Tech Readies for Double Midweek against In-State Rivals

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES

MAY 6, 2025 • 6 PM
Atlanta, Ga. (Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium)

Ticket Information | Parking | Promotions

Probable Starting Pitchers

GT – RHP Carson Ballard (1-3) vs. Ga. Southern – LHP Evan Vandenbosch (0-2)

Tuesday – 6 PM
TV: ACC Network Extra | Watch Live
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
Analyst: Dusty Isaacs

Radio: GT Gameday App 
Play-by-Play: Colin Lacy

Live Stats

SERIES STATS

• The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series with Georgia Southern 110-32 and have won the last six meetings dating back to 2022
• Tech won the previous meeting 5-3 on Feb. 18 in Stateboro. Mason Patel made his season debut, pitching 5.1 perfect innings while Kyle Lodise and Drew Burress hit back-to-back home runs to lift the Jackets to victory.

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS at MERCER BEARS

MAY 7, 2025 • 6 PM
Macon, Ga. (OrthoGeorgia Park)

Probable Starting Pitchers

GT – RHP Connor Chicoli (0-0) vs. Mercer – RHP Jeb Johnson (4-3)

Wednesday – 6 PM
TV: ESPN+ | Watch Live

Radio: GT Gameday App 
Play-by-Play: Colin Lacy

Live Stats

SERIES STATS

• Georgia Tech leads the all-time series against Mercer, 119-58.
• Tech won the previous meeting this year, 21-5 (7) on April 1st.
• It is the most runs the Jackets have scored all season and the most runs GT has ever scored on Mercer in series history – a 177 game series that dates back to 1897.
• Tech scored eight runs in the first inning and nine in the sixth, marking the only time GT has scored 5+ runs in an inning multiple times in the same game this season.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Game Notes | Gameday Rosters

TOP STORYLINES

• Georgia Tech baseball (33-14, 15-9 ACC) is off to the best start to a season in 14 years (since 2011), coming off the sixth series sweep of the season, this time over Western Carolina.
• The Jackets set a program record with their 11^th mercy-rule win of the season, taking down WCU 13-0 (7) on Sunday – also the first shutout of the season.
• The Georgia Tech starting pitcher was credited with a win in all three games this weekend, marking the first time that’s happened over a three-game series since 2020 vs. Ohio State.
• Tech owns one of the most potent offenses in the Power 4, leading the nation’s top four conferences in doubles (125) and among the Top 5 in batting average (2nd – .320), runs/game (2nd – 9.0), hits (3rd – 508), on-base percentage (4th – .424) and slugging percentage (5th – .545)
• Georgia Tech is averaging 2.66 doubles per game this season, the most in the Power 4 – the program record for doubles/game is 2.51, set in the 1987 season.
• Tech pitching has struck out 9.8 per-nine-innings this season, the program record for a full season is 10.00 set back in 1998.
• The Jacket arms have only allowed 8.48 hits-per-nine this season – the fewest since 1994 – Head Coach Danny Hall’s first season on The Flats.
• The Georgia Tech bullpen boasts a season ERA of 3.96, the lowest in 11 seasons (since 2014).
• Tech is Top 20 across Division I in the following statistical categories: SAC flies (1st – 37), Doubles (2nd – 125), batting average (8th – .320), slugging % (11th – .545), runs/game (14th – 9.0), hits (15th – 508) and on-base % (20th – .424)
• Four Yellow Jackets were named Midseason All-Americans: Drew Burress(1st Team / D1 Baseball & Perfect Game), Mason Patel (1st Team / D1 Baseball & Perfect Game), Kyle Lodise (2nd Team / Perfect Game) and Alex Hernandez (Freshman All-American / Perfect Game).
• The Yellow Jackets have been featured on multiple midseason award watch lists: Drew Burress (Golden Spikes Award), Alex Hernandez (John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year), Mason Patel (National Pitcher of the Year & NCBWA Stopper of the Year) and Kyle Lodise (Brooks Wallace Award)
• Tech is one of only four Power 4 teams (12 in all of Division I) to have three players over 50 RBI this season: Alex Hernandez (52), Drew Burress (51) and Kyle Lodise (50).
• Burressand Lodise are tied for second among Power 4 players and 15th overall with 19 doubles this year, two shy of getting into the Top 20 for doubles in a season over program history.
• Tech is the only Power 4 program in the nation to have three players with 16 or more doubles: Burress(19), Lodise (19) and Carson Kerce (16).
• The Jackets are the only team in the ACC to have seven players with double-digit doubles Burress (19), Lodise (19), Kerce (16), Caleb Daniel (13), Kent Schmidt (13), Vahn Lackey (11) and Alex Hernandez (10)
• Lodise and Burress lead the ACC with 35 extra base hits each, showing why they are one of the most potent 1-2 combos in the country. Only one other player in the ACC has over 30 HBHs this season, Kyle’s cousin, Alex Lodise (33 at FSU).
• Georgia Tech is the only ACC school with four players at more than 20 extra-base hits: Burress (35), Lodise (35), Hernandez (22) and Daniel (21).
• On Sunday, Burress became the 17^th Yellow Jacket in the 40-home run club, launching his 39^th and 40^th career long balls against Western Carolina – his first multi-homer game of 2025. He is two home runs shy of the Top 10 and 17 away from the program record (Jason Varitek – 57).
• His next home run would tie him with Daniel Palka (2001-13), Derek Dietrich (2008-10) and Tommy Thompson (1978-81) for 12^th all-time.
• Burress is the only underclassmen in Division I with 40 career home runs.
• Burress leads Division I in career slugging % (.763) by a margin of .043. He is 8th among all of NCAA college baseball, including DII and DIII.
• Senior Mason Patel leads the Power 4 with nine wins this year, looking to become the first double-digit winner at GT since Mark Pope and Buck Farmer won 11 games in the 2011 season (14 years ago).
• Patel is the only pitcher in Division I to have at least eight wins and four saves this season.
• Defensively, Tech leads the ACC in stolen-base % against, holding opponents to just a 58.1% success rate. Most of that has come from the arm of Vahn Lackey who has caught half of all attempted base stealers since the start of April (8-for-16).
• On Sunday, Head Coach Danny Hall recorded his 1.444th career victory, tying him with Chuck Hartman for the ninth most wins in NCAA history. His next win will put him in sole posssesion of ninth on the list.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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