April 12, 2005
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ATLANTA–Fourth-ranked Georgia Tech (26-7, 13-2 ACC) visits Georgia (18-14, 3-8 SEC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game is the first of three scheduled meetings between the two teams. The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs play on Apr. 20 at Russ Chandler Stadium and on Apr. 26 at Turner Field.
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. Georgia):LHP Ryan Turner (3-1, 2.96 ERA) vs. LHP Mickey Westphal (2-0, 0.71 ERA)
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.
Series Notes vs. Georgia
Georgia leads Georgia Tech, 186-141-2, in a series that dates to 1898. The Bulldogs hold a 106-49 advantage in games played in Athens, while the Yellow Jackets hold an 80-68-1 egde in games played in Atlanta. Tech and Georgia have played every year since 1946 when the series was suspended for three years during World War II.
The 329-game series is Tech’s longest against any opponent. The Yellow Jackets’ next longest series are 224 games against Auburn and 180 games against Clemson.
The Yellow Jackets have won two straight games at Foley Field, while the Bulldogs have won four straight at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Tech has had the upper hand in recent years, posting a 39-25 record against Georgia since 1988.
Last year, the Yellow Jackets won two of three games during the regular season before the Bulldogs won two games in the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional. Tech won 4-3 in Athens on Mar. 24, Georgia won 6-5 in Atlanta on Apr. 14, and Tech won 12-5 at Turner Field on May 11. The Bulldogs swept two games in the Super Regional, 7-5 and 5-3.
Tech is 26-18 against Georgia 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.
VERSUS THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Georgia Tech is 5-1 against teams from the state of Georgia in 2005, posting a 4-0 record vs. Georgia Southern and a 1-1 mark vs. Georgia State. Since 1999, Georgia Tech owns a 63-16 (.797) record against its in-state foes. The Yellow Jackets are 105-33 (.761) against teams from Georgia in 12 years under head coach Danny Hall.
