June 2, 2005
NCAA Regional Notebook in PDF Format
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (42-16, 22-8 ACC), the regular season and tournament champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, is the No. 2 national seed in the 2005 NCAA Division I Championship, and the Yellow Jackets will host the NCAA Atlanta Regional this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The regional begins on Friday at 12 noon when #2 seed South Carolina (38-21, 16-14 SEC) faces #3 seed Michigan (41-17, 17-12 Big Ten). Top seeded Georgia Tech plays #4 seed Furman (30-27, 13-16 Southern Conference) on Friday at 4 p.m. The losers of Friday’s game play on Saturday at 12 noon, while the winners face off at 4 p.m. The regional continues on Sunday at 12 noon and 4 p.m., and will conclude on Monday at 6 p.m. (if necessary). All games of the NCAA Atlanta Regional will be televised by ESPNU.
Georgia Tech, the only school in the nation to earn a national top eight seed in each of the last three seasons, is making its 20th NCAA appearance in the last 21 years. The Yellow Jackets are hosting a NCAA Regional for the fourth straight year and for the fifth time in the last six years.
Yellow Jacket head coach Danny Hall won his 505th (currently 526-227 in 12 years) game at Georgia Tech on Mar. 27 in Miami, eclipsing the previous 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 in batting .338 and runs scored (9.7 per game). The Yellow Jackets have scored at least nine runs in 35 of 58 games, reaching double figure scoring in 26 games. Tech hit .354 and averaged 10.1 runs in 30 ACC games.
The Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.299AVG/.369OBP/.433SLG, 4HR, 34RBI) and Matt Wieters (.368/.472/.588, 9, 63), first baseman Whit Robbins (.260/.407/.440, 5, 39), second baseman Mike Trapani (.333/.449/.451, 2, 22), shortstop Tyler Greene (.370/.457/.605, 12, 69), third baseman Wes Hodges (.404/.477/.588, 9, 49), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.352/.441/.484, 5, 65), center fielder Danny Payne (.298/.427/.395, 3, 38), and right fielder Jeff Kindel (.367/.479/.582, 6, 62).
PITCHING ROTATION:
Game 1: LHP Lee Hyde (7-3, 4.59)
Game 2: RHP Blake Wood (9-1, 3.49)
Game 3: LHP Ryan Turner (7-2, 3.00)
GAME COVERAGE: All games from the NCAA Atlanta Regional will be televised live by ESPNU. Live statistics on the internet for all games of the regional at www.ncaasports.com. Radio coverage for all Georgia Tech games on WREK (91.1 FM) and on the internet at www.wrek.org.
Georgia Tech vs. the NCAA Field
All-time NCAA Tournament Record: 46-42
Georgia Tech is making its 20th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 21 years and 22nd overall appearance in this weekend’s NCAA Atlanta Regional. The Yellow Jackets have captured four regional championships (1994, 2000, 2002, 2004) and have two College World Series appearances (1994, 2002).
Georgia Tech went 19-11 against the NCAA Championship field during the 2005 season.
vs. NCAA Atlanta Regional Opponents
vs. Furman – Georgia Tech leads, 19-2, including an 11-1 mark in Atlanta … Despite campuses that are less than 150 miles apart, Tech and Furman have met only once since 1970 … Last meeting was in 1987 (a 10-4 Tech win) … The series began in 1906 … Tech and Furman have never met in NCAA Regional play.
vs. South Carolina – South Carolina leads, 33-14-1 … Three of the last four meetings have come in NCAA play … Tech and South Carolina split a pair of meetings in the 2002 College World Series (GT 11-0 and SC 9-5) … Tech posted a 12-1 win in the 1993 NCAA Atlantic Regional in Atlanta … The Yellow Jackets and Gamecocks also met during the 2002 regular season, an 8-3 South Carolina win … The schools have met just three times (all in 2002) since 1993.
vs. Michigan – Michigan leads, 3-2 … First meeting in 1912, a 5-4 Michigan win in Atlanta’s Ponce de Leon Park … The Wolverines won two of three games in a weekend series in Atlanta (1995) … The last meeting came in 2003, a 7-6 Tech win in Savannah, Ga.
TECH MAKES 20th NCAA APPEARANCE IN LAST 21 YEARS
Georgia Tech is making its 20th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 21 years in 2005. The Yellow Jackets have played in the NCAA tournament every year since 1985 with the exception of 1999, and Tech is making its 22nd overall NCAA appearance.
Georgia Tech’s streak of 14 straight years in the NCAA Tournament, which ended in the spring of 1999, was the fourth-longest for a Division I team at the time.
But after missing out on the NCAA Tournament in 1999 for the first time in 15 years, the Yellow Jackets bounced back in 2000 with a 50-win season and an ACC Championship to return to the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. Tech returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and then advanced to the College World Series in 2002. With regional appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Tech has earned a berth in the NCAA Regionals 20 times in the last 21 years.
Prior to the recent streak, Tech had participated in the NCAA playoffs twice, in 1959 and 1971, with an additional play-in tournament appearance in 1948. Georgia Tech made its first trip to the College World Series in 1994, advancing to the championship game before losing to Oklahoma, 13-5. Tech returned to the College World Series for the second time in 2002.
Most NCAA Regional Appearances, Last 21 Years1. Florida State 21 Miami 213. GEORGIA TECH 20 Louisiana State 205. Clemson 19 Stanford 19 Texas 19
TECH HOSTS NCAA REGIONAL FOR FIFTH TIME IN SIX YEARS
Georgia Tech is hosting a NCAA Regional for the fourth straight year and for the fifth time in the last six years. Prior to this recent streak, the Yellow Jackets hosted a regional just twice in its first 16 NCAA Regional appearances.
The Yellow Jackets have hosted a NCAA Regional on seven occasions – 1987, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2005 ACC CHAMPIONS
Georgia Tech won the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last week in Jacksonville, Fla., the Yellow Jackets’ third ACC title in the last six years. Tech owns seven ACC Championships – 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2003 and 2005.
The Yellow Jackets also captured the 2005 ACC Regular Season Championship, their sixth such title. Tech won the ACC regular season in 1987, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
ACC Tournament Recap: The Yellow Jackets went a perfect 4-0 to capture the 2005 title, winning three games by coming from behind. In the opening round vs. Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons raced to a 7-0 lead after three innings. The Yellow Jackets clawed back into the game with a six-run fifth inning. Tech added a run in the seventh, and after Wake Forest scored a run in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead, scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to post a 9-8 win.
In the second round vs. Florida State, the Seminoles scored one run in the sixth and three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-0 lead. Tech answered with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 5-4 win.
After cruising to an 18-2, seven inning win over Florida State in the semifinals, Tech rallied for a 4-3 win over Virginia in the championship game. Trailing 3-2 after six innings, the Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the seventh.
For the season, the Yellow Jackets have five wins in their last at bat and have won five games when trailing after the eighth inning.
BULLISH ON THE BULLPEN IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
The Yellow Jackets swept through the 2005 ACC Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record against Wake Forest, Florida State and Virginia, due in large part to the success of the Tech bullpen in the tournament. The bullpen of Matt Wieters (2-0, 1 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 K), Jordan Crews (1-0, 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 K), Jared Hyatt (1-0, 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 K) and Tim Gustafson (3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K) combined to work 16.2 innings and allowed just one earned run (0.54 ERA). The group allowed 10 hits and struck out 18 batters while posting a 4-0 record in four games.
