May 19, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. – No. 17 Georgia Tech (49-12) will take on Kansas (30-22) in the opening game of the NCAA Athens Regional this Friday at the UGA Softball Stadium. First pitch for the Yellow Jackets and Jayhawks is slated for 5 p.m. ET.
The Yellow Jackets won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships and have won 49 games this season, the second most ever by a Tech squad. The Jayhawks finished sixth in the Big 12 conference and went 0-2 at the conference tournament.
Senior Jessica Sallinger, ACC Pitcher of the Year and Tournament MVP, leads the Jackets in the circle with a 27-7 record and a 1.07 earned run average. She broke the school record with 353 strikeouts and 16 shutouts this year. Sallinger currently stands fourth all-time in the NCAA with 1,378 career K’s.
“She is the heart and soul of this team,” said head coach Ehren Earleywine. “Every time she is in the circle, we have a good chance of winning the game.”
Junior Christine Sheridan leads the Jackets offensively, with a .395 batting average. She was named to the All-ACC first team and ACC All-Tournament team after hitting .333 in the championship.
“She is a gap hitter that can hit home runs on occasion,” said Earleywine. “She makes adjustments as well as anyone I’ve seen.” No. 10 national seed Georgia will take on Tennessee Tech in the second game tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The winners will meet on Saturday at Noon. The double-elimination tournament will run through Sunday, with the champion advancing to a Super Regional in Los Angeles. All the action can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
All-tournament passes for the 2005 NCAA Softball Regional at Georgia are currently on sale with chairback seats $30 and general admission seats $24. Passes can be purchased at the Georgia Ticket Office (888-542-1231) or go on-line at www.georgiadogs.com. Single day tickets will be available on the day of the competition for $8.
The University of Georgia security procedures and policies will be in effect for the tournament. The following items will not be allowed inside the Georgia Softball Stadium: alcoholic beverages, artificial noisemakers, banners, coolers, drinks, food, large flags and signs, pets, and any object deemed hazardous by Georgia event staff personnel.
The winners of the 16 regional sites will compete in eight Super Regional sites, May 27-28. The winners of the Super Regional will advance to the 24th NCAA Women’s College World Series begins Thursday, June 2, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
NCAA ATHENS REGIONAL
Friday, May 20
Game 1: #2 Kansas vs. #3 Georgia Tech – 5 p.m.
Game 2: #1 Georgia vs. #4 Tennessee Tech – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – Noon
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 2:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 22
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – Noon
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (if necessary) – 2:30 p.m.
-GT SOFTBALL-
