Feb. 9, 2006
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ATLANTA – No. 24 Georgia Tech will host No. 18 Missouri for a three-game softball series at Glenn Field on Friday and Saturday. The series will start with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 12 Noon. All games played at Glenn Field are free admission and can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
The Yellow Jackets and the Tigers were originally going to play a single game tomorrow at 2 p.m., but due to possible weather on Saturday, the two teams agreed on playing a doubleheader tomorrow and a single game on Saturday, if weather permits.
Tech is in the polls for the 29th consecutive week, after earning a No. 24 billing in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Jackets are No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.
Tech returns seven starters off of last year’s 51-14 squad. The defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions welcome back to the starting lineup seniors Christine Sheridan (SS), Amy Hosier (OF), juniors Caitlin Lever (OF), Daisy Paez (DP), Sarah Wood (P), sophomores Savannah Brown (C ), Kacey Ivey (OF) and Aileen Morales (2B).
Earleywine Closes in on 100 Career Wins Yellow Jacket Head Coach Ehren Earleywine has made one of the most impressive runs in collegiate softball. Earleywine took over the Georgia Tech softball program in 2004 and led Tech to 47 wins and a third-place finish in the NCAA Athens Regional [with 8 teams]. Last season, Tech eclipsed the 50-win plateau for just the second time in school history, finishing with 51 en route to setting a new school record .785 winning percentage.
Earleywine is currently at 98 wins in his career and carries a .748 career winning percentage (98-33), which would place him fifth on the current all-time NCAA career list.
Home Openers
The Yellow Jackets are 20-17 all-time in home openers, but have won seven straight at Glenn Field dating back to the 2002 season. Tech swept Chattanooga last season, 6-0 and 8-0 (five innings).
Home Field Advantage
Over the last four seasons, the Yellow Jackets have experienced great success at home. Tech has gone 62-11 over that time period (.849 winning percentage) and has only dropped five of the last 35 contests played at Glenn Field.
Scouting the 18th-ranked Tigers
No. 18/23 Missouri finished 44-15 last season and made its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were eliminated by No. 4 Stanford, 3-2, in Columbia, Mo. Mizzou smashed a school record 82 home runs and hit .300 as a team.
Redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner had a record-setting season for the Tigers as a freshman. Minner, a 2006 USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year candidate, hit .388, with a single-season school record 17 home runs. She drove in 55 runs for Missouri, while posting a .781 slugging percentage.
Returning in the circle for the Tigers is sophomore Jen Bruck. Bruck posted an ERA of 1.75 last season and finished 15-4 overall. In 112 innings pitched, she fanned 104 hitters and walked just 42. A duo threat, Bruck also produced at the plate for Mizzou, batting .326, with 16 home runs and 44 runs batted in.
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