Jackets Open 5-Game Week with Mercer, Kennesaw State

April 4, 2016

LEADING OFF: STORYLINES TO KNOW
1. Georgia Tech enters Tuesday riding a nine-game road winning streak in the state of Georgia. Tech has already defeated Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State in 2016.
2. Wade Bailey and Connor Justus have combined to turn 25 of Georgia Tech’s 42 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 39 of Tech’s 42 double plays.
3. Georgia Tech is 17-3 (3-3 on the road) in games played in under 3 hours. In contract, the Jackets are 3-4 in games lasting over 3 hours.
4. Through 27 games, the Yellow Jackets lead Division I in double plays (42). Georgia Tech has turned at least 1 double play in 24 of 27 games.
5. Georgia Tech is 18-0 when allowing 5 or fewer runs this season. Offensively, the Jackets are 15-2 when scoring 5 or more runs in a game.
6. Junior catcher Arden Pabst has thrown out 42 baserunners in three seasons behind the plate, throwing out runners 43 percent of the time.
7. Matthew Gorst has recorded 6 of Tech’s 9 saves. Gorst owns a 0.52 ERA, allowing one earned run and just 10 baserunners with 24 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
8. Georgia Tech has used 23 different lineups in the first 27 games. Only 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus have started every game at the same position.
9. Connor Justus leads the Yellow Jackets with a .404 batting average and has recorded a team-leading 15 multi-hit games.
10. Sophomore RF Kel Johnson is currently on a career-best 22-game hitting streak. Johnson has extended his hit streak with a home run in four of the last five games.

SERIES HISTORY
• Series vs. Mercer: Tech leads 108-54
• Record in Macon: Tech leads 43-29
• Danny Hall vs. Mercer: 26-9
• Series vs. Kennesaw State: Tech leads 18-6
• Record in Atlanta: Tech leads 12-3
• Danny Hall vs. KSU: 17-5

A TECH WIN TUESDAY WOULD…
• Extend the Yellow Jackets’ Georgia road winning streak to 10 games
• Extend the Yellow Jackets’ nonconference road winning streak to 8 games
• Snap Tech’s 2-game losing streak
• Improve the Jackets’ series record to 109-54 vs. Mercer
• Improve Georgia Tech’s midweek record to 6-1 this season
• Improve Tech’s record to 151-53 against in-state rivals since 1999
• Be Tech’s 13th win in its last 15 games against in-state foes
• Be Tech’s 34th win in its last 40 nonconference games (14-1 in 2016, 19-5 in 2015)
• Be head coach Danny Hall’s 1,151st career victory

…(TURN) TWO IF BY JUSTUS AND BAILEY
• While Georgia Tech leads the nation with 42 double plays, it’s been 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus involved in most of them. Bailey and Justus have combined to turn 25 of Tech’s 42 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 39 of Tech’s 42 double plays.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
• Through 27 games, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lead Division I in both double plays (42) and double plays per game (1.56). Tech is the only team in Division I with more than 35 double plays turned this season.
• On the offensive side, the Jackets ranked 15th nationally in doubles per game (2.41) and 16th in doubles (65). Tech is second in the ACC in doubles and third in doubles per game.

(PEACH STATE) ROAD WARRIORS
• Georgia Tech enters Tuesday’s contest at Mercer riding a nine-game road winning streak in the state of Georgia. Tech went 5-0 in true road games in 2015 at Georgia schools, picking up wins at Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, Georgia, Georgia State and Mercer.
• The Yellow Jackets’ current streak began with back-to-back road wins at Kennesaw State and Georgia State in 2014.

HOMEGROWN SUCCESS
• Head coach Danny Hall has had a history of building a wall around the Peach State and keeping the best prep talent close to home.
• 32 of this year’s 35-member opening weekend roster (91%) hail from the state of Georgia, which is home to some of the best high school baseball talent in the nation. Every freshman in this year’s class hails from Georgia.
• Since 1999, the Yellow Jackets own a 150-53 record against their in-state foes. In 23 years under Hall, Tech is 194-70 against teams from Georgia.
• Georgia Tech is 12-2 in its last 14 games against in-state rivals.

STREAKIN’
• Sophomore RF Kel Johnson is currently on a career-best 22-game hitting streak. During his current streak, Johnson is batting .384 (33-of-86) with 14 extra-base hits, 6 home runs and 23 RBI. Johnson’s streak began Feb. 26 vs. UMBC with a 1-for-4 performance.
• Johnson has recorded at least one hit in 24 of 26 games this season.

FRESHMEN POWER
• Freshmen Joey Bart and Tristin English have become mainstays in Georgia Tech’s lineup. Bart ranks fourth on the team with a .361 average with seven doubles and 18 RBI. English is fifth with a .348 average but is second on the team in doubles (11).
• Bart and English have combined for 18 doubles and 35 RBI in 25 games.

TIME FLIES
• Georgia Tech’s weekend series vs. Duke featured a season first for the Yellow Jackets – back-to-back games lasting more than 3 hours. Twenty (20) of Tech’s 27 games this season have been played in under 3 hours.
• Georgia Tech is 17-3 (3-3 on the road) in games played in under 3 hours. In contract, the Jackets are 3-4 in games lasting over 3 hours.

BATTLE-TESTED
• Georgia Tech’s freshmen pitchers have played an important role in the Yellow Jackets’ 20-7 start. Georgia Tech’s eight freshmen hurlers – Micah Carpenter (2-0, 3.75 ERA), Bailey Combs (0-0, 0.00), Burton Dulaney (1-1, 2 Sv, 3.42), Bobby Gauvreau (0-0, 6.94), Keyton Gibson (2-2, 4.12), Jonathan Hughes (3-1, 2.45), Jake Lee (1-0, 1 Sv, 6.94), and Robert Winborne (0-0, 6.00) – have accounted for 9 of Tech’s 20 wins.
• Tech’s eight freshmen are a combined 9-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 113.2 innings.

THE CLOSER
• Junior Matthew Gorst has solidified his role as Georgia Tech’s closer. The Alpharetta, Ga., native has recorded 6 of Tech’s 9 save opportunities. Gorst owns a microscopic 0.52 ERA, allowing one earned run and just 10 baserunners with 24 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
• Gorst owns a nearly 12:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (24 K, 3 BB) this season. He had a career 1:1 ratio (48 K, 48 BB) in his first two seasons with the Yellow Jackets.

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