February 23, 2017

Georgia Tech Baseball to Host the Penguins this Weekend, Feb. 24-26

Feb. 23, 2017

Georgia Tech Game Notes | Youngstown State Game Notes | 2017 GT Baseball Information Guide

THE FLATS — Georgia Tech baseball welcomes Youngstown State to The Flats for a three-game non-conference series this weekend, Feb. 24-26, at Russ Chandler Stadium.

FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE
• All three of the games this 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
• FREE FOOD FRIDAY — Georgia Tech students will get free pizza (while supplies last) when they come to the game on Friday versus YSU. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
• 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. 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
• Georgia Tech is a perfect 4-0 thus far this season and 3-0 at home in Russ Chandler Stadium. Tech beat BYU (5-3), Marshall (11-3) and Western Michigan (8-3) at home on opening weekend. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Jackets defeated Georgia Southern on the road 10-3 in Statesboro, Ga.
• Georgia Tech has not trailed at all thus far this season. In fact, the Jackets have only been tied with their respective opponents a total of four innings over their first four games of the year.
• Tech has allowed exactly three runs in each of its four games this season. The Jackets defeated BYU 5-3, pounded Marshall 11-3, beat Western Michigan 8-3 and most recently conquered Georgia Southern 10-3 on the road this past Tuesday night.
• The Jackets have won four straight games to start the season. Last year, Tech started the year with 12 straight wins, all of which came in non-conference play.
• Georgia Tech junior Kel Johnson is tied for the lead among all NCAA Division I hitters with five home runs already this season.
• Six different Jackets are hitting over .350 thus far this season in Wade Bailey (.471), Austin Wilhite (.462), Kel Johnson (.438), Chase Murray (.400), Ryan Peurifoy (.357) and Trevor Craport (.353).
• The Yellow Jackets have scored first in all four games thus far this season and have outscored their opponents 34-12 on the year.
• Georgia Tech’s pitching staff has been superb of getting out of jams this season, as the Jackets’ opponents have left a combined total of 41 runners on base on the year.
• Tech is a combined 165-50 all-time in February under head coach Danny Hall. The Jackets enter this final weekend of February having gone 11-0 over the last two years for the month of February (7-0, 2016; 4-0, 2017).
• The Jackets have jumped on their foes early in 2017, as Tech has outscored all four of its opponents thus far this season 22-0 over the first three innings of the contest. Tech outscored BYU 3-0, Marshall 9-0, Western Michigan 4-0 and Georgia Southern 6-0 over the first three innings of play.

VERSUS YSU
• The Yellow Jackets host Youngstown State for only the second time on The Flats, as Georgia Tech last hosted the Penguins back in 2008.
• Tech swept the Penguins in a three-game series just over nine years ago on Feb. 22-24, 2008 at Russ Chandler Stadium.

BUCKEYE STATE CONNECTION
• Georgia Tech has a number of connections to the state of Ohio, most notably in the Yellow Jackets’ head coach Danny Hall who hails from Coolville, Ohio, played collegiate ball at Miami University (Ohio) and served as the head coach at Kent State in Kent, Ohio.
• GT assistant coach Bryan Prince was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds of Cincinnati, Ohio and played in their minor league system for four years, while fellow assistant coach Jason Howell once served as the pitching coach for the Southern Ohio Copperheads of the Great Lakes League.
• Another Jacket with Ohio ties is freshman Chase Murray. Murray is from Cincinnati, Ohio and was ranked as the No. 1 outfielder in the Class of 2016 for the state of Ohio by Perfect Game.

HOME COOKING
• Georgia Tech is a perfect 3-0 at home thus far this season having won all three games of the Atlanta Challenge on opening weekend, Feb. 17-19.
• The Yellow Jackets were 23-11 last season at home and are off to a great start this year on The Flats.

LOOK FOR THE LONG BALL THIS WEEKEND
• Fans can expect to see a few home runs this weekend, as the top-two home run hitters in the NCAA will be at Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Youngstown State’s Andrew Kendrick has hit five home runs in the Penguins first three games of the season and leads the nation with an average of 1.67 home runs per game.
• Tech’s Kel Johnson has also hit five home runs, including three last time out at Georgia Southern, and is tied for second in the nation with an average of 1.24 home runs per contest this season.

ON DECK
• Tech will remain at home to host inner-state rivals Georgia State and Kennesaw State next week in back-to-back days.
• The Yellow Jackets will take on Georgia State on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m.
• Georgia Tech will then host Kennesaw State on Wednesday, Mar. 1, at 6 p.m.