April 20, 2017
SCHEDULE CHANGE
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, April 21, at 11 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET.
Game three is set for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.
GT Game Notes | VT Game Notes | 2017 GT Baseball Information Guide
Friday: Live Stats | WREK 91.1 FM
Friday: Live Stats | WREK 91.1 FM
Saturday: Live Stats | WREK 91.1 FM
THE FLATS – The Yellow Jackets (18-18, 4-14 ACC) will jump back into ACC play this weekend on the road versus Virginia Tech (19-20, 7-11 ACC) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 21-23, in Blacksburg, Va. weather permitting.
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE
• Live stats can be found at HokieSports.com. A link to live stats can also be found on the baseball schedule page at RamblinWreck.com or at the top of this page.
• Wiley Ballard will also broadcast all three games live over the radio air waves on WREK 91.1 FM.
• Sunday’s game will be video streamed live over the ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN App.
LEADING OFF
• Expect to see a lot of balls fly out of the park this weekend, as Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are two of the top home run hitting teams in both the ACC and the nation. Virginia Tech leads the nation and the ACC in home runs with 70 as a team, while GT ranks third in the ACC and 11th nationally with 48 long balls as a team on the year.
• Tech is on a two-game winning streak with midweek wins over Mercer (8-5) and Georgia State (7-0). Prior to the current streak, the Jackets had dropped seven straight contests, both a season-high and the longest losing streak ever under head coach Danny Hall.
• The Jackets ACC series this weekend at Virginia Tech is the third series against their Coastal Division foes this season. Tech opened up with back-to-back series against Miami and North Carolina, going 1-2 in both divisional series match ups.
• Georgia Tech enters the weekend at Virginia Tech on a four-game winning streak over the Hokies. The Jackets swept VT last year at Russ Chandler Stadium and took two of three over the Hokies in Blacksburg back in 2015.
• The Jackets have played a total of five top-12 nationally ranked teams this season in No. 12 Oklahoma (Mar. 14), No. 9 North Carolina (Mar. 17-19), No. 16/7 Auburn (Mar. 21 & April 4), No. 5 Clemson (Mar. 31-April 2) and No. 2 Louisville (April 13-15) (rankings at the time when the games were played).
• Georgia Tech has won each of the last six regular season series over the Hokies. Tech swept VT last year and took two of three games over the Hokies in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011. Virginia Tech took two of three over the Jackets in 2010.
• Tech has used a total of seven different starters on the mound thus far this season in Xzavion Curry – 9, Jonathan Hughes – 8, Ben Schniederjans – 6, Jay Shadday – 5, Keyton Gibson – 3, Jake Lee – 3, and Ben Parr – 2.
• A total of eight different Yellow Jackets have driven in 16 or more runs this season. Joey Bart leads the team with 37 RBIs, while Kel Johnson is close behind with 33 RBIs on the year.
• Defense has played a key for Tech this season, as the Yellow Jackets are 10-2 on the year when not committing an error for the game. Tech is just 8-16 on the season when making one or more errors for the game.
• Both teams are averaging over 10 hits per game this season. Georgia Tech’s offense is averaging 10.3 hits per outing this year, slightly above the Hokies who are recording on average 10.2 base hits per contest on the season.
TECH VS. TECH
• Georgia Tech is 29-15 all-time versus Virginia Tech on the baseball diamond.
• The Yellow Jackets have won four straight games over the Hokies and seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
• GT is 10-5 all-time in road games against the Hokies in Blacksburg, Va.
LOOKING TO SNAP OUT OF IT
• Over the last 10 games, both Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech have struggled in the wins column.
• Georgia Tech is 3-7 over its last 10 games, which included a season-high seven-game losing streak.
• Virginia Tech is also 3-7 over its last 10 games, which included a four game losing streak in early April.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSES
• The series this weekend should feature some high offensive numbers, as both team ranks near the top of the ACC in a number of offensive statistical categories.
• The Yellow Jackets rank third in the ACC in doubles (81), third in home runs (48), fourth in batting average (.285), fourth in hits (369) and fourth in slugging percentage (.466).
• The Hokies rank first in the ACC in home runs (70), second in slugging percentage (.505), third in hits (396), fourth in triples (10), fifth in batting average (.285) and fifth in doubles (75).
COASTAL DIVISION PLAY
• Georgia Tech will return to Coastal Division play for the first time since March 19 as the Jackets have played four straight series versus the Atlantic Division over the last month.
• The Jackets are 2-4 in inner-division play this season having gone 1-2 at Miami (Mar. 10-12) and 1-2 versus then No. 9 North Carolina (Mar. 17-19).
AMBER ALERT FOR HR IN ACC ACTION
• Georgia Tech has been searching for the long ball over the last three weeks and finally broke out on Wednesday with two home runs, including a grand slam, in the 7-0 win at Georgia State.
• However, the Jackets have not recorded a home run of any kind over their last seven ACC games.
• The Jackets’ last home run in ACC play came back on Saturday, April 1, versus No. 5 Clemson. Kel Johnson and Ryan Peurifoy each had a home run in the 5-1 win over the Tigers.
RAIN MAY CAUSE HAVOC
• The weather forecast in Blacksburg, Va. this weekend does looks wet, as the forecast shows a 50 percent or greater chance of thunderstorms on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
ON DECK
• Georgia Tech will return home to host the Georgia Bulldogs for a #THWg Gold Out on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. ET at Russ Chandler Stadium.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball ) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
