Feb. 14, 2012
ATLANTA – The No. 20/23 Georgia Tech softball team is coming off of an outstanding opening weekend at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. where the Jackets posted a 4-1 record including upset victories over No. 8 Arizona and No. 20 Nebraska. Tech also defeated Oregon State and Cal Poly on the weekend, dropping a game to San Diego State.
Highlights of the weekend included a 2-1 pitcher’s duel against Arizona in which Tech came out the victor, a pinch hit grand slam by Shannon Bear against Oregon State to propel the Jackets into the lead, and a walkoff victory over the Huskers in the bottom of the seventh for the 6-5 win.
Tech will host its home opener this Wednesday, February 15 with a doubleheader against Furman beginning at 3 p.m. and will return to tournament action at the ACC/SEC/Big 12 Challenge this weekend in Auburn, Ala.
The Jackets are to face off on Friday in back-to-back games with No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Oklahoma starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday sees Tech take on No. 18 Oklahoma State at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday the tournament will conclude with a 2 p.m. matinee against a tough Auburn team on its home turf.
The Competition
Furman
All-Time Series: Georgia Tech and Furman have met 38 times in the past with Tech holding the slight 20-18 series advantage. Tech is currently 5-1 under head coach Sharon Perkins with the only bump in the road coming at Furman back in 2009 in the first part of a doubleheader. Furman was one of the first teams that Tech ever played as the two teams first met back on April 28, 1987, Tech’s inaugural season as a varsity team.
Last Time against the Palladins: The last time Tech and Furman met was in a doubleheader back on February 8, 2009. Sophomore Kristen Adkins pitched five shutout innings and helped Tech earn a doubleheader split against the Palladins. The Jackets bounced back from a walk-off 2-1 loss in game one to win 9-1 in the night cap. Kate Kuzma reached base seven times on the afternoon and blasted her first career home run.
Tech vs. Furman under Sharon Perkins
2/8/09 at Furman W, 9-1
2/8/09 at Furman L, 1-2
3/25/08 vs. Furman W, 9-0 (5)
3/25/08 vs. Furman W, 7-0
4/4/07 at Furman W, 8-1
4/4/07 at Furman W, 5-0
Alabama
All-Time Series: Tech and Alabama have met 15 times in the past with the Crimson Tide holding on to the 12-3 series advantage. Coach Perkins is looking for her first victory against Alabama in six tries. The two teams were supposed to meet last season, but the game was cancelled due to weather.
Last Time against the Crimson Tide: The last time the two teams met was back on April 28, 2010 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide handed Tech a 13-1 run rule loss in five innings. In the last five games against Bama, Tech has been shut out three times and has been defeated by a score of 46-6. The only game in which Tech scored more than one run was on Feb.14, 2008 against the No. 2 ranked Crimson Tide.
Tech vs. Alabama under Sharon Perkins
4/28/10 at #4 Alabama L, 1-13 (5)
4/22/09 at #5 Alabama L, 0-10 (6)
4/22/09 at #5 Alabama L, 0-8 (5)
2/16/08 at #2 Alabama L, 5-9
2/14/08 at #2 Alabama L, 0-6
Oklahoma
All Time Series: Tech and Oklahoma have never met in the past.
Oklahoma State
All Time Series: Tech and Oklahoma State have met three times in the past and twice under the direction of Sharon Perkins. Tech is 1-2 all-time against the Cowgirls and 1-1 under Perkins.
Last time against the Cowgirls: The last time these two teams faced off was less than a year ago during the NCAA Regionals in Knoxville, Tenn. on May 20, 2011. A two-out RBI single by Julie Ward in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh inning gave the No. 22/25 Oklahoma State softball team a 2-1 win over No. 19/18 Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Softball Knoxville Regional. Freshman Lindsey Anderson took the loss for the Yellow Jackets as she went the distance allowing two runs on six hits in her first career postseason start.
Tech vs. Oklahoma State (All-Time)
5/20/11 vs. OK State! L, 2-1
3/10/07 vs. OK State^ W, 4-3
3/31/90 vs. OK State# L, 0-4
!- NCAA Regional (Knoxville, Tenn.)
^- USF adidas Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.)
# – Furman Spring Fling (Greenville, S.C.)
Auburn
All Time Series: Tech and Auburn have met 10 times in the past with the Jackets boasting the 6-4 series lead. Perkins is 2-1 all-time against Auburn. Tech and Auburn met for the first time during the 1997 season at the Buzz Classic when it was held in Marietta, Ga. Tech earned the 4-0 victory over the Tigers.
Last time against the Tigers: The last time these two teams faced off was in the NCAA Tournament back in 2010 at Mewborn Field. Jessica Coan and Jen Yee helped lead Tech to a 4-1 win over Auburn in the second elimination game of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Coan pitched four scoreless innings in relief for the Yellow Jackets and recorded seven strikeouts to earn the win while Yee hit a school record 28th homerun to bust open the lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning.
Tech vs. Auburn under Sharon Perkins
5/22/10 vs. Auburn! W, 4-1
5/16/10 vs. Auburn! W, 4-1
2/29/08 vs. Auburn^ L, 2-3
!- NCAA Regional (Atlanta, Ga.)
^ – NFCA Leadoff Classic (Columbus, Ga.)
Tech against the SEC
| Overall | Perkins | |
| Alabama | 3-12 | 0-5 |
| Arkansas | 2-1 | 1-0 |
| Auburn | 6-4 | 2-1 |
| Florida | 1-5 | 1-4 |
| Georgia | 9-20 | 4-5 |
| Kentucky | 2-1 | 1-0 |
| LSU | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Mississippi | 2-4 | 1-0 |
| Mississippi State | 2-6 | 0-0 |
| South Carolina | 0-21 | 0-1 |
| Tennessee | 1-3 | 0-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Tech against the Big XII
| Overall | Perkins | |
| Baylor | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Iowa State | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Kansas | 3-1 | 1-0 |
| Kansas State | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Missouri | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| Oklahoma | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Oklahoma State | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| Texas | 1-3 | 1-1 |
| Texas A&M | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Texas Tech | 1-0 | 1-0 |
The Notes
Ranked… Again
The softball team came into the 2012 season ranked 23rd in the USA Softball/ESPN.com poll and receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll. After just one weekend, and a couple of upset wins over No. 8 Arizona and No. 20 Nebraska, the jackets have earned a spot in both polls jumping up to 20th in the USA Softball poll and 23rd in the NFCA poll.
Upset City
Georgia Tech has already knocked off two higher-ranked teams in 2012 in two chances, both coming at the Kajikawa Classic. Tech took down No. 8/8 Arizona 2-1 thanks to a two run single to centerfield by sophomore Alysha Rudnik. On the final day of the tournament, Tech earned a walkoff victory over No. 20/21 Nebraska due in part to a throwing error by the Husker short stop. Tech’s speed on the base paths at the end of the game aided in the victory as freshman Chelsie Thomas came all the way around from first base to score the game winner
ACC Regular Season Champs?
…the ACC coaches think so. The softball team is predicted to win its fourth-straight Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title, as predicted by the league’s head coaches. The Yellow Jackets received five first-place votes and 46 total points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Jackets are coming off of a 45-12 season where they won the ACC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season. Tech heads into 2012 with the return of All-Americans Hope Rush and Kelsi Weseman and All-ACC performer Alysha Rudnik. Tech begins the season ranked 23rd in the USA Softball/ESPN poll and are receiving votes in the NFCA/USA today poll.
USA Softball Watch List
Georgia Tech senior shortstop Kelsi Weseman has been selected to the “Watch List” for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announced Wednesday.
Weseman, who is coming off the most productive season of her career, returns to the Tech lineup after batting .424 last spring with 67 hits, 17 doubles, 21 homeruns and a slugging percentage of .968, which ranked second nationally.
The Hutto, Texas native earned her first career All-American nod last season, becoming the eighth Tech player to earn the honor and the fifth under the tutelage of head coach Sharon Perkins. Weseman was also named the 2011 ACC Player of the Year, earned All-ACC (first team) accolades for the third-straight season and has been a part of an ACC Championship in each of her three years here on the Flats.
In 2010, former Tech softball player Jen Yee was a finalist for the award while current junior Hope Rush made it to the semi-final round of voting.
Television Stars
The softball team will make at least four appearances on television in 2012. Tech’s home game against Maryland on April 8 as well as a Monday night game at Florida State on April 16 will be featured on national tv (ESPNU) while the Yellow Jacket’s doubleheader against FSU on April 15 will take part on ESPN3.com
