April 29, 2010
Live Stats: RamblinWreck.com
Live Audio: WREK 91.1 FM
Twitter Updates: Twitter.com/gt_baseball
Live TV: Fox Sports South (Saturday Only)
ATLANTA – The fourth-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team (35-7, 16-5 ACC) will continue Atlantic Coast Conference play with a three-game series against NC State (26-17, 9-12 ACC) this weekend in Raleigh, N.C. The Yellow Jackets will play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and at 1 p.m. on both Saturday (FS South) and Sunday.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS:
Friday, April 30 (6:30 p.m.) – Doak Field (Raleigh, N.C.)
Georgia Tech – Deck McGuire, Jr., RHP (5-2, 2.69 ERA, 76 K’s)
NC State – Jake Buchanan, Jr., RHP (4-4, 4.22 ERA, 53K’s )
Saturday, May 1 (1 p.m.) – Doak Field (Raleigh, N.C.)
Georgia Tech – Brandon Cumpton, Jr., RHP (6-1, 5.54 ERA, 32 K’s)
NC State – TBA
Sunday, May 2 (1 p.m.) – Doak Field (Raleigh, N.C.)
Georgia Tech – Jed Bradley, So., LHP (6-2, 3.90 ERA, 68 K’s)
NC State – TBA
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.
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.
SERIES PREVIEW
No. 4 Georgia Tech currently holds the best record in the ACC,and will look to extend its one game lead in the Coastal divisionwith three games at NC State this weekend … The Jackets and theWolfpack will meet for the first time since 2008, when both teamsbattled at the ACC Championships in Jacksonville, Fla. …Saturday’s game will be televised live on Fox Sports South at 1p.m. The Jackets have won eight of their last 10 games, and areranked as high as No. 4 in two major polls this week (ESPN/USAToday Coaches and NCBWA).
NC State returns 19 letterwinners from a 2009 team that went 25-31overall and 10-20 in the ACC … The Wolfpack are in midst of a10-game home-stand, and are coming off four straight losses thatinclude a sweep by Boston College and a midweek defeat byElon.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia Tech holds a 64-44 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools … NC State has the edge in games played on their home turf, with a 22-20 lead.
The Yellow Jackets are 34-17 against the Wolfpack since Danny Hall’s arrival in 1994.
Last Meeting:
Georgia Tech scored eight runs over the last three innings, including two runs without the benefit of a base hit in the top of the ninth, for a wild and entertaining 10-9 win over NC State in the opening game of the 2008 ACC Baseball Championships at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
UP NEXT
Tech will take a break from its midweek schedule for finals week, before hosting Illinois-Chicago for three games at Russ Chandler Stadium next weekend.
QUICK NOTES
GT holds the best overall record in the ACC at 35-7 (.829), andranks in the top three in the conference in hitting (.337 BA, 3rd)and pitching (3.76 ERA, 3rd)
The Jackets rank among the top 10 in the nation in six categories:Scoring (10.2, 3rd), Runs (419, 3rd), Home runs (90, 1st), Sluggingpercentage (.610, 1st), Walks (222.0, 8th) and W/L percentage(.829, 3rd). Junior Jeff Rowland ranks in the top 10 in two categories alone: Runs(59, 5th) and Triples (6.0, 8th). Tech’s starting pitchers are27-5, and have combined for 246 strikeouts in 252.0 innings.Deck McGuire leads the way with 76 strikeouts, the second mostin the conference.
McGuire ranks in the top five in the conference in four differentcategories: Innings pitched (73.2, 1st), strikeouts (76, 2nd),Opponent batting average (.215, 3rd) and complete games (2,1st).
Tech has three starting pitchers in the ACC with at least six wins(JedBradley, Brandon Cumpton, and Mark Pope). No other team in the conference has more than twopitchers with six wins.
Sophomore Jed Bradley is 2-0 in his last two starts, having allowed just6 ER while striking out 13 in the two outings (13.0 IP). The Techbullpen is 8-2 on the year, and 8-for-8 in save opportunities.Senior Andrew Robinson has made in 19 appearances out of the bullpen(25.1 innings) … He is 4-0 on the year and has recorded foursaves.
Sophomore Mark Pope is 7-0 as Tech’s midweek starter … He has struckout 57 batters and walked just six in eight starts (54.1 IP).
Tech has hit a conference- and nation-leading 90 home runs thisseason, an average of 2.2 per game. Eight different players havegone yard at least five times, and four at least 12.
The Jackets ran a streak of 18 straight games with a home runbefore it was snapped on April 24. Senior Tony Plagman is second in the ACC with 15 round-trippers thisseason.
Plagman leads the conference in total bases (124) and RBI (57),while third in slugging percentage (.752).
CLOSING TIME…
The Jackets have been solid this season when it comes to closing out games. Tech is a perfect 30-0 when leading after seventh innings, and 27-1 when leading after six innings. Part of the reason has been the Tech bullpen, which is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities.
