March 11, 2004
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (9-6, 0-0 ACC), ranked 17th in the nation by Baseball America, hosts Virginia (14-2, 0-0) for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Russ Chandler Stadium. The series opens on Friday at 4 p.m., and continues on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. each day.
The Yellow Jackets opened the year 6-0 before dropping four straight games away from home against Southern California, No. 13 Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma and No. 9 Auburn. Tech rebounded with two wins in three games over Rutgers last weekend, and split a midweek series with Western Carolina on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Yellow Jackets are 7-2 at home in 2004.
Following the series against the Cavaliers, the Yellow Jackets will conclude their 10-game homestand next Tuesday and Wednesday against Purdue.
Game Coverage: Live statistics will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Live radio coverage for all three games can be found on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.wrek.org.
LEADING OFF … NEWS & NOTES ON THE YELLOW JACKETS
*** Tech is just 3-6 in its last nine games, batting .257 and scoring 4.4 runs per game in that stretch. The Yellow Jackets have especially struggled with runners in scoring position, batting just .207 (19-for-92) in that department in the last nine games. Tech’s offense has better in the first five games of the current 10-game homestand, batting .312 as a team and scoring 6.6 runs per game.
*** Freshman 3B Wes Hodges leads Tech in batting (.418), HR (2), RBI (14), hits (23), doubles (7), and slugging (.691).
*** Head coach Danny Hall has used 14 different starting lineups in 15 games this season.
*** Tech has used 14 different pitchers in the first 15 games of the season, including 13 pitchers who have made at least three appearances.
*** Pitching matchups for the three-game series: Friday: RHP Micah Owings (2-1, 3.60) vs. LHP Andrew Dobies (3-0, 1.50); Saturday: RHP Brian Burks (1-1, 3.10) vs. RHP Matt Avery (3-0, 3.15); Sunday: RHP Andrew Kown (2-1, 3.92) vs. LHP Joe Koshansk (3-0, 1.88).
GEORGIA TECH vs. VIRGINIA
*** Georgia Tech leads Virginia, 56-27-1, in a series that dates to 1924. Tech has won five games in a row and 10 of the last 12 games played in the series.
*** The Yellow Jackets own a 31-9-1 record against the Cavaliers in games played in Atlanta. Tech has won 19 of the last 20 games in the series played at Russ Chandler Stadium dating back to the 1990 season. The Jackets won two of three from the Cavs in 2002, although Virginia snapped an 18-game losing streak in Atlanta in the series opener.
*** Last year in Charlottesville, Tech swept the three-game series behind strong pitching performances that allowed just two runs the entire weekend. The Yellow Jackets posted shutouts in games one (7-0) and three (1-0), and won game two of the series 5-2. In game one, Micah Owings worked seven shutout innings and Mike Nickeas homered and drove in two runs. In game two, Steven Blackwood had a three-run double in the top of the eighth inning that broke a 2-2 tie and Brian Burks earned the win in relief (2.2 IP, 0 R, 5 K’s). In the finale, Chris Goodman tossed a three-hit shutout and retired 16 straight to end the game. Goodman outdueled UVA starter Joe Koshansky, who held Tech to two hits and one unearned run while striking out 11.
*** Tech is 23-8 against Virginia under head coach Danny Hall.
