April 26, 2007
ATLANTA – No. 19 Georgia Tech (26-15, 13-7 ACC) will head to Clemson for a Atlantic Coast Conference series against the 17th-ranked Tigers (27-14, 11-7 ACC) to open a 10-game road swing this weekend. Friday’s first pitch is at 7:15 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, while the Jackets and Tigers meet at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
GAME COVERAGE: Entire series is on ACC Select (gatech.playonsports.tv); Radio-WREK (91.1 FM/www.wrek.org)-Friday/Saturday, AM 790 the Zone-Sunday; Livestats-www.ramblinwreck.com.
The Jackets are looking to rebound from a 10-7 loss to Georgia on Tuesday evening, which snapped a four-game winning streak that included a series sweep of No. 20 NC State last weekend. Clemson is coming off a 14-5 victory over No. 5 South Carolina Wednesday and has won two of its last three games.
Georgia Tech has won 13 of its last 17 games, and 17 of its last 23 after beginning the season 9-9.
Over the last 23 games, Georgia Tech has posted a 17-6 record as the pitching staff has held opponents to just 3.6 runs per game and a .249 batting average.
Starting Pitching Matchup (GT vs. CU)
Friday: LHP David Duncan (5-2, 3.03) vs. LHP Daniel Moskos (3-3, 2.29)
Saturday: RHP Eddie Burns (3-0, 2.98) vs. RHP David Kopp (4-2, 3.32)
Sunday: LHP Ryan Turner (3-3, 3.99) vs. LHP Ryan Hinson (4-1, 2.03)
The Yellow Jacket offense is led by OF Danny Payne (.391-2-32-15), catcher Matt Wieters (.359-7-39-1), and SS Michael Fisher (.347-3-32-7). Georgia Tech, as a team, is hitting .291 on the year.
Clemson leads Georgia Tech, 94-93-3
Clemson leads Georgia Tech, 94-93-3, in a series that dates to 1902. The Yellow Jackets and Tigers have played at least three games every year since 1985, including seven times in 2006, with Clemson winning four of the seven contests.
The rivalry between the Jackets and Clemson is one of the best in the ACC, as the two teams have met in the postseason nine times since 2000 and 12 times since Danny Hall became the Yellow Jackets’ head coach in 1994.
The Yellow Jackets won the series, 2-1, over the Tigers last season in Atlanta before the two teams met three times in the ACC Tournament and once in the College World Series.
Both teams have been more successful in their home stadiums, while Clemson holds the edge over the Jackets in neutral territory. The Tigers are 39-18-1 against the Jackets in Clemson, and 13-4 against Tech at Doug Kingsmore Stadium since 1994.
Middle of the Lineup Strong Against Clemson: The middle of Georgia Tech’s lineup (Matt Wieters, Wally Crancer, Luke Murton) has combined to hit .397 (27-for-68) with seven home runs and 25 RBI against the Tigers pitching, led by Luke Murton, who hit .458 against Clemson in 2006. Murton, a freshman last season, hit three home runs in Tech’s final game against the Tigers in the ACC Tournament, including a solo home run in the seventh, a two-run bomb in the eighth, and a grand slam in the ninth inning.
