June 8, 2006
Complete NCAA Super Regional Notebook in PDF Format
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ATLANTA–Champion of the NCAA Atlanta Regional, Georgia Tech (48-16) will host the College of Charleston (46-15), the champion of the NCAA Lexington Regional, in the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium. Game times in the best two-of-three series are 12 noon on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (if necessary).
Georgia Tech, the No. 8 national seed, swept through the NCAA Atlanta Regional with three straight wins to capture its third straight Regional Championship. Tech is advancing to the Super Regional round for the fifth time since the current tournament format was adopted in 1999.
The Yellow Jackets look to make their third trip to the College World Series in Omaha after making appearances in 1994 and 2002.
Charleston, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Lexington Regional, captured its first Regional Championship with three straight wins over Notre Dame, Ball State and Kentucky. The Cougars have never played in the College World Series.
Georgia Tech has played in 21 of the last 22 NCAA Tournaments, and Tech is making its 23rd NCAA appearance overall. The Jackets won regionals in 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Georgia Tech hosting a NCAA Super Regional for the third straight year.
All-Time NCAA Tournament Record: 52-45
Georgia Tech is making its 21st NCAA Regional appearance in the last 22 years, and its 23rd overall appearance in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Yellow Jackets have captured six regional championships (1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006) and have two College World Series appearances (1994 and 2002).
Georgia Tech went 16-10 against the NCAA Tournament field during the regular season.
Georgia Tech vs. College of Charleston
Georgia Tech is 7-0 against the College of Charleston, although the two teams have not met since 1993. The Yellow Jackets and Cougars played seven times from 1991 through 1993, with Tech winning all seven games at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Tech Makes 21st NCAA Appearance in Last 22 Years
Georgia Tech is making its 21st NCAA Regional appearance in the last 22 years in 2006. 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 is the only school in the nation to earn a National Top 8 seed in each of the last four years.
Most NCAA Regional Appearances, Last 22 Years1. Florida State 22 Miami 223. GEORGIA TECH 214. Louisiana State 20 Clemson 20 Stanford 20 Texas 20
Tech Hosts NCAA Regional Six Times in Last Seven Years
Georgia Tech is a host site in the NCAA Championship for the fifth straight year and for the sixth time in the last seven years in 2006. 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 eight occasions – 1987, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Tech is hosting a NCAA Super Regional for the third straight year and for the fifth time overall.
NCAA Nuggets
Regional Host for Fifth Straight Year: Georgia Tech hosted a NCAA Regional for the fifth consecutive year, tied with Texas for the longest active hosting streak in the nation.
Super Regional Host for Third Straight Year: Georgia Tech is hosting a NCAA Super Regional for the third consecutive year and for the fifth time overall. Tech is tied with Stanford and Cal State Fullerton for the most times hosting a Super Regional since the current format was adopted in 1999. Florida State, Miami, Rice and South Carolina have all hosted four Super Regionals.
National Seed Streak: Georgia Tech earned a national top-eight seed for the fourth consecutive year, the longest active streak in the nation. Cal State Fullerton and Nebraska have earned a national seed in each of the last two seasons.
Most National Seeds in Last Four Years: Georgia Tech has been awarded four national seeds in the last four years, the most in the nation. Cal State Fullerton and Rice have three national seeds in that stretch, while Stanford, Nebraksa and Miami have earned two national seeds in the last four years.
All Time National Seeds: Stanford leads the nation with six national seeds since the current tournament format was adopted for the 1999 season.
School National Seeds 1. Stanford 6 2. GEORGIA TECH 5 Cal StateFullerton 5 Rice 5 5. Florida State 4 Miami 4
Wieters Named MVP of NCAA Atlanta Regional
Catcher/pitcher Matt Wieters was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Atlanta Regional after going 8-for-9 with three home runs and six RBI. Wieters also drew six walks, raching base safely in 14 of 15 plate appearances, including each of his last 11 plate appearances of the regional. Wieters posted a .889 batting average, a .933 on base percentage and a 1.889 slugging percentage.
Also named to the NCAA Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Team were 2B Mike Trapani, SS Michael Fisher, OF Jeff Kindel and P Ryan Turner.
Seven Selected in MLB Draft
Six Georgia Tech players – 3B Wes Hodges (2nd/Indians), RHP Blake Wood (3rd/Royals), 1B/3B Whit Robbins (4th/Twins), LHP Lee Hyde (4th/Braves), RHP Tim Gustafson (9th/Braves) and OF Jeff Kindel (14th/Rockies) – were selected on the first day of the 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. RHP John Goodman was selected in the 45th round by the St. Louis Cardinals on day two of the draft.
Murton Ties HR Record; Earns ACC All-Tournament Honors
Georgia Tech freshman first baseman Luke Murton tied a Georgia Tech record with three home runs in the ACC Tournament semifinal game against Clemson on May 27. After failing to record a hit in his first two at bats of the game, Murton homered in his final three at bats, hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning, a two-run shot in the eighth and a grand slam in the ninth.
Eight previous players had hit three homers in a game, most recently by Scott Byers in 1996. Murton is the third Tech player to homer in three consecutive at bats, joining Jason Varitek (1993) and Ryan Rytter (1995).
After hitting just one home run in the first 55 games of the season, Murton homered in the final game of the regular season, added a homer in the NCAA Atlanta Regional, and now has five homers in the last nine games.
Murton was named to the ACC All-Tournament team.
Four Yellow Jackets Named All-ACC
Outfielder Danny Payne was named to the 2006 All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team, while 3B Wes Hodges, OF Jeff Kindel and catcher Matt Wieters have earned second-team all-conference honors. This marks the 12th straight season that Tech has had four or more players on the all-ACC team.
Payne earned all-ACC honors for the first time in his career while Hodges, Kindel and Wieters were named to the all-conference team for the second straight season.
Blackwood Named Academic All-America
Georgia Tech senior outfielder Steven Blackwood has been named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America baseball team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The Biology major from Roswell, Ga., already a three-time Academic All-District selection, was named to the Academic All-America third team.
Blackwood is Georgia Tech’s fifth Academic All-America, joining former stars Nomar Garciaparra, L.J. Yankosky, Mark Teixeira and Matthew Boggs.
Wood Reaches 10 Wins Again
Junior Blake Wood earned his 10th victory of the season in Tech’s 7-5 win over Stetson in the opening round of the NCAA Atlanta Regional. Wood, who went 10-1 in 2005 and is 10-4 in 2006, is just the fifth player in Georgia Tech history to record 10+ wins in consecutive seasons.
Georgia Tech Pitchers With 10+ Wins in Back-To-Back SeasonsPlayer Year One Year TwoKevin Brown* 10-6 (1985) 11-5 (1986)Doug Creek* 10-6 (1989) 11-4 (1990) [went 11-5 in 1991]Brad Rigby* 13-1 (1993) 14-4 (1994)Chuck Crowder 12-4 (1998) 10-5 (1999)Blake Wood 10-1 (2005) 10-4 (2006)*pitched in Major Leagues
Wood in the Postseason
Junior Blake Wood pitched a season-long 8 1/3 innings in Tech’s 2-1 win over Miami on in the first round of the ACC Tournament, holding the Hurricanes to one run on five hits. Over the last two seasons, Wood is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA, holding opponents to a .211 average, in five postseason starts in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.
Third in the Nation in W’s
Georgia Tech enters the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional with the third most wins in the nation this season. Rice leads the nation with 52 wins against Division I opponents, while four of the five winningest schools in the country are from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
School Record 1. Rice 52-10 2. Clemson 50-14 3. GEORGIA TECH 48-16 N. Carolina 48-13 5. Virginia 47-15
A Balance of Power
Georgia Tech has five players who have reached double digit home runs in 2006 – Whit Robbins (12 HR), Wes Hodges (11), Jeff Kindel (11), Danny Payne (11) and Matt Wieters (13). Tech has five players reaching double-figure home runs for the first time since the NCAA adopted the current bat rules for the 1999 season.
Tech’s previous high was when four players reach 10-plus homers in 2002 when the Jackets advanced to the College World Series.
The Yellow Jackets lead the ACC with 84 home runs in 2006, the highest team total since the NCAA adopted the current bat rules in 1999. Tech’s previous high was 79 in 2000.
