May 31, 2009
MONDAY SCHEDULE:
7 p.m. – #1 Georgia Tech vs. #3 Southern Miss
(winner advances to Super Regional to face Florida)
GEORGIA TECH (38-18-1)
• Georgia Tech is now 59-50 in the NCAA Tournament, including a 55-46 record in Regional and Super Regional play.
• Tech is now 15-4 in NCAA Regional games played at Russ Chandler Stadium since the stadium was rebuilt in 2002.
• Georgia Tech has advanced to the championship round in each of its last five NCAA Regional appearances. Overall, Tech has played for 11 NCAA Regional championships, winning six times (in 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006).
• Georgia Tech will attempt to win a NCAA Regional coming out of the loser’s bracket for the first time on Monday night.
• Tech is now 21-19 all-time in NCAA Regional and Super Regional elimination games, including a 2-0 mark in the 2009 NCAA Atlanta Regional. Prior to 2009, Tech was just 1-6 in elimination games since 2000.
• Tech hit three home runs and now has 110 homers this season, the second most in school history. The school record of 119 homers was set in 1987.
• RHP Andrew Robinson (1-0), making just his second start in 72 career appearances, earned his first win since May 30, 2008 against Louisville in the NCAA Athens Regional.
• RF Luke Murton hit his 20th home run of the season, becoming just the 10th player in school history to reach the 20-home run plateau. Murton is the first Tech player to hit 20 homers since Mark Fischer (24) and J.J. Thomas (22) accomplished the feat in 1997. He moved into sole possession of fourth place on Tech’s all-time list with 47 homers. The only players to hit more homers in Tech uniform are Jason Varitek (57), J.J. Thomas (56) and Andy Bruce (52).
• In the current NCAA Regional format (since 1999), Georgia Tech is 1-1 in the “if necessary” Game 7. In 2005, Tech defeated South Carolina, but last year, the Jackets fell to Georgia.
• In today’s two games, the Georgia Tech bullpen pitched 10 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits with 11 strikeouts and just two walks.
• Thomas Nichols turned in career-long outing with four innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits. His previous long was 1-1/3 innings vs. North Carolina on April 5.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (37-24)
• Southern Miss is now 12-19 in 10 NCAA Regional appearances.
• The Golden Eagles will attempt to win their first NCAA Regional title on Monday night. USM lost in the championship round on three previous occasions (2008, 2003 and 1999).
• After scoring 27 runs in its first two games, Southern Miss was held to three runs tonight.
• Through five games of the 2009 NCAA Atlanta Regional, there have been 24 home runs hit (USM – 9, Elon – 7, GT – 6, GSU – 2).
