April 14, 2005
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ATLANTA–Fourth-ranked Georgia Tech (26-7, 13-2 ACC) hosts Florida State (33-8, 9-3 ACC) for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium. The series begins on Friday at 7 p.m. (TV: FSN South), and continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. (TV: ACC Regional Network) and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (TV: SUN Sports).
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 510-218 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 .348 team batting average, a .452 on base percentage and an average of 11.0 runs per game. The Yellow Jackets have scored at least nine runs in 25 of 33 games, reaching double figure scoring in 19 games.
Third baseban Wes Hodges (.440AVG/.519OBP/.724SLG, 8HR, 31RBI) has paced the Tech offense, leading the club in batting, slugging, and hits. Junior right fielder Jeremy Slayden (.383/.475/.662, 10, 46) leads the team in home runs.
The rest of the Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.333/.406/.512, 3, 21) and Matt Wieters (.417/.537/.611, 4, 33), first baseman Whit Robbins (.247/.414/.381, 1, 22), second basemen Mike Trapani (.277/.414/.337, 1, 9) and Michael Fisher (.318/.388/.568, 2, 15), shortstop Tyler Greene (.345/.428/.561, 6, 43), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.366/.435/.537, 4, 48), center fielder Danny Payne (.336/.464/.476, 3, 25), and DH Jeff Kindel (.376/.496/.594, 3, 31).
PITCHING MATCHUP (Georgia Tech vs. Florida State):
Friday: LHP Lee Hyde (4-1, 4.54) vs. LHP Barrett Browning (3-0, 1.71)
Satrday: RHP Jason Neighborgall (5-2, 5.68) vs. RHP Michael Hyde (6-2, 4.10)
Sunday: RHP Blake Wood (6-0, 3.23) vs. LHP Hunter Jones (4-1, 4.72)
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Radio coverage on WREK (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.wrek.org. Television coverage: Friday (FSN South), Saturday (FSN South, SUN Sports, Comcast Sports Net) and Sunday (SUN Sports).
Series Notes vs. Florida State
Florida State leads Georgia Tech, 56-29, in a series that dates to 1959. The Yellow Jackets are 12-19 against the Seminoles in games played in Atlanta.
Tech had a five game winning streak against Florida State snapped in the finals of the 2004 ACC Tournament in Salem, Va.
Last year, the Yellow Jackets swept a three-game series over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, winning by scores of 11-4, 12-2 and 7-6. Tech defeated Florida State, 13-4, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament before FSU bounced back with 8-7 and 17-5 wins to claim the tournament championship.
Tech is 19-23 against Florida State under head coach Danny Hall.
FIVE YELLOW JACKETS NAMED TO MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
Five Georgia Tech players are listed in Baseball America’s midseason All-America team that was released during the first week of April. Junior shortstop Tyler Greene was listed as the first-team shortstop, while junior Jeremy Slayden (outfield) and sophomore Wes Hodges (DH) were named to the second-team.
Catcher Matt Wieters and center fielder Danny Payne were named to the Freshman All-America team.
ACC’S BEST MEET THIS WEEKEND
Georgia Tech and Florida State have combined to finish first in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season standings in each of the last nine seasons. The last team other than Tech or FSU to win the ACC regular season was Clemson in 1995.
The Yellow Jackets and Seminoles have also combined to win four of the last five ACC Tournament championships.
INSIDE THE ACC - YEARLY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSYear Regular Season Champion Tournament Champion1996 Florida State --1997 Georgia Tech --1998 Florida State --1999 Florida State --2000 Georgia Tech Georgia Tech2001 Florida State --2002 Florida State Florida State2003 Florida State Georgia Tech2004 Georgia Tech Florida State
