April 12, 2018
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Friday (6 p.m.): Video | Audio | Live Stats
Saturday (3 p.m.): Video | Audio | Live Stats
Sunday (1 p.m.): Video | Audio | Live Stats
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball (20-14, 8-7 ACC) will hit the road for a pivotal ACC Coastal Division series this weekend at Pittsburgh (17-13, 6-9 ACC) in Pittsburgh, Pa. With the ACC regular season halfway through, both teams are looking to move up in the Coastal Division standings. Friday’s series-opener is set for a 6 p.m. start, while both Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) will be afternoon day games, weather permitting.
Follow the Action Live
All three games are scheduled to be video streamed live on the ACC Network Extra (link located above).
The three ACC conference games will also be broadcast live on WREK 91.1 FM radio and online at WREK.org.
Live stats for both games can be found above or on the baseball schedule page at RamblinWreck.com.
Tech Tidbits
Georgia Tech leads the ACC in both hitting (.304) and hits (363). Outfielder Chase Murray leads the ACC in hitting (.397) and hits per game (1.53). The Tech pitching staff ranks first in the ACC in walks allowed per nine innings (3.12), while Connor Thomas is first in the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.00) and in walks allowed per nine innings (0.88). Fellow pitcher Xzavion Curry leads the ACC in wins with six on the season.
The Yellow Jackets have played two fellow Coastal Division foes thus far this season in Virginia Tech (March 16-18) and Miami (March 30-April 1). Tech is 5-1 versus the ACC Coastal Division so far this season having taken two-of-three games over Virginia Tech and sweeping the Hurricanes two weeks later.
Tech’s weekend ACC road series at Pittsburgh is the third conference road weekend for the Jackets this year. The Jackets’ previous two ACC road weekends were both against nationally ranked opponents in then-ranked No. 6 Clemson (March 9-10) and at then-ranked No. 6 NC State (March 23-25). Tech is just 1-5 on the road in ACC play this season. With rain in the forecast for this weekend, it is fitting as the Jackets’ other two road weekend series both saw doubleheaders due to rain and inclement weather.
Four ball passes have been key in the Jackets’ success this season, as the Tech pitching staff has recorded five games this season without issuing a base-on-balls. The pitching staff did not walk a single hitter in wins over Dartmouth (Feb. 23), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Feb. 27) and Florida State (April 8), nor did they issue a free pass for the game in losses at Clemson (March 10 – game one) and last time out versus Georgia State (April 11).
In the Yellow Jackets’ win over Mercer last Tuesday night, Tech hit a season-high five home runs in the road victory. Kyle McCann, who had a career-high five RBIs, hit two home runs, including his first career grand slam, while Joey Bart also went deep twice in the 16-8 win.
Georgia Tech is a stellar 18-1 this season when leading after the first six innings of play. The Yellow Jackets are also 10-2 this season when their starting pitcher goes 6.0-complete innings or more and 9-2 when their starter records a quality start (6.0 innings or more with three earned runs or less).
It has been seven seasons since the Jackets won three-straight ACC weekend series, as Tech won four-straight ACC weekend series back in 2011. GT swept Maryland (March 11-13), NC State (March 18-20), and Miami (March 25-27), before taking two-of three games on the road at Duke (April 1-3). The Jackets have won each of their last two ACC series (3-0 vs. Miami and 2-1 vs. No. 6 Florida State) entering ACC play this weekend at Pitt.
Tech has a total of eight players hitting over .300 on the season led by Chase Murray who is also leading the ACC in hitting at .397 on the season. Michael Guldberg (.361), Joey Bart (.359), Kyle McCann (.337), Oscar Serratos (.333), Wade Bailey (.326), Tristin English (.323) and Carter Hall (.300) are the other Jackets hitting over .300 at the plate this year. Pittsburgh does not have a single player hitting over .300 on the season.
Saturday starter Connor Thomas ranks ninth in the nation overall with an 11.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The sophomore left-handed pitcher has struck out 55 hitters compared to just five walks on the season.
Georgia Tech has a total of 11 different players that have hit at least one home run this season. Led by Joey Bart’s team-high 11 home runs, Kyle McCann (9), Tristin English (5), Austin Wilhite (3), Chase Murray (2), Baron Radcliff (2), Oscar Serratos (2), Michael Guldberg (2), Carter Hall (2), Kel Johnson (2) and Luke Waddell (1) have all homered for the Jackets in 2018.
On Deck
The Yellow Jackets will return home to host Kennesaw State in a midweek on contest on Wednesday night, April 18, before returning to the road for another ACC series at North Carolina on April 20-22.
