

• Extra Innings Promotion — The first 1,000 fans to enter the gates on Saturday will receive a voucher for a free General Admission ticket to a future home game. (Excludes Saturday games and the home game versus UGA on April 25).

• Kids Day! — Sunday is Kids Day at the ballpark, as kids can run the bases after the game concludes.

• Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside Russ Chandler Stadium. Also the season ticketholder clear bags are not permitted during baseball season at Russ Chandler Stadium. All bags will be searched upon entry into the stadium. NO bags larger than 14 by 10 by 5 inches will be permitted.

LEADING OFF

• This weekend’s non-conference three-game series with Belmont is the first-ever meeting between the two teams on the baseball diamond.

• Georgia Tech’s Kel Johnson is tied for the NCAA DI league in home runs with six on the season. He also ranks second in RBIs with 18 on the season, while fellow junior Wade Bailey ranks second in the nation in runs scored with 17.

• Over the first three innings this season, the Jackets have outscored their opponents 48-11 overall on the year. In fact, the Jackets have totaled double digit runs (10 or more) in each of the first three innings on the year – (22-1st, 13-2nd, 13-3rd).

• The Jackets are 4-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. In fact, the Jackets have been the first team to score in the game in each of their seven wins on the year.

• Georgia Tech cleanup hitter Kel Johnson totaled a team-high five RBIs in the Jackets’ 12-5 win over the Georgia State Panthers on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The five RBI performance is a career-high, which he has done a total of three times overall.

• Tech has already registered six home wins on the season at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Jackets have defeated BYU, Marshall, Western Michigan, Youngstown State twice and Georgia State in front of the home crowd already this year.

• Georgia Tech is a perfect 7-0 this season when scoring five runs or more for the game. Tech has scored double digit runs in five of those seven wins, while in the lone loss of the season the Jackets tallied just three runs.

• Tech has a total of eight different players hitting over .300 on the year (min. 1 ab/game) – Austin Wilhite (.440), Joey Bart (.412), Wade Bailey (.412), Trevor Craport (.387), Chase Murray (.370), Kel Johnson (.364), Kyle McCann (.333) and Ryan Peurifoy (.310).

• As a team, the Jackets rank in the top-25 nationally in nine different categories. Tech ranks third in home runs per game (2.13), fourth in total home runs (17), fourth in slugging percentage (.588), 13th in scoring (9.8 runs per game), 13th in fielding percentage (.986), 16th in wins-loss percentage (.875), 21st in batting average (.337) and 24th in hits (99).

• Tech has been superb at the plate with two outs, as the Jackets are hitting .379 (39-of-103). In fact, 32 of the Jackets 71 RBIs this season have come with two outs in the inning.

FIRST TIME VISITORS

• Georgia Tech will host the Belmont Bruins for the first time in program history this weekend, Mar. 3-5.

• The Bruins are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and are located in Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont returned eight position starters and two starting pitchers from last year’s team that went 33-27 overall.

BROTHER VS. BROTHER

• The weekend series between Belmont and Georgia Tech brings an interesting dynamic in to play as we could see brother versus brother over the weekend in Tech’s Jonathan King and Belmont’s Dylan King.

• Tech’s Jonathan King has come on in relief for the Jackets this season out of the bullpen after being a starting pitcher for his first four years on The Flats.

• Belmont’s Dylan King, the younger brother of Jonathan, is a sophomore starting pitcher for the Bruins.

TECH VERSUS FIRST TIME FOES IN `17

• This season the Jackets are a perfect 2-0 versus first time opponents having picked up wins over BYU and Marshall over opening weekend.

• Georgia Tech defeated BYU 5-3 in the season opener on Feb. 17 and then went on to beat Marshall 11-3 in the second game of the Atlanta Challenge on opening weekend.

ONLY ONE FROM THE VOLUNTEER STATE

• The three-game series this weekend versus the Belmont Bruins are the only three games this year that the Jackets will play a team from the state of Tennessee.

• The Bruins are the first team from the state of Tennessee to play Georgia Tech since the Jackets faced Vanderbilt in back-to-back games at the NCAA Nashville Regional in 2013.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

• The Yellow Jackets will look to make a smooth transition from the month of February to the month of March this week.

• Under head coach Danny Hall the Jackets are 168-51 in the month of February.

• Tech is 305-105 all-time in the month of March under Coach Hall’s direction.

ON DECK

• Georgia Tech will kick-off a four-game road swing on Tuesday, Mar. 7, at Kennesaw State at 5 p.m.

• The Yellow Jackets open up ACC play in one week on Mar. 10-12 at Miami (Fla.).