Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate: Part I

April 11, 2016

LEADING OFF: STORYLINES TO KNOW

1. Senior 3B/LF Matt Gonzalez leads NCAA Division I active players with 18 career sacrifice flies and 252 career hits. Gonzalez is also 2nd in career at bats (816) and is currently 6th among NCAA active players in doubles (52), and 9th in both total bases (352) and RBI (142).
2. Wade Bailey and Connor Justus have combined to turn 27 of Georgia Tech’s 45 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 42 of Tech’s 45 double plays.
3. Georgia Tech is 20-3 (15-0 at home) in games played in less than three hours. In contract, the Jackets are 3-5 (1-3 at home) in games lasting more than three hours.
4. Through 31 games, the Yellow Jackets lead Division I in both double plays (45) and doubles plays per game (1.45).
5. Georgia Tech is 21-0 when allowing five or fewer runs this season. Offensively, the Jackets are 17-3 when scoring five or more runs in a game.
6. Georgia Tech is 5-0 this season against in-state schools and the Yellow Jackets are 14-2 in their last 16 games against in-state rivals.
7. Matthew Gorst has recorded eight of Tech’s 12 saves. Gorst owns a 0.43 ERA, allowing one earned run and just 11 baserunners with 28 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.
8. Georgia Tech has used 25 different lineups in the first 31 games. Only 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus have started every game at the same position.
9. Connor Justus leads the Yellow Jackets with a .395 batting average and has recorded a team-leading 17 multi-hit games.
10. Tuesday will be the first renewal of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate at Russ Chandler Stadium since 2014 (4-1 Tech win). Last season’s meeting in Atlanta was rained out.

SERIES HISTORY
• Tuesday is the 365th meeting of the most-played series in GT baseball history
• Georgia leads 202-160-2
• Streak: Georgia, 1 win
• GT at Home: 43-33
• Last Meeting: May 12, 2015 (L, 0-6 at Turner Field)
• Danny Hall vs. UGA: 90-69-1
• GT in Last 5 Meetings: 3-2
• GT in Last 10 Meetings: 6-4

A TECH WIN TUESDAY WOULD…
• Extend the Yellow Jackets’ winning streak to seven games over in-state rivals
• Improve the Jackets’ series record to 161-202-2 vs. Georgia
• Improve Georgia Tech’s midweek record to 8-1 this season
• Improve Tech’s record to 153-53 against in-state rivals since 1999
• Be Tech’s 15th win in its last 17 games against in-state foes
• Be Tech’s 36th win in its last 42 nonconference games (16-1 in 2016, 19-5 in 2015)

HOMEGROWN SUCCESS
• Head coach Danny Hall has had a history of building a wall around the Peach State and keeping the best prep talent close to home.
• Since 1999, the Yellow Jackets own a 152-53 record against their in-state foes.
• Georgia Tech is 14-2 in its last 16 games against in-state rivals.

MR. RELIABLE(S)
• Junior SS Connor Justus and senior LF Matt Gonzalez have become two of Georgia Tech’s most reliable hitters in 2016. The duo have accounted for 31 extra-base hits and 47 RBI, while batting a combined .388 at the plate.
• Justus is having a career year at the plate, batting a team-best .395 with 12 doubles, three triples, 21 RBI and a .589 slugging percentage. Justus’ doubles (12), triples (3), total bases (73) and stolen bases (6) are all career highs for a season. Justus is four hits shy of matching his freshman season hits total (53). He’s already surpassed his sophomore season total (46).
• Despite missing four games due to injury, Gonzalez has not missed a beat, batting .381 with nine doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI in 27 games.

GONZO ON THE CAREER LISTS
• Senior 3B/LF Matt Gonzalez leads NCAA Division I active players with 18 career sacrifice flies and 252 career hits. Gonzalez is also 2nd in career at bats (816) and is currently 6th among NCAA active players in doubles (52), and 9th in both total bases (352) and RBI (142).
• Gonzalez is three sac flies shy of tying the school record of 21 held by Jason Basil (1998-2001). He is also 2 hits shy of tying Kyle Wren for 20th on Tech’s all-time hits list.

TIME FLIES
• 23 of Tech’s 31 games this season have been played in less than three hours.
• Georgia Tech is 20-3 (15-0 at home) in games played in less than three hours. In contract, the Jackets are 3-5 (1-3 at home) in games lasting more than three hours.

FRESHMEN POWER HOUR
• Freshmen Joey Bart and Tristin English have become mainstays in Georgia Tech’s lineup. Bart ranks 3rd on the team with a .346 average with 7 doubles and 20 RBI. English is 4th with a .340 average and leads the team with 13 doubles. Bart and English have combined for 20 doubles and 41 RBI in 31 games.

CLOSING TIME
• Junior Matthew Gorst has solidified his role as Georgia Tech’s closer. The Alpharetta, Ga., native has recorded 8 of Tech’s 12 save opportunities. Gorst owns a microscopic 0.46 ERA, allowing one earned run and just 11 baserunners with 28 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.
• Since allowing his lone run of the season, Gorst has pitched 12.1 scoring innings of relief, walking only batter and allowing two hits with 15 strikeouts.
• Dating back to his final five appearances of the 2015 season, Gorst has a 0.67 ERA in his last 21.0 relief innings, allowing two earned runs with 30 strikeouts.

…(TURN) TWO IF BY JUSTUS AND BAILEY
• While Georgia Tech leads the nation with 45 double plays, it’s been 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus involved in most of them. Bailey and Justus have combined to turn 27 of Tech’s 45 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 42 of Tech’s 45 double plays.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lead Division I in both double plays (45) and double plays per game (1.45). Tech is one of only three teams in Division I with more than 40 double plays turned this season.
• On the offensive side, the Jackets rank 8th nationally in doubles (77) and 10th in doubles per game.
• Georgia Tech leads the ACC in all four categories.

BATTLE-TESTED
• Georgia Tech’s freshmen pitchers have played an important role in the Yellow Jackets’ 23-8 start. Georgia Tech’s eight freshmen hurlers – Micah Carpenter (2-0, 3.68 ERA), Bailey Combs (0-0, 0.00), Burton Dulaney (1-1, 2 Sv, 4.50), Bobby Gauvreau (0-0, 6.94), Keyton Gibson (2-2, 3.92), Jonathan Hughes (3-1, 2.45), Jake Lee (1-0, 1 Sv, 6.46), and Robert Winborne (0-0, 6.00) – have accounted for nine of Tech’s 23 wins.
• Tech’s eight freshmen are a combined 9-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 123.1 innings.

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