April 25, 2002
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech, the nation’s 10th-ranked team according to USA Today/Baseball Weekly, hosts Virginia for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium. The series, the first of four straight home weekends for the Yellow Jackets to close out the 2002 regular season, begins on Friday at 7 p.m. and continues on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
All three games this weekend will be carried live on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com, while live scoring and boxscores for all of Georgia Tech’s games in 2002 is available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
The Yellow Jackets stand at 34-8 overall and 8-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after dropping three games at Florida State last weekend. Tech rebounded with a 12-1 win over Mercer on Tuesday night and a 6-1 win at Georgia on Wednesday night. Virginia enters the weekend with a 22-21 overall record and a 7-8 mark in ACC play following a pair of midweek, non-conference wins over George Mason and Liberty.
The Tech offense is led by shortstop Victor Mencoal, who leads the squad in hits (65) and doubles (13) while ranking second in batting (.385). Outfielder Jeremy Slayden leads the team with 13 home runs, while catcher Tyler Parker has a team-best 41 RBI. Leadoff hitter Eric Patterson leads the team in batting average (.394), on base percentage (.475) and stolen bases (28). As a team, Tech is batting .326 and averaging nearly nine runs per game.
The Tech pitching corps is led by a duo of sophomores in southpaw Kyle Bakker (9-1, 2.90 ERA) and righty Brian Burks (7-3, 2.97), as well as junior righty Jeff Watchko (6-1, 3.90).
SERIES VS. VIRGINIA
Georgia Tech leads Virginia, 51-26-1, in a series that dates to 1924. The Yellow Jackets have won five of the last six meetings since 2000, and Tech has an 18-7 record against Virginia under head coach Danny Hall.
Tech owns a 29-8-1 record in games played in Atlanta, and the Yellow Jackets have won 18 in a row over the Cavaliers at Russ Chandler Stadium dating back to 1988.
Last year, Tech took two of three from Virginia during the regular season in Charlottesville, dropping a 3-1 decision on Friday before responding with 10-3 and 13-9 wins on Saturday and Sunday.
ON THE HILL . . .
*As a staff, Georgia Tech’s starting pitchers are a collective 28-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 42 games this season, while walking just 1.6 batters per nine innings. Tech starting pitchers are holding opponents to a .244 batting average.
* Sophomore southpaw Kyle Bakker (9-1, 2.90 ERA) will start the first game of the series of Friday night, making his 12th consecutive series opening start.
* Bakker was Tech’s No. 3 starter for much of the stretch run of the 2001 season before being sidelined with stiffness in his left arm for all of the Yellow Jackets’ postseason games.
* The big southpaw, who is the tallest player in the ACC at 6-9, has taken over as the No. 1 starter in 2002, and he has wins over Georgia Southern, Tennessee Tech, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop – all teams that won games in the 2001 NCAA Tournament – in addition to Georgia State, Gardner-Webb, NC State, Duke and Maryland.
* In 15 career starts, Bakker is 12-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 104.2 IP (34 ER). His list of victories over the last two years includes Georgia Southern (twice), Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Tennessee Tech, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop, all teams that won at least one game in the NCAA Regionals in 2001.
* This season at Russ Chandler Stadium, Bakker is 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA (11 ER in 35.2 IP) in five starts. In eight career starts at home, Bakker is 8-0 with a 2.43 ERA (15 ER in 55.2 IP). (see additional notes on next page).
* Saturday’s starter is TBA.
* Sophomore righty Brian Burks (7-3, 2.97 ERA) is the scheduled starter on Sunday afternoon in the series finale in what will be his eighth start and 17th overall appearance in 2002.
* Burks has been the workhorse of the Tech pitching staff this season, being used as both a starter (6-1 record in seven starts) and a closer (team-high three saves) out of the bullpen.
* Burks missed two weeks (from April 6 to April 20) due to a strained muscle in his back, and he made his first start since suffering that injury on Tuesday against Mercer (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K).
* Burks has made just one prior start in ACC play this season. He tossed a nine-inning, complete game shutout at NC State (Mar. 30), the first by a Tech pitcher since 1998.
MORE ON BAKKER
Kyle Bakker posted a 9-0 record in his first 10 starts in 2002 before suffering his first loss last weekend despite a complete-game effort (Tech lost 4-3). Listed below are the best records by a Tech pitcher to start a season:
Best Record By Georgia Tech Pitchers to Start a Season Player Year Record Finished1. Scott Erwin 1988 13-0 13-02. Brad Rigby 1993 11-0 13-13. L.J. Yankosky 1998 10-0 11-14. Mike Schisler 1973 9-0 9-0 Kris Wilson 1997 9-0 12-2 Kyle Bakker 2002 9-0
SHORT HOPS
* Through 42 games, head coach Danny Hall has used 39 different lineups.
* Tech is currently second in the ACC in team ERA (3.78). The Yellow Jackets have never led the conference in that category since joining the ACC for the 1980 season.
* Tech is a perfect 22-0 at the new Russ Chandler Stadium in 2002, outscoring its opponents 208-75. Dating back to last season, the Yellow Jackets currently own a 27-game home winning streak.
* Tech’s 14-1 mark to start the season was its best since opening the 1997 season with a 15-1 record. The school record for most wins with only one loss came in 1992 when the Yellow Jackets opened 24-1.
* After posting a 3-7 record in one-run games in 2001, Tech is 6-3 in games decided by one run and 13-3 in games decided by three runs or less in 2002.
* New pitching coach Bobby Moranda has stressed the importance of throwing strikes. Those efforts have been displayed this season where Tech pitchers have walked 100 batters in 371.2 innings (2.4 per 9 IP).
* Four freshmen – Eric Patterson (2B), Brandon Boggs (CF), Clifton Remole (1B), and Jeremy Slayden (DH) – were in the starting lineup on opening day. Additionally, Mike Nickeas (C, 1B, 3B), Jake Hall (3B), and Garrett Groce (OF) have all started at least one game in 2002, raising the total number of freshmen who have started to seven. A total of 15 freshmen have seen game action this season.
SCHEDULE ODDITIES
Due to an unusual conference schedule in 2002, Georgia Tech played its final ACC road series last weekend at Florida State. The Yellow Jackets began the season with four of their first five league series on the road.
The Yellow Jackets will play 13 of their final 14 games at home where they are a perfect 22-0 this season. Tech’s lone road game is at Mercer on May 8, while the Yellow Jackets will host Virginia, Clemson, Miami and North Carolina for three games each in addition to a single game with Georgia.
LOOKING FOR LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
Georgia Tech enters this weekend’s series against Virginia with a 27-game home winning streak dating back to April 28, 2001. Tech is 22-0 at home this season and won its final five home games of the 2001 season.
Listed below are Tech’s best home winning streaks:
Georgia Tech HOME WIN STREAKS1. 29 games 1989-902. 27 games 2001-present3. 23 games 1990-914. 21 games 1992
BEST RECORD AFTER 42 GAMES
Georgia Tech owns a 34-8 record after 42 games, tied for the best record in school history through that number of games. Listed below are Tech’s best records through 42 games and what happened in the next three games:
Best Georgia Tech RECORDS AFTER 42 GAMES Record Year Next Three Games1. 34-8 2002 ???? 34-8 1997 2-1 (36-9) 34-8 1987 3-0 (37-8)4. 33-9 2000 2-1 (35-10) 33-9 1994 2-1 (35-10) 33-9 1993 3-0 (36-9) 33-9 1992 3-0 (36-9)Note: Tech went 31-6 for the entire 1971 season.
BAKKER, MURTON & PATTERSON INVITED TO TEAM USA TRIALS
Georgia Tech pitcher Kyle Bakker, outfielder Matt Murton and second baseman Eric Patterson were among 19 collegiate players invited to participate in the 2002 USA Baseball National Team Trials to be held in Tucson, Ariz., June 18-23. The USA National Team will be selected from a pool of approximately 35-40 players, of which an additional 16-21 have yet to be determined. Louisville’s Lelo Prado will serve as the head coach for Team USA. He will be assisted by Terry Alexander of Jacksonville, Sunny Golloway of Oral Roberts, and Terry Rupp of Maryland. The official team roster will be determined and announced on June 24.
SPEED ON THE BASES
With the loss of many of the top power hitters from last year’s team, Georgia Tech has relied more on speed this season. The Yellow Jackets were a perfect 11-for-11 in the stolen base department in the first two games of the season at Georgia Southern, and Tech now stands at 95-for-117 (81.2%) for the season. Tech stole just 68 bases during the entire 2002 season.
The Yellow Jackets are stealing an average of 2.26 bases per game this spring. The Tech record for stolen bases per game is 2.21, which was established during the 1987 season when the Jackets stole a school-record 144 bases.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
One of the main reasons for Georgia Tech’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament last year was the struggles of the Yellow Jackets in close games. Tech posted just a 3-7 mark in one-run games and a 10-121 record in games decided by three runs or less during the 2001 season. This year, Tech is 6-3 in one-run games and 13-3 in games decided by three runs or less.
MENOCAL BREAKS TECH HITTING STREAK RECORD
Senior shortstop Victor Menocal had a 30-game hitting snapped on Apr. 10 against Western Carolina, but his streak established a new Georgia Tech record for most consecutive games with a base hit. Menocal’s streak ranks as the sixth-longest such streak in ACC history.
Longest Tech Hitting Streaks Longest ACC Hitting Streaks30, Victor Menocal, 2002 40, Rusty Adkins, Clemson, 1965-6628, Carlton Fleming, 1990 37, Brian Kowitz, Clemson, 1989-9027, Jay Payton, 1993 34, J.D. Drew, Florida State, 199727, Richard Lewis, 2000 33, Ryan Barthelemy, Florida St., 2001-02 31, Ron Maurer, North Carolina, 1990 30, Victor Menocal, 2002
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
Georgia Tech’s Matthew Boggs stands as the Yellow Jackets’ all-time leader with 52 times hit by a pitch. Listed below are the ACC’s all-time leaders in times hit by pitch.
ACC Career Leaders - Times hit by pitch1. Karl Jernigan (FSU, 1998-01) 612. Matthew Boggs (GT, 1998-pres.) 52 Khalil Greene (CU, 1999-pres.) 524. Ryan Earey (UNC, 1998-00) 51 Tim LaVigne (UVA, 1997-00) 51
HOME SWEET HOME
Georgia Tech has opened its new ballpark in grand fashion, posting a perfect 22-0 record in the new Russ Chandler Stadium this season. In those home games, the Yellow Jackets are batting .342 and averaging 9.5 runs per game. The Tech pitching staff has a 2.69 ERA and is holding opponents to a .242 batting average.
Dating back to the 2001 season, Tech currently owns a 27-game home winning streak. Tech’s last loss at home was a 6-2 decision to Florida State on April 29, 2001.
Best Tech Home Starts to a Season1. 28-0 19902. 22-0 20023. 21-0 19914. 12-0 19835. 11-0 1999
