April 17, 2017
Georgia Tech Game Notes | Mercer Game Notes | Georgia State Game Notes
2017 GT Baseball Information Guide
Tuesday: ACC Network Extra | GameTracker | WREK 91.1 FM
Wednesday: GSU PantherVision ($) | Live Stats | WREK 91.1 FM
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech (16-18) will play not one, but two midweek contests this week with a home game versus Mercer (32-6) on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET followed by a road game at Georgia State (13-22) at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE
• Tuesday night’s home contest versus the Mercer Bears will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN App.
• Live stats can be found at RamblinWreck.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.
• Wednesday night’s road bout at Georgia State will be streamed live over PantherVision and can be found at GeorgiaStateSports.com for a cost ($$$).
• Live stats can also be found at GeorgiaStateSports.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 both games live over the radio air waves on WREK 91.1 FM.
THINGS FANS NEED TO KNOW FOR TUESDAY NIGHT
• $ Tuesdays – $2 Tickets, hot dogs, popcorn and drinks on Tuesday versus the Mercer Bears.
• Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside Russ Chandler Stadium. Also the season ticketholder clear bags are not permitted during baseball season at Russ Chandler Stadium. All bags will be searched upon entry into the stadium. NO bags larger than 14 by 10 by 5 inches will be permitted.
LEADING OFF
• Georgia Tech’s No. 1 Xzavion Curry made his first start in the Tech lineup on Sunday versus the Louisville Cardinals. The freshman, who has made nine starts on the mound this season for the Jackets, recorded his first career high and his first career RBI in the series finale versus Louisville. Curry went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in his first time swinging a bat this season.
• This week is the first time all season that the Jackets will have two midweek contests. Tech was supposed to play two midweek games back on Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, but had the latter game scheduled with Kennesaw State washed out due to rain. This week also marks the second meeting this season between the Jackets and both Mercer and Georgia State.
• Tech blasted three home runs in each of its previous two contests earlier this season versus Georgia State and Mercer. In the 12-5 win at home over Georgia State on Feb. 28, Kel Johnson, Joey Bart and Brandt Stallings each had a home run in the game. At Mercer on Mar. 28, Wade Bailey had a home run and Joey Bart belted two long balls in the 11-3 road win over the Bears.
• In the Jackets’ previous wins over both Mercer and Georgia State, head coach Danny Hall used a total of four pitchers in each contest. In the Feb. 28 win over the Panthers at home, Tech threw Ben Parr, Jared Datoc, Andy Archer and Jonathan King, while one month later at Mercer on Mar. 28, Coach Hall went with the arms of Ben Schniederjans, Datoc, Bailey Combs and Micah Carpenter.
• 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).
• The Yellow Jackets are one of just six losses that the Mercer Bears have suffered this season. Tech defeated Mercer 11-3 in Macon, Ga. back on Mar. 28 at OrthoGeorgia Park.
• 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 – 5, Jay Shadday – 5, Keyton Gibson – 3, Jake Lee – 2, and Ben Parr – 2.
• A total of eight different Yellow Jackets have driven in 14 or more runs this season. Joey Bart leads the team with 32 RBIs, while Kel Johnson is one behind with 31 RBIs on the year.
• Defense has played a key for Tech this season, as the Yellow Jackets are 9-2 on the year when not committing an error for the game. Tech is just 7-16 on the season when making one or more errors for the game.
• This week marks the 10th week of the 2017 season for the Yellow Jackets who opened up the year back on Feb. 17 versus BYU at Russ Chandler Stadium.
FAMILIAR FOES IN MERCER & GEORGIA STATE
• Georgia Tech will take on both Mercer and Georgia State this week in midweek action.
• The Yellow Jackets defeated Georgia State 12-5 at home in Russ Chandler Stadium back on Feb. 28. and upended Mercer 11-3 in Macon, Ga. one month later on Mar. 28.
EARLIER MEETING AT MERCER
• In Tech’s first meeting this season versus the Mercer Bears, the Yellow Jackets snapped a two-game losing streak with an 11-3 win on a season-high 18 hits at Mercer on Mar. 28 in Macon, Ga.
• Redshirt-junior Ben Schniederjans registered his first career win as a Jacket, as the righty allowed just one run on two hits and three walks, while striking out two in 5.0 innings of work.
• Joey Bart had a career day as he was 5-for-5 with two home runs, three singles, a walk and five RBIs.
TECH VERSUS THE BEARS
• With their win earlier this season, the Jackets are 110-55 all-time versus the Mercer Bears, including a 64-25 all-time record at home versus their Georgia neighbors.
• The Jackets are 503-364-2 all-time in regular season Atlantic Coast Conference games since entering the league in 1980.
GIBSON CONNECTION
• Georgia Tech second-year undergraduate assistant coach Tyler Gibson is the son of Mercer head coach Craig Gibson.
• Tyler Gibson, who is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in administration, was the 2011 Georgia High School Player of the Year and a two-time Georgia All-State player at Stratford Academy in Macon, Ga. before being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 15th round of the MLB Draft in 2011 and playing professionally in the Tigers’ organization from 2011-15.
JACKETS STING PANTHERS
• Tech is 64-10 all-time versus the Georgia State Panthers and have won eight straight games over their neighbors, including a 12-5 win over the Panthers earlier this season in the two teams’ first meeting back on Feb. 28.
FIRST GO AROUND BACK ON FEB. 28
• Tech scored eight runs over the first three innings to roll to a 12-5 home win over the Panthers on Feb. 28.
• The duo of Kel Johnson and Joey Bart, who each had a home run in the contest, combined to drive in nine RBIs in the win.
• Right-hander Jared Datoc picked up the win, as the struck out a career-high six batters in 3.0 scoreless innings of work.
• Overall, the two teams combined to launch seven home runs (GT 3, GSU 4) in the nine inning contest.
VERSUS THE STATE OF GEORGIA IN 2017
• Tech is a 3-1 versus teams from the state of Georgia thus far this season.
• The Yellow Jackets defeated Georgia Southern on the road 10-3 back on Feb. 21 and then turned around one week later to beat Georgia State at 12-5 at home on Feb. 28. Tech then upended Mercer 11-3 in Macon, Ga. on Mar. 28.
• The Jackets’ lone loss against teams from Peach state came was a 5-1 loss against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Ga. on April 11.
• Both of the Jackets’ scheduled games versus Kennesaw State were rained out.
NUMBER 1,800 AT TECH
• Head coach Danny Hall, who is in his 24th season at the helm of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, will be coaching in his 1,799th and 1,800th games as a head coach on The Flats this week.
• The 1,800 milestone game will come on Wednesday, April 19 at Georgia State.
• Hall is the winningest baseball coach in Georgia Tech baseball’s history with 977 wins overall as the Tech skipper.
• The Tech skipper has never had a losing season since he arrived on The Flats back in 1994.
THE NATIONAL TOP-25 GAUNTLET
• Tech has had a very challenging go of it as of late, as the Yellow Jackets have played a total of five nationally top-12 ranked opponents over the last month in No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 16 Auburn/No. 7 Auburn, No. 5 Clemson and No. 2 Louisville (rankings at the time of the games).
• In fact, 12 of the Jackets’ last 20 games have come against top-12 or higher nationally ranked opponents – No. 12 Oklahoma, three versus then No. 9 North Carolina, one at home against No. 16 Auburn, three versus No. 5 Clemson, a road contest at No. 7 Auburn and then three at home versus No. 2 Louisville last weekend.
ON DECK
• The Jackets will hit the road to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in ACC play on April 21-23 in Blacksburg, Va.
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.
