April 4, 2005
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ATLANTA–Third-ranked Georgia Tech (23-6, 13-2 ACC) visits No. 16 Auburn (21-10, 5-4 SEC) on Tuesday night for the second game of the season series between the two schools. First pitch at Plainsman Park is set for 8 p.m. (EDT), and the game will be televised by CSS.
The Yellow Jackets and Tigers played two weeks ago at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta, with Auburn taking a 7-6, 11-inning win on Mar. 23.
Tech is off to a fast start in conference play with sweeps of Duke, Wake Forest and NC State, and series wins over Miami and Maryland. Tech had an ACC-record 25 straight regular season conference win streak snapped on Mar. 25 at Miami, but the Yellow Jackets have won 29 of their last 31 ACC games and have won 12 consecutive ACC weekend series.
Yellow Jacket head coach Danny Hall won his 505th (currently 507-217 in 12 years) game at Georgia Tech on Mar. 27 in Miami, eclipsing the previous school record of 504 wins held by current Miami head coach Jim Morris (504-244-1 record at Georgia Tech from 1982-1993).
For the year, Tech leads the ACC with a .351 team batting average, a .456 on base percentage and an average of 11.2 runs per game. The Yellow Jackets have scored at least nine runs in 23 of 29 games, reaching double figure scoring in 18 games.
Third baseban Wes Hodges (.441AVG/.521OBP/.754SLG, 8HR, 30RBI) has paced the Tech offense, leading the club in batting, slugging, and hits. Junior right fielder Jeremy Slayden (.403/.486/.681, 9, 42) has seven home runs and 31 RBI in the last 18 games.
The rest of the Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.329/.415/.529, 3, 17) and Matt Wieters (.432/.546/.642, 4, 30), first baseman Whit Robbins (.247/.419/.376, 1, 19), second basemen Mike Trapani (.289/.432/.342, 1, 8) and Michael Fisher (.333/.395/.590, 2, 15), shortstop Tyler Greene (.347/.426/.581, 6, 41), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.352/.434/.552, 4, 45), center fielder Danny Payne (.341/.484/.472, 3, 23), and DH Jeff Kindel (.364/.82/.602, 3, 21).
PITCHING MATCHUP (Georgia Tech vs. Auburn):Tuesday: LHP Ryan Turner (2-1, 2.86) vs. RHP Cliff Mullins (1-0, 2.25)
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. The game will be televised by CSS. Radio coverage available on WREK (91.1 FM) in Atlanta and on the internet at www.wrek.org.
GEORGIA TECH VS. AUBURN
Auburn leads the all-time series with Georgia Tech, 115-103-5; the series dates to 1897.
Tech is 38-61-2 in games played in Auburn. The Yellow Jackets are 2-2 against the Tigers at Plainsman Park since the series resumed in 2001.
The Yellow Jackets and Tigers split a pair of meetings last season, each team winning on their home field. Auburn won, 6-2, at Plainsman Park when Arnold Hughey worked six innings and allowed one earned run and Steven Register worked three shutout innings for the save. Tech took a 20-5 win in Atlanta thanks to two seven-run innings.
Auburn won the first meeting of the 2005 season, a 7-6, 11-inning decision on Mar. 23. The Yellow Jackets built a 6-3 lead before the Tigers scored four unanswered runs over the final four innings and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the 11th.
Tech’s 223-game series with Auburn is the second longest in school history behind only Georgia (329 games). Tech’s third longest series is 180 games against Clemson.
Tech and Auburn have renewed the long-standing series in recent years. After not playing an on-campus series since 1989, the two schools resumed an annual home-and-home series in 2001. Since that time, the Yellow Jackets hold a 5-4 edge in the series. The two teams split in both 2001, 2003 and 2004, and Tech swept the series in 2002.
Tech is 5-5 against Auburn under head coach Danny Hall.
HALL SETS TECH RECORD FOR WINS
Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall won his 505th game in his career at Georgia Tech on Mar. 27 at Miami to break the school’s record for career victories. Hall, who has a 507-217 (.700) record in 12 years at Tech, passed current Miami head coach Jim Morris (504-244-1 from 1982-93).
Hall reached 700 wins for his career in Tech’s 9-1 win over Georgia Southern on Mar. 1. Now in his 18th season as a head coach at Georgia Tech and Kent State, Hall owns a career record of 709-333 (.681).
STREAKING IN THE ACC
Georgia Tech has enjoyed unprecedented success within the Atlantic Coast Conference over the last two seasons, winning the ACC regular season title in 2004 with an 18-5 league record, and racing out to first place in the ACC standings in 2005 with a 13-2 mark.
Tech had a conference-record 25-game ACC win streak snapped on Mar. 25 at Miami, but the Yellow Jackets have won 29 of their last 31 ACC games.
The Yellow Jackets have won 12 straight ACC series overall, and have won 16 of their last 17 ACC home games. Tech has won seven straight ACC series on the road and is 18-2 in its last 20 ACC road games.
Georgia Tech has streaked out to a 9-0 record in ACC play to start the 2005 season, sweeping series against Duke, Wake Forest and NC State. Tech’s 9-0 record is the second best conference start since joining the ACC in 1980.
