No. 15 Tech Sweeps Cal for 6th Straight ACC win

THE FLATS – No. 15 Georgia Tech baseball (29-7, 14-4 ACC) proved, once again, that it can win in a variety of ways, taking down California (17-18, 6-12 ACC) with pitching and defense, 4-3, to secure the series sweep inside Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Caden Spivey (5.0 IP, ND), Jaylen Paden (2.0 IP, Win) and Mason Patel (2.0 IP, Save) kept Cal in check for all nine innings while the offense did just enough to pull off the sweep, thanks to big days from Vahn Lackey and Drew Burress at the top of the order.

Defense was on display all game, with Tech turning two double plays, including one for the final two outs of the game. That defense extended into the outfield as well, where Parker Brosius laid out for the play of the game, making a diving catch in right to stop two Cal runs from scoring in the sixth inning.

Another day, another 🕸️💎 in right from @BrosiusParker

ACCNX – https://t.co/V4A3zcHS5N
#StingEm🐝 x #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/MtPCwneZNX

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 13, 2025

QUICK HITS: THE TEAM

• Tech is now 29-7. The best start to a season in 15 years (since 2010) and tied for the fifth-best start in the Danny Hall era (since 1994).
• GT improves to 14-4 in ACC play, tied for the best start since 2010 (15-3).
• The Jackets have swept back-to-back ACC series (at Stanford & vs. Cal) for the first time since 2011 (vs. Maryland & NC State).
• This is the first time Tech has swept three ACC opponents in the same season since 2011 as well (Maryland, NC State and at Miami).
• Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 3-2 following today’s result, with Tech holding a 3-0 advantage in regular season meetings.
• The Jackets continue to lead the nation in doubles, now with 106 as a team, after Drew Burress pocketed his ACC leading 19^th double of the year and Vahn Lackey secured his 9^th.
• Tech is the only program across Division I to have five players at 11 or more doubles: Drew Burress (19 – most in Power 4), Lodise (17), Kerce (14), Schmidt (11) and Caleb Daniel (11).
• Georgia Tech is averaging 2.94 doubles per game this season (106 in 36 games) – the program record for doubles/game is 2.51, set in the 1987 season.
• The Jackets have twice the amount of doubles that they are allowing this year: 106 doubles to 53 doubles against.
• The Jackets executed two double plays, one to end the first inning and another to end the ninth. Tech has turned multiple double plays in three of its last six games after only doing so in two of the prior 30.
• Tech improves to 3-2 in one-score games this season.
• The Yellow Jackets were without two of their top bats as Kyle Lodise missed his fourth straight game of the year while Kent Schmidt missed his 15^th game in a row.

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Sophomore Drew Burress extended his on-base streak to 54 games dating back to last season, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and the game-winning RBI. He has scored runs in 19 of his last 20 games dating back to March 11.
• This was his team-leading 19^th multi-hit game of the season and ninth in his last 11 showings.
• He posted his 19^th double of the year, the most in the Power 4. Burress ties teammate Kyle Lodise for the conference lead in extra-base hits, securing his 32^nd of the season today.
• Sophomore Vahn Lackey made his third-straight start in the leadoff spot today, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
• It was his 17^th multi-hit game of the season and sixth in his last seven games.
• He extends his hitting streak to eight games, the longest of any active player on the roster.
• The Suwanee man has delivered multiple base hits in his last six ACC games to raise his batting average to .361 over 18 conference games this year.
• Sophomore Carson Kerce drove in half of Tech’s runs today with a SAC fly in the 4^th and a game tying single in the 6^th .He has now driven in 30 runs this season, becoming the fifth Jacket to reach the 30 RBI mark, joining Lackey, who secured his 30^th
• It was his 11^th multi-RBI game of the season, third-most on the team behind Lodise (14) and Burress (12).
• Although he didn’t come across today, he has still scored 19 runs over his last 16 games dating back to March 18.
• He carries a six-game hitting streak into the week, his longest of the season and one-shy of his career high.
• Freshman Caleb Daniel drove in his 22^nd RBI of the season in the fourth inning, beating the shift with a backside single through the infield.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• Junior Caden Spivey made his second straight Sunday start, holding off the Cal bats to the tune of 5.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER and two strikeouts on a season-high 83 pitches.
• He would ultimately take a no decision, despite the strong start. Tech is 3-1 in games started by Spivey, winning each of the last three.
• Over two ACC starts, Spivey has thrown 10.0 innings with only two runs allowed (1.80 ERA).
• Senior Jaylen Paden pitched the sixth and seventh, working without his best stuff but still securing a strikeout over two innings and securing the victory.
• Paden is now 4-0 for the season and 3-0 over five conference appearances.
• Senior Mason Patel needed only 13 pitches to collect the final six outs of the game and his second save of the weekend.
• He becomes the first Tech pitcher to record multiple saves over a single series since Terry Busse did so against Duke in 2023.
• Patel has been a part of the final result in all 12 appearances this season: 8 wins, one loss, three saves.
• The Knoxville, Tenn. native has pitched 43.1 innings this season with a 1.87 ERA this season.

UP NEXT­­
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. The No. 15 Jackets will take on No. 6 Georgia at Truist Park on Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. Tickets and Parking information are available HERE with all proceeds from the event benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

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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