Jackets Blast Flames, 22-5

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball (49-9) launched seven home runs, fueled by an NCAA Tournament program record three from Alex Hernandez, to blast past UIC (27-28-1) in game one, 22-5, of the Atlanta Regional on Friday afternoon from inside Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Tech’s seven home runs set a new Georgia Tech team record for home runs in a NCAA Tournament game, while tying for sixth-most ever in a regional or super regional game, besting GT’s previous record of five last set in 2021. Hernandez contributed nine RBIs in the victory, tying the program record for single game and marking the fifth-most in a regional or super regional outing by a Division I program.

Hernandez was joined in the home run category by Parker Brosius, Vahn Lackey, Carson Kerce and Jarren Advincula. UIC struck first in the game with a two-run home run in the second, but the lead was short-lived as Hernandez hit his first in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game. Brosius would secure the permanent lead for the Yellow Jackets with his 13^th career home run just two batters later. The solo home run from Brosius put Tech in front, 3-2, and the Jackets never looked back, tacking on five runs in the 5th inning, nine in the 4th and another five-spot in the 6th to polish off an eventual 17-run victory.

Georgia Tech advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket and will play the winner of the Oklahoma vs. The Citadel game at 6 p.m.

QUICK HITS: TEAM

• The Jackets improve to 49-9, the best 58-game record in program history, three games better than the previous record (49-12 – 1987).
• The Yellow Jackets have reached 49 wins for only the sixth time in program history, along with 2006, 2002, 2000, 1994 and 1987.
• GT scored 22 runs, marking the fourth 20+ run game of the season, a new record for the BBCOR era and the most since 2010.
• Tech has scored 638 runs this season, which are the most runs scored through 58 games in program history and the most scored by any Power 4 team through 58 games in the BBCOR era.
• GT’s 638 runs are the second-most in school history, behind only 1987 (662). The Jackets are 19 runs away from setting a new NCAA record for runs in a single season in the BBCOR era – a record currently held by Tennessee (657 runs in 73 games in 2024).
• The Jackets hit seven home runs today, the most home runs GT has ever hit in an NCAA Tournament game and the most home runs any team has hit in the NCAA Tournament in the BBCOR era.
• The home run outburst brought the season total of 132 – 10 more than the previous program record set back in 2010.
• This was the first seven home run game of the season and the first since setting an ACC Tournament record in the quarterfinals last season (May 22, 2025). It is the sixth 7+ HR game in the last 19 years and the third in the last three: 8 at Mercer – April 22, 2008 / 7 vs. UIC – May 29, 2026 / 7 vs. California – May 22, 2025 / 7 vs. Radford – Feb. 16, 2024 / 7 vs. Presbyterian – May 3, 2009 / 7 vs. Alabama State – March 26, 2008.
• GT is outscoring its opponents 638-279 this season. The plus-359 margin is the largest in Division I this season and the largest in program history.
• Tech’s offense is currently on pace to set program records in batting average (.360 – record is .347), on-base percentage (.471 – record is .434), slugging percentage (.645 – record is .575) and runs-per-game (11.0 – record is 10.3).
• The offense has delivered 10+ runs in 34 games this season (58.6% of all games).\
• Tech put up five runs in the third inning, nine runs in the 4^th and five more in the sixth, giving GT 41 innings with at least five runs scored this season (8.9 % of all innings).
• The nine-run fourth inning was the Jackets’ second of the month (nine in the fourth inning vs. Duke on May 9) and its fifth inning with 9+ scored this season.
• The third inning has been kind to the Yellow Jackets this season, winning the inning by a combined 105-13 score over 58 games.
• The Yellow Jackets are closing in on multiple NCAA records for a single season: 19 runs away from the BBCOR era record (Tennessee – 657 – 73 games in 2024), 35 hits away from the BBCOR era record (Vanderbilt – 770 – 71 games in 2019) and 18 doubles away from the BBCOR era record (Morehead St. / Virginia – 172 – 2015 / 2023).
• Tech’s .360 average would be a new BBCOR era college baseball record (currently .359 by Austin Peay in 2024).
• Tech’s .471 OBP would be a new BBCOR era college baseball record (currently .469 by New Mexico State in 2019).
• Tech’s .645 slugging percentage would be a new BBCOR era Power 4 record (NCAA record is .661 by Austin Peay in 2024).

All SEVEN of Georgia Tech's home runs in the Yellow Jackets' 22-5 win to start the NCAA baseball tournament 😮‍💨 @GTBaseball pic.twitter.com/R9J60rNBUl

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) May 29, 2026

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Sophomore Alex Hernandez spearheaded the onslaught, going 4-for-6 with three home runs, a double and nine RBI.
• It was the most home runs and the most RBI in an NCAA Tournament game in GT history.
• He is the first player to hit three home runs in a regional/super regional game since current MLB player Shea Langeliers (Baylor) did so back in 2019.
• He is just the seventh player in college baseball history to hit three home runs in a regional/super regional, joining a list with Langeliers (Baylor, 2019), Jeff Larish (Arizona State, 2011), Edmund Muth (Stanford, 2000), J.D. Drew (Florida St., 1995) and one home run behind the record holders, Matt Diaz (Florida St., 1998) and Bill Reynolds (Maine, 1986).
• His nine RBI set a GT Baseball postseason record and tied the program record set by Pete Geist (1984), Andy Bruce (1994) and Chase Burnett (2009).
• Nine RBI is tied for the 5^th most ever recorded by a single player in a regional round, behind the following:
  11 – Shea Langeliers, Baylor (vs. Omaha, 2019)
  11 – Tre Richardson, TCU (vs. Arkansas, 2023)
  10 – Kevin Brown, Miami (Fla.) (vs. Stetson, 2001)
  10 – Connor Kaiser, Vanderbilt (vs. Clemson, 2019)
  9 – Alex Henandez, Georgia Tech (vs. UIC, 2026)

• Hernandez has recorded 15 RBI in his last four games, producing at least one in all four postseason games to this point.
• He has now produced 17 RBI in four career NCAA tournament games – 4.25 per game).
• He is up to 53 RBI this season and 122 over his career after setting the GT freshman record with 69 Rbi last season.
• He has hit 12 home runs this year, with a quarter of them coming today, giving him 28 over his career.
• Junior Vahn Lackey went 2-for-3 with two runs and one of the most impressive home runs hit in a season of impressive homers. He sent a pitch 459 feet into left field to make it a 5-2 ballgame early in the third inning for his 19^th HR of the season.
• He finished with two RBI and two runs scored today. He leads the team in both RBI (77) runs (82) on-base percentage (.530) and slugging percentage (.793) this season.
• His 82 runs scored are the 7^th most in program history and the most recorded since Mark Teixeira set the program record (104) back in 2000.
• His 77 RBI tie him for 13^th on the program leaderboard, tied with Bryan Prince (2000). Kevin Parada (2022) is the only Tech player in the BBCOR era to ever record 80 RBI in a season (88).
• Junior Carson Kerce hit his 11^th home run of the season in the Jackets’ nine-run fourth inning.
• The three-run homer was his 11^th of the season after hitting a combined six HR in his first two seasons in college.
• His three RBI bring his season total to 50, the eighth Yellow Jacket to collect 50 RBI this season, a new program record.
• Senior Parker Brosius put another chapter in his storybook final season. He launched a go-ahead solo home run in the second inning for his first-career 10 home run campaign.
• In the 11 games since graduating from Georgia Tech, Brosius has produced a 1.450 OPS with seven home runs and 20 RBI.
• Junior Drew Burress extended his on-base streak to 21 games with a pair of walks and a run scored.
• He has now scored 229 runs in his career, the most of any active DI player and just three away from tying Darren Bragg (1988-91) for the fourth most in program history.
• Burress holds the GT BBCOR era records for the most runs (229), RBI (185), doubles (61), home runs (58) and total bases (495). He is five bases away from becoming just the fourth Jacket to ever collect 500 total bases – also Andy Bruce (506: 1988-91), Tony Plagman (513: 2007-10) and Jason Varitek (610: 1991-94).
• Junior Jarren Advincula extended his hitting streak to a career best 26 games, the 5th longest in program history and the longest since 2002. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run.
• He has delivered 106 hits this season, tied with Wes Hodges and Jason Varitek for the fourth most in program history and the most since 2000 (Richard Lewis – 109).
• He has gotten a hit in 41 of his last 42 games dating back to March 10 and 54 of 58 games overall this season.
• His batting average now stands at .434, the highest in Power 4, the 2nd best in the nation and tied for the 5th highest in program history – tied with Jay Payton from 1994 for the highest batting average with at least 200 at-bats.
• Sophomore Will Baker hit his 20^th double of the season. Georgia Tech is the only program in the nation to have three players with at least 20 doubles this season: Kerce (28 – the most in the Power 4), Burress(22) and now Baker.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• R-Junior Carson Ballarddelivered his seventh start of the season, and fifth consecutive weekend start. Tech has won all seven of his starts this season by an average of 9.3 runs.
• Tech has not lost a game started by Ballard since March 28, 2024.
• He would pitch 4.0 innings, allowing only three batters to reach while matching his career high with six strikeouts.
• He allowed two earned runs off a home run in the second before pitching two more scoreless innings and exiting the game with a 17-2 lead.
• Ballard has now recorded 47 strikeouts this season, his first career 40 K season.
• His ERA stands at 3.55 this season over 45.2 innings, only Jackson Blakely (2.79) has a lower ERA with more innings pitched on staff.
• R-sophomore Jake Lankie pitch the 5^th and 6^th innings, allowing one run while adding on a strikeout.
• He would get credit for his first-career win, bringing his career record to 1-2 over two seasons and 1-1 for the year.
• He has appeared in 17 games this season, more than twice his appearances from his r-freshman season, last year (eight).
• Lankie was the first of four Tech pitchers to make their NCAA Tournament debuts, followed by a scoreless 7^th inning from freshman Charlie Willcox, a two-run/two strikeout 8^th inning from freshman Jamie Vicens and a scoreless ninth from sophomore Adam McKelvey.

Up Next

Georgia Tech advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket and will play the winner of the Oklahoma vs. The Citadel game at 6 p.m.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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