*Please note the series will now begin with a doubleheader Friday starting at 2 p.m. as Saturday’s previously scheduled 5 p.m. contest has been canceled.
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (15-25) will wrap up its regular season with a four-game home series against Virginia, beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday at Mewborn Field. As both squads vie for a spot in the upcoming ACC Tournament, the Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers will open the series with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday. Tech and Virginia will further the series with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday and conclude the regular season with a Senior Day showdown at noon on Sunday.
Game Schedule
Friday, April 30 @ 2 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
Friday, April 30 @ 4 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
Saturday, May 1 @ 2 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
Sunday, May 2 @ Noon ET vs. Virginia
TV
Saturday’s 2 p.m. matchup will be broadcast live on ACC Network. The remainder of the weekend series will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Parking
Parking is available in the McCamish Lot throughout the weekend.
Senior Day
Georgia Tech will celebrate 12 student-athletes, nine current and three former players, on Sunday for Senior Day. The nine current academic seniors will receive a special introduction pregame, and all 12 will be honored with a postgame ceremony.
Storylines
- Georgia Tech is most recently coming off of a 3-2 win over Kennesaw State. The Jacket slingers held the Owls to five hits on the day as sophomore right-hander Blake Neleman got the start, tossing five innings while picking up four strikeouts and allowing just two runs on four hits. Senior lefty Madison McPherson closed it out with a strikeout and one hit allowed in two innings of work. Sophomore catcher Emma Kauf had the most productive day at the plate, blasting a solo shot for her 15th career homerun and scoring two of Tech’s three runs.
- The Jackets continue to flex their power this season as they’re currently third in the ACC and 29th in the NCAA in home runs per game (1.23).
- Georgia Tech has four different batters that have jacked eight or more homeruns on the season (Kauf, Tricia Awald, Cameron Stanford and Crosby Huckabay). Eight total Jackets have gone yard multiple times this season as Kauf and Awald lead the team with nine dingers this year.
- Along with that power, Tech has efficiently put runners on, ranking third in the conference in on-base percentage (0.376).
- A big part of the Jackets’ proficiency in reaching base comes from strong plate discipline as they’re currently third in the ACC and 24th in the country in walks (142).
- Through that success at the dish, Georgia Tech maintains some of the best averages in the conference, ranking fifth in batting average (2.77) and slugging percentage (0.464) in the ACC.
- In the field, the Yellow Jackets have displayed solid glove work this season as they’re marked fourth in the ACC in fielding percentage (0.968).
- True freshman Jin Sileo turned the first triple play on record in program history against Clemson earlier this season (L6-6U-63), earning recognition as the top play of the week by the NCAA. Her triple play is one of eight across the nation this season.
- A pair of Jackets have earned ACC Player of the Week recognition this season as sophomore catcher Emma Kauf earned ACC Player of the Week and sophomore pitcher Blake Neleman was named ACC Co-Pitcher of the week for their performances in the season opening Buzz Classic.
- Awald brings power and consistency as she’s tied for the team lead with nine dingers and is currently second in the ACC in on-base percentage at (0.524). Her team-leading 0.395 batting average currently marks her sixth in the ACC.
- Stanford has thrived at the dish with runners on, currently ranking fifth in the ACC in RBI per game (0.87). The outfielder has a knack for coming through in the biggest moments as she has a seventh-inning grand slam and an 11th-inning walk-off two-run homerun against Louisville to her name this season.
- Senior utility player Breanna Roper has been among the conference’s best in making her way around the base path this year as she’s fifth in the league in runs per game averaging 0.89 per contest.
- Neleman retains some of the best marks of the pitching staff, tossing seven complete games for wins with a pair of shutouts. The Marietta, Ga. native has piled up 79 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings of work.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech holds a 49-42 advantage over Virginia in the all-time series.
- The Yellow Jackets have claimed six of the last seven games between the two.
- The Jackets also maintain the longest win streak of the series, taking 11 straight from 2008-11.
- Tech has faired well away from home against Virginia, going 20-12 in true road contests and 11-9 in neutral matchups.
NOTE: ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) programming is available online via the ESPN app or WatchESPN.com. Viewers must subscribe to a cable/satellite/digital provider that carries the ACC Network to view ACCNX programming.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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