Feb. 26, 2015
| GT Game Notes • 2015 Media Guide • Season Statistics |
| GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS (5-3) vs. INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES (3-3) Feb. 27-March 1, 2015 • Atlanta, Ga. • Russ Chandler Stadium (4,157) |
| Video: RamblinWreck.com • Radio: WREK 91.1 FM Atlanta • Listen Live |
>> Georgia Tech kicks off an eight-game homestand this weekend by welcoming Indiana State to Russ Chandler Stadium. The series is underway Friday at 4 p.m. All three games can be heard live on WREK 91.1 FM Atlanta with video streaming at RamblinWreck.com.
>> The Yellow Jackets and the Sycamores have never met on the diamond and Tech is 12-5 all-time versus teams from the Missouri Valley Conference. Tech last faced an MVC opponent when it swept Missouri State in Atlanta in 2010. Last season, Indiana State was 35-18 and finished 32nd in the RPI — the highest RPI team left out of the NCAA tournament. This season, the Sycamores already have a win over No. 1 Vanderbilt, 8-1.
>> Tech has come from behind in all five win this season, including a pair of ninth-inning rallies to beat No. 23 FIU and Albany last weekend in Myrtle Beach. Tech is out-scoring opponents 13-4 in the first inning and 11-0 in 9th — 37 percent of Tech’s 66 runs have come in either the first or ninth innings.
>> Seniors Thomas Smith (six games) and Daniel Spingola (five games) each bring notable hitting streaks into the weekend. Smith, Spingola and A.J. Murray have each reached safely in all eight games this season, and Murray has reached in 20 of 21 games dating back to last year.
>> Freshman Kel Johnson (13; t-8th NCAA) and Murray (11) are first and second in the ACC in RBI. Johnson also leads the ACC in home runs (four; t-2nd NCAA) and total bases (29; t-4th NCAA) and is second in slugging (.806). His first career grand slam was a seventh-inning blast at Georgia Southern last Tuesday that gave Tech the lead for good en route to a 7-4 win. He had a season-opening seven-game hitting streak snapped this week at Auburn.
>> Junior lefty Jonathan King is set for his third straight weekend start, but the Yellow Jackets will shuffle their rotation by inserting righty Cole Pitts on Saturday and give sophomore righty Brandon Gold his first career start on Sunday. Pitts is 11 months removed from elbow surgery that sidelined him last March, while Gold is coming off a career-long 5.1 inning relief stint last weekend in Myrtle Beach.
>> Sophomore C Arden Pabst has thrown out 78 percent of stolen-base attempts (seven of nine) against him this season. He was second in the ACC last season in runners caught stealing (16) and caught-stealing percentage (.410). Pabst clubbed a walk-off, three-run home run as Tech rallied to beat Albany, 9-8, last Sunday.
>> The Yellow Jackets were one of the nation’s best defensive teams last season, leading the NCAA in outfield assists (23) and double plays (77, school record), while also setting a school record for best fielding percentage (.974).
>> Danny Hall is in his 22nd season as Tech’s head coach (28th overall), and his last four seasons on the Flats have resulted in two ACC tournament titles (2012, 2014) and an ACC regular-season crown (2011). Hall is a two-time ACC Coach of the Year and is among the 15 winningest active coaches in college baseball with 1,104 wins.
