Feb. 21, 2005
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (5-1), ranked as high as No. 13 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, visits Georgia State (4-1) on Wedensday at 3 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets dropped their season opener last Friday to the Panthers, collecting just four hits in a 5-2. Tech has bounced back with five straight wins over Georgia Southern and Iona, scoring over 11 runs per game in the current streak.
Freshman center fielder Danny Payne (.440-1-6) set the tone for Tech’s offense from the leadoff position in last weekend’s sweep of Iona. Payne went 6-for-7 with six RBI and six runs scored in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, and for the season he leads the Yellow Jackets in hits (13) and runs (11). Tech had 30 hits in the three games vs. the Gaels, and the Jackets drew 32 walks.
The rest of the Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.200-0-4) and Matt Wieters (.167-0-1), first baseman Whit Robbins (.316-0-3), second baseman Mike Trapani (.211-1-4), third baseman Wed Hodges (.391-3-6), shortstop Tyler Greene (.273-0-2), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.350-0-12), and right fielder Jeremy Slayden (.304-2-6).
Sophomore LHP Ryan Turner (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start of the year on Wednesday at Georgia State. The weekend rotation will likely remain the same for the third consecutive week – junior RHP Jason Neighborgall (1-0, 3.27), sophomore LHP Lee Hyde (1-0, 5.40), and sophomore RHP Blake Wood (2-0, 3.60).
Following this Wednesday’s game, Tech will host Rutgers for a three-game series next weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium.
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics for all four games this week will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com.
GEORGIA TECH VS. GEORGIA STATE — SERIES NOTES
Georgia Tech leads Georgia State, 45-6, in a series that dates to 1971. Tech is 17-4 in games played on Georgia State’s home field.
The Panthers won, 5-2, in the season opener for both schools on Feb. 11 at Russ Chandler Stadium. Tech’s loss snapped an eight-game win streak in the series. The Yellow Jackets are 22-2 against the Panthers under head coach Danny Hall (since 1994), and own a 41-3 record in the series since 1980.
HALL APPROACHES COACHING MILESTONES
Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall needs just three wins to reach 700 for his career. Now in his 18th season as a head coach at Georgia Tech and Kent State, Hall owns a career record of 697-329 (.679).
Hall needs 11 wins to reach 500 in his career at Georgia Tech, and with 16 wins he will become the school’s all-time leader in career victories. Hall, who has a 489-212 (.698) record in 12 years at Tech, already ranks as the school’s winningest coach by percentage.
Georgia Tech Coaching LeadersCoach Years Record Pct.1. Jim Morris 1982-93 504-244-1 .6742. Danny Hall 1994-05 489-212-0 .6983. Jim Luck 1962-81 320-280-5 .5334. Joe Pittard 1946-61 147-99-5 .6075. John Heisman 1904-17 163-97-5 .627
VERSUS THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Georgia Tech is 2-1 against teams from the state of Georgia in 2005, posting a 2-0 record vs. Georgia Southern and a 0-1 mark vs. Georgia State. Since 1999, Georgia Tech owns a 60-16 (.789) record against its in-state foes. The Yellow Jackets are 102-33 (.756) against teams from Georgia in 12 years under head coach Danny Hall.
