April 1, 2010
Live Stats: RamblinWreck.com
Live Audio: WREK 91.1 FM
Twitter Updates: Twitter.com/gt_athletics
ATLANTA – Having played nine of its last 10 games on the road, the second-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team (22-3, 8-1 ACC) returns home to face Duke 16-9, 3-6 ACC) for a three-game weekend series at Russ Chandler Stadium. The series begins Friday at 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS:
Friday, April 2 (7 p.m.) – Russ Chandler Stadium
Georgia Tech – Deck McGuire, Jr., RHP (4-1, 1.17 ERA, 49 K’s)
Duke – Christopher Manno, Sr., LHP (1-0, 1.74 ERA, 18 K’s)
Saturday, April 3 (6 p.m.) – Russ Chandler Stadium
Georgia Tech – Deck Brandon Cumpton, Jr., RHP (4-0, 5.29 ERA, 18 K’s)
Duke – Eric Pfisterer, So., LHP (2-2, 5.93 ERA, 26 K’s)
Sunday, April 4 (1 p.m.) – Russ Chandler Stadium
Georgia Tech – Jed Bradley, So., LHP (3-1, 3.82 ERA, 43 K’s)
Duke – Dennis O’Grady, Jr., RHP (0-1, 2.60 ERA, 22 K’s)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The GT radio broadcast can be heard over the air on WREK (91.1), the flagship station of Georgia Tech baseball, and online at RamblinWreck.com. The games can also be heard online, free of charge at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Be sure to tune into the pre-game show 15 minutes before every game as play-by-play commentator Kyle Tait will preview the matchup.
PROMOTIONS
Friday: First 250 fans receive a Georgia Tech baseball player card Saturday: First 200 fans receive a free Danny Hall T-shirt; 250 Georgia Tech baseball player cards will also be handed out Sunday: Easter Egg hunt for children 13-under, and another for children 4-under; First 250 fans will receive a Georgia Tech baseball player card
SERIES PREVIEW
Georgia Tech is has won 15 of its last 17 games, and returnshome after playing nine of its last 10 games on the road … Techwon eight-straight games, including a series sweep over No. 17North Carolina before falling to Kennesaw State Wednesday … Duke(16-9, 3-6) will play its second-consecutive ACC series on the road… The Blue Devils went 1-2 at Boston College last weekend, beforemidweek wins over High Point and North Carolina Central.
The Jackets are currently in sole possession of first place in theACC Coastal Division with an 8-1 record in conference play … Dukeis currently fifth in the coastal division with a 3-6 conferencerecord entering Friday … … This weekend will match two of theACC’s best defenses … Duke is first in fielding percentage at.980, having committed just 19 errors … The Jackets are third infielding percentage at .967, and have committed 23 errors.
Tech is ranked as high as No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’poll, its highest ranking all season.
The Blue Devils return 17 letterwinners and five position startersfrom a 2009 team that went 35-24 overall (15-15 ACC) and finishedfifth in the Coastal Division.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia Tech holds a 77-27 lead in the all-time series against Duke … The Jackets took two out of the three in the last home series in 2008, but Duke won the series in Durham to end the regular season in 2009 … Every year since 2006, two of the three games have been decided by three runs or less.
The Yellow Jackets are 43-11 against the Blue Devils since Danny Hall’s arrival in 1994.
Last Meeting:
Duke won the series in 2009, by taking game three on a two-run homer in the seventh inning by Jake Lemmerman that broke a 3-3 tie in Durham, N.C.
5-14-2009 GT 10, Duke 3
5-15-2009 Duke 6, GT 4
5-16-2009 Duke 5, GT 3
UP NEXT
The Jackets will seek revenge from Wednesday’s loss at Kennesaw State, with a 6 p.m. rematch against the Owls on Tuesday, April 6, at Russ Chandler Stadium.
QUICK NOTES
GT ranks fourth in the conference in batting average (.331),and second in ERA at 3.17. Entering the week (3/28), the Jacketsranked in the top 10 in the country in scoring (10.7, 5th), runs(246, 4th), home runs (50, 2nd), slugging percentage (.610, 3rd)and ERA (3.17, 10th). Tech’s starting pitchers are 16-2, and havecombined for 158 strikeouts in 157 innings. Deck McGuire leads the way with 49 strikeouts, which tie forthe most in the conference and the 12 most in the nation. McGuireranks in the top five in the conference in five differentcategories (wins- 4, IP – 46.0, K’s – 49, CG’s – 2, opp. ba – .213)The Tech bullpen is 6-1 on the year, and 4-for-4 in saveopportunities. The Jackets have recorded five shutouts on the year,three shy of trying the school record of eight – held by the 1906,1971 and 1997 teams. The five shutouts lead the conference. TheJackets have scored double digit runs 13 times this season, and inseven of their last nine games. Tech has hit 53 home runs so farthis season, an average of 2.1 per game. Seven different playershave hit at least five homers, led by senior Tony Plagman’s 10. Even more impressive might be the team’sslugging percentage, which sits at .596 on the season. JuniorDerek Dietrich has started 145 consecutive games at shortstop,every game of his career. Tech has produced 15 different battingorders in 25 games this season. On March 27, Derek Dietrich, Tony Plagman and Cole Leonida hit back-to-back-to-back homers against NorthCarolina … It was the first time Tech hit three-consecutivehomers nearly 10 years, when Brad Stockton, Mark Teixeira andcurrent assistant coach Bryan Prince did it on May 13, 2000 at Wake Forest. Tech alsoswept Carolina for the first time since the 2000 season, and firsttime in Chapel Hill since 1997 … It was the first time the TarHeels had been swept at home since the 2003 season.
IN 2010, TECH HAS SHOWN IT CAN….
Shutout opponents: Five shutouts in 23 games Score a lot ofruns: 13 games in double digit runs (two games of 20+ runs, five of15+ runs. Close out games: 17-0 when leading after six innings Geta big inning: Nine games with an inning of at least six runs,including a season-high 10 in the sixth inning against Xavier(2/27) Hit with from different parts of the lineup: 15 differentlineups in 2010. hit the deep ball throughout the batting order: 11players with at least one home run, seven players with at leastfive home runs. Get an out when needed: 9.0K’s/9 IP. Rally for thewin: Two come from behind victories when down by seven runs,including a five-run ninth inning rally for an 11-8 (10) win overthen No.17 UNC.
OFF TO A GREAT START
Tech’s 22-3 record to start to the 2010 season is its second-best ever under 17-year head coach Danny Hall. The 2003 team opened with a 28-3, before losing three-straight on the road at Miami.
