May 9, 2005
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ATLANTA–Fifth-ranked Georgia Tech (34-13, 18-6 ACC) hosts Coastal Carolina (37-11, 16-2 Big South) on Tuesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets are in the midst of a seven-game homestand before finishing the regular season with a three-game set at North Carolina, May 19-21. Tech hosts Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend.
Tech stands in first place in the league standings, ahead of Miami (17-6-1), North Carolina (15-6-1), Florida State (15-9), Clemson (13-9) and NC State (13-11). The Yellow Jackets have won 13 of their last 14 ACC weekend series.
Yellow Jacket head coach Danny Hall won his 505th (currently 518-224 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 in batting .337 and runs scored ( 9.7 per game). The Yellow Jackets have scored at least nine runs in 30 of 47 games, reaching double figure scoring in 22 games.
The Tech lineup features catchers Andy Hawranick (.296AVG/.369OBP/.456SLG, 4HR, 26RBI) and Matt Wieters (.391/.492/.602, 7, 51), first baseman Whit Robbins (.266/.436/.394, 1, 27), second basemen Mike Trapani (.317/.436/.431, 2, 15) and Michael Fisher (.313/.377/.541, 2, 16), shortstop Tyler Greene (.340/.430/.553, 9, 50), third baseman Wes Hodges (.415/.487/.637, 9, 43), left fielder Steven Blackwood (.363/.439/.514, 5, 56), center fielder Danny Payne (.285/.417/.399, 3, 32), and right fielders Jeremy Slayden (.349/.448/.570, 11, 54) and Jeff Kindel (.369/.492/.564, 3, 44).
PITCHING MATCHUP (Georgia Tech vs. Coastal Carolina):RHP Jason Neighborgall (5-3, 6.30) vs. LHP Andy DeLaGarza (2-3, 4.73)
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com.
LEADING OFF … NEWS & NOTES ON THE YELLOW JACKETS
THE OFFENSE: The Yellow Jackets led the ACC with a .319 team batting average during the 2004 season. Tech has hit over .300 as a team in 19 of the last 21 years, and has averaged at least seven runs per game every year since 1981. Tech has led the ACC in batting in five years (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004) under Danny Hall. Tech leads the ACC with a .337 average this year.
YOUTH IN THE PITCHING STAFF: Georgia Tech has only three upperclassmen pitchers on the staff – senior Jordan Crews and juniors Jason Neighborgall and Ryan Self. Sophomores Lee Hyde and Blake Wood are the only pitcher on the Tech staff with at least 100 career innings pitched, and Hyde is lone pitcher with over 10 career wins.
SERIES VS. COASTAL CAROLINA: Georgia Tech leads Coastal Carolina, 12-2, in a series that dates to 1978. Eleven of the 14 meetings have been at Russ Chandler Stadium. Tech leads 10-1 in games played in Atlanta, winning 10 straight. The last meetings came in 2002, when Tech won 2-1 during the regular season and 6-0 in the NCAA Atlanta Regional.
