March 24, 2005
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CORAL GABLES, Fla.–Georgia Tech (19-3, 9-0 ACC) visits Miami (21-5, 7-2) for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend at Mark Light Field. Gametimes are 7 p.m. on Friday, and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The Yellow Jackets, who are ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, are off to a fast start in conference play with sweeps of Duke, Wake Forest and NC State. Tech has won an ACC-record 25 straight regular season conference games and the Yellow Jackets have swept eight consecutive ACC weekend series.
Yellow Jacket head coach Danny Hall enters Friday’s game with 503 victories at Georgia Tech, needing one victory to tie the school record of 504 wins held by current Miami head coach Jim Morris (504-244-1 record at Georgia Tech from 1982-1993).
For the year, Tech leads the ACC with a .357 team batting average, a .466 on base percentage and an average of 11.5 runs per game. The Yellow Jackets have scored at least nine runs in 19 of 22 games, reaching double figure scoring in 14 games.
Third baseman Wes Hodges (.451AVG/.532OBP/.769SLG, 7HR, 23RBI) has paced the Tech offense, leading the club in batting, slugging, home runs and hits. Junior right fielder Jeremy Slayden (.378/.468/.667, 7, 33) has five home runs and 22 RBI in the last 11 games.
The rest of the Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.328/.412/.483, 2, 13) and Matt Wieters (.391/.528/.594, 3, 20), first baseman Whit Robbins (.271/.465/.443, 1, 16), second basemen Mike Trapani (.271/.411/.339, 1, 8) and Michael Fisher (.364/.432/.636, 2, 13), shortstop Tyler Greene (.344/.433/.589, 4, 29), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.373/.468/.587, 3, 32), center fielder Danny Payne (.389/.520/.547, 3, 22), and DH Jeff Kindel (.397/.500/.683, 3, 18).
WEEKEND PITCHING MATCHUPS (Georgia Tech vs. Miami):RHP Jason Neighborgall (5-0, 2.65) vs. RHP Cesar Carrillo (5-0, 1.10)LHP Lee Hyde (3-0, 5.52) vs. RHP Ricky Orta (5-1, 1.67)RHP Blake Wood (4-0, 3.26) vs. LHP Dan Touchet (2-2, 5.11)
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Radio coverage available on WREK (91.1 FM) in Atlanta and on the internet at www.wrek.org. Friday and Sunday will be televised by CSS, Saturday game will be televised live by Sun Sports and on tape delay (4 p.m.) on FSN South.
Series Notes vs. Miami
Miami leads the all-time series with Georgia Tech, 36-15-2; the series dates to 1958. Tech is just 4-22-2 in games played in Coral Gables.
The Yellow Jackets have lost five straight and 16 of the last 17 games played at Mark Light Field.
The Hurricanes have won five of the last six games in the series overall since Tech won two of three during a 2002 series in Atlanta. The Hurricanes won three-game series in 2004 (in Atlanta) and 2003 (in Coral Gables).
Last year in Atlanta, Tech won the series opener (17-4) before Miami won the next two games (9-7 and 16-13).
Miami became a member of the ACC for the 2005 season, but the Hurricanes and Yellow Jackets are no strangers to each other. Tech and Miami have played three-game none-conference series in: 1983, 1991, 1992, 1997 ,1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Tech is 5-13 against Miami under head coach Danny Hall.
TECH SETS ACC RECORD WITH 25 STRAIGHT CONFERENCE WINS
The Yellow Jackets won 16 straight ACC games to finish the 2004 season, a new school record, after starting the year 2-5 in conference play. Tech has opened the 2005 season with nine straight league wins to extended its win streak in conference play to an ACC-record 25 games.
The current 25-game streak is the longest regular season ACC win streak in conference history.
HALL APPROACHING TECH RECORD FOR WINS
Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall reached 500 wins in his career at Georgia Tech on Mar. 13 vs. Wake Forest, and with one more win he will tie the school’s record for career victories. Hall, who has a 503-214 (.702) record in 12 years at Tech, already ranks as the school’s winningest coach by percentage. Jim Morris went 504-244-1 from 1982-93.
Hall reached 700 wins for his career in Tech’s 9-1 win over Georgia Southern on Mar. 1. Now in his 18th season as a head coach at Georgia Tech and Kent State, Hall owns a career record of 707-331 (.683).
Georgia Tech Coaching LeadersCoach Years Record Pct.1. Jim Morris 1982-93 504-244-1 .6742. Danny Hall 1994-05 503-214-0 .7023. Jim Luck 1962-81 320-280-5 .5334. Joe Pittard 1946-61 147-99-5 .6075. John Heisman 1904-17 163-97-5 .627
SECOND BEST START IN ACC PLAY IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Georgia Tech has streaked out to a 9-0 record in ACC play to start the 2005 season, sweeping series against Duke, Wake Forest and NC State. Tech’s 9-0 record is the second best conference start since joining the ACC in 1980.
BEST STARTS IN ACC PLAYYear ACC Start1997 11-02005 9-01986 7-0
