March 3, 2013
Overall Record: 11-1
ACC Record: 0-0
Winning/Losing Streak: W6
Updated Georgia Tech Stats | ACC Stats | ACC Standings
Past Week: 5-0
2/26: W, 11-4 at Georgia Southern… Evans homered twice, drove in five runs and broke 4-4 tie with two-run homer in sixth inning
2/27: W, 14-8 at Georgia Southern… Evans homered, scored three times and Daniel Palka went 4-for-5 with a home run
3/1: W, 13-1 vs. Rutgers… A.J. Murray launched a grand slam, and Buck Farmer went seven innings with nine strikeouts
3/2: W, 11-2 vs. Rutgers… Palka and Murray homered and Evans had three more hits in the 11-2 rout
3/3: W, 12-0 vs. Rutgers… Cole Pitts allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings and the offense hit 18 singles in a 12-0 win
Coming Week
3/5: vs. Mercer, 6 p.m. (Atlanta, Ga.)
3/8: at Virginia Tech, 5:30 p.m. (Blacksburg, Va.)
3/9: at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m. (Blacksburg, Va.)
3/10: at Virginia Tech, 1 p.m. (Blacksburg, Va.)
EVANS ON A TEAR: Junior Zane Evans was red hot as the Yellow Jackets went 5-0 this week, hitting a team best .579 (11-for-19), scoring eight times and driving in nine runs. He homered four times in a three-game stretch, walked three times and did not strike out. Evans slugged 1.211, posted a .636 on-base percentage (both team highs) and had at least a hit in every game. He went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBI in the 11-4 win at Georgia Southern, including a game-winning two-run blast that broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth. He hit a three-run shot in the seventh inning of that game. Evans homered, scored three times and pitched the final two innings of scoreless relief in Wednesday’s 14-8 win at GSU. He had six hits, a homer and three RBI in the sweep of Rutgers. After opening the season hitting just .125 (2-for-16), Evans is 13 for his last 28 (.464) with all five of his homers and 12 of his 16 RBI. Five home runs this season match his career-high from his Freshman All-America campaign in 2011.
BUCK EXTENDS STREAK: Senior RHP Buck Farmer continued the dominant start to his final season, going six innings with nine strikeout and one walk in a 13-1 victory over Rutgers Friday. The run allowed to Rutgers was his first of the season — an unearned tally in the fifth inning. In 21 innings this year, Farmer is 2-0 with 30 strikeouts, one walk, no earned runs and 15 hits (14 singles and one double). His streak of 21 innings to start a season without allowing an earned run is the longest at Tech in at least the last 10 years.
MUST KEEP BATS WARM: The weather may not be, but Tech’s offense remains hot as the Yellow Jackets are hitting an ACC best .350 for this season, and coming off a five-game week where they hit .377 and slugged .592. Tech out-homered the opposition 9-1 last week, and out-scored them 61-15, including a 36-3 margin over a three-game sweep of Rutgers. Tech has won six games in a row (its longest winning streak since 2011), and scored double-figures in all six — it’s the second-longest streak of reaching double-digits in school history. The school record is eight-straight double-figure games in 2005.
SUNDAY FUNDAY: Tech’s Sunday starter, sophomore Cole Pitts, is 3-0 after an efficient, two-hit, five-inning effort in the 12-0 shutout of Rutgers Sunday to complete the sweep. Pitts sports a 1.59 ERA, with 15 strikeouts, three walks and nine hits allowed in his 17 innings. Pitts is 5-0 over his last six starts dating back to last season.
RUNNIN’ IT UP: Tech swiped 10 bases in 12 attempts this past week, including 5-for-6 from junior LF Kyle Wren. With a team-leading eight this season, Wren continues to climb Tech’s all-time stolen bases chart. He has 40 in his career to place 20th all-time on the Flats.
GRAND ENTRANCE: Sophomore 1B A.J. Murray is showing no signs of slowing down and is second on the team in hitting at .450, and leads the club with a .560 on-base percentage. After going just 1-for-12 in limited action as a freshman, Murray is making the most of his role as the starting first baseman. Murray’s grand slam in Friday’s win over Rutgers was his first career homer and the Jackets’ first grand slam in two seasons. He followed that up Saturday with a solo shot. He is one of three Jackets to have reached base at least once in every game this season (Daniel Palka, Brandon Thomas).
HOT STARTS: The 11-1 start after 12 games marks the ninth time in 20 seasons under head coach Danny Hall that Tech has started 11-1 or better. Each of those previous years, Tech reached the NCAA Tournament and twice advanced to the College World Series.
Starts of 11-1 or Better Under Danny Hall
2013: 11-1
2010: 11-1 (Final record: 47-15, NCAA Regional)
2009: 11-1 (Final record: 38-19-1, NCAA Regional)
2008: 11-1 (Final record: 41-21, NCAA Regional)
2006: 12-0 (Final record: 50-18, College World Series)
2003: 12-0 (Final record: 44-18, ACC Champions, NCAA Regional)
2002: 11-1 (Final record: 52-16, College World Series)
2001: 11-1 (Final record: 41-20, NCAA Regional)
1997: 11-1 (Final record: 46-15, NCAA Regional)
