April 18, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
ATLANTA–Georgia Tech, the nation’s fifth-ranked team according to USA Today/Baseball Weekly, visits No. 8 Florida State for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend in Tallahassee, Fla. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m., while the games on Saturday and Sunday will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday’s game will be televised on the ACC Regional Network (Fox Sports Net South, Comcast Sports Net and Sunshine), while live radio broadcasts for the entire series is available on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Live scoring and boxscores for all of Georgia Tech’s games in the 2002 season is available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
The Yellow Jackets stand at 32-5 overall and 8-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after winning two of three at Maryland last weekend. The Yellow Jackets had a 12-game winning streak snapped last Saturday night, but Tech has won 18 of its last 20 contests dating back to mid-March. Florida State enters the weekend series at 35-12 overall and 3-6 in ACC play.
The Tech offense is led by shortstop Victor Menocal, who leads the team in batting (.408), on base percentage (.470), hits (60) and doubles (12). Oufielder Jeremy Slayden leads the team with 11 homers, while catcher Tyler Parker has a team-best 38 RBI. As a team, Tech is batting .321 and averaging nearly nine runs per game. The pitching corps is led by a duo of sophomores in southpaw Kyle Bakker (9-0, 2.72 ERA) and righty Brian Burks (6-2, 2.63 ERA, 3 saves), and junior righty Jeff Watchko (6-1, 3.24 ERA).
Following this weekend’s series in Tallahassee, Tech hosts Mercer next Tuesday and visit Georgia on Wednesday.
SERIES VS. FLORIDA STATE
Florida State leads Georgia Tech, 48-23, in a series that began in 1959. Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992, the Seminoles own a 17-13 mark against the Yellow Jackets. However, Tech has won four of the last five meetings between the two schools dating back to the semifinals of the 2000 ACC Tournament in Fort Mill, S.C.
Last year in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets took two of three games from the Seminoles, winning 9-8 on Friday and 12-2 on Sunday, while FSU took a 6-2 win on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets won a third game from the ‘Noles in the second round of the ACC Tournament, a 6-5, 10-inning decision.
Two years ago in Tallahassee, FSU won two of three from Tech. The Yellow Jackets are just 9-28 all-time in Tallahassee, including a 5-10 mark since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1992. Tech is 13-15 against Florida State under head coach Danny Hall.
SCHEDULE ODDITIES
Due to an unusual league schedule in 2002, Florida State will be playing its first home Atlantic Coast Conference games this weekend, while Georgia Tech will be playing its final road ACC games this weekend. The Seminoles opened the season with three consecutive road ACC series, and now begin a stretch of four straight ACC home series before finishing the regular season at Clemson. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, opened the league schedule with four of the first five series on the road and will finish up with three straight ACC home series in addition to a home series with Miami.
Following this weekend’s games, Tech will play 14 of its final 16 regular season games at home where the Yellow Jackets are a perfect 21-0 at the new Russ Chandler Stadium. Tech’s lone road games are at Georgia (Apr. 24) and at Mercer (May 8).
ON THE HILL . . .
* As a staff, Georgia Tech starting pitchers are a collective 26-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 37 games this season, while walking just 1.6 batters per nine innings. Tech starting pitchers are holding opponents to a .241 batting average.
*Sophomore left hander Kyle Bakker (9-0, 2.72 ERA) will start the first game of the series on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium, making his 11th consecutive series opening start.
* Bakker was Tech’s No. 3 starter for much of the stretch run of the 2001 season before being sidelined with stiffness in his left arm for all of the Yellow Jackets’ postseason games.
* The big southpaw, who is the tallest player in the ACC at 6-9, has taken over as the No. 1 starter for Tech in 2002, and he has opened the season with consecutive wins over Georgia Southern, Tennessee Tech, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop – all teams that won games in the NCAA Tournament in 2001 – in addition to Georgia State, Gardner-Webb, NC State, Duke and Maryland.
* In 14 career starts, Bakker is 12-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 96.2 IP (30 ER). His list of victories over the last two years includes Georgia Southern (twice), Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Tennessee Tech, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop, all teams that won at least one game in the NCAA Regionals in 2001. (see additional notes on next page)
* Junior right hander Jeff Watchko (6-1, 3.24 ERA) will start either Saturday at Florida State in game two.
* Watchko will be making his ninth start of the season, the second highest total on the team, and he has also made five relief appearances.
* Watchko is 4-0 in his last four appearances – three starts and one relief outing – with a 1.69 ERA in 21.1 IP.
* In his career, Watchko is 7-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 10 starts. Working out of the bullpen, the righty has 13 career saves to rank sixth on Tech’s career list in that department. This season, Watchko has a perfect 0.00 ERA in five relief appearances.
MORE ON BAKKER
Kyle Bakker enters this weekend’s series at Florida State with a 9-0 record in 10 starts. In his lone no-decision at Wake Forest (Mar. 15), Bakker left the game with Tech holding a one-run lead before the Demon Deacons rallied for the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. Listed below are the best records by Tech pitchers to start a season:
BEST RECORD BY GEORGIA TECH PITCHERS TO START A SEASONPlayer Year Record Finished1. Scott Erwin 1988 13-0 13-02. Brad Rigby 1993 11-0 13-13. L.J. Yankosky 1998 10-0 11-14. Mike Schisler 1973 9-0 9-0 Kris Wilson 1997 9-0 12-2 Kyle Bakker 2002 9-0
SHORT HOPS
* Through 37 games, head coach Danny Hall has used 34 different starting lineups.
* Tech is currently leads the ACC in team ERA (3.44). The Yellow Jackets have never lead the conference in that category since joining the ACC in 1980.
* Tech is a perfect 21-0 at the new Russ Chandler Stadium in 2002, outscoring its opponents 196-74. Dating back to last season, the Yellow Jackets currently own a 26-game home winning streak.
* Tech’s 14-1 mark to start the season was its best since opening the 1997 season with a 15-1 record. The record for most wins with only one loss came in 1992 when the Yellow Jackets opened 24-1.
*After posting a 3-7 record in one-run games in 2001, Tech is 6-2 in games decided by one run and 13-2 in games decided by three runs or less in 2002.
* Georgia Tech opened the 2002 campaign with seven straight wins, the Yellow Jackets’ best start to a season since opening with a 10-0 record in 1997. The Tech record for most wins to start a season came in 1987 when the Yellow Jackets opened the season 16-0.
* Tech has opened the 2002 season showing off its team speed. The Yellow Jackets were a perfect 11-for-11 in the stolen base department in the first two games of the season at Georgia Southern and stand at 85-for-104 (81.7%) on the season. Tech stole 68 bases during the entire 2002 season.
* Tech is stealing an average of 2.30 bases per game. The school record for stolen bases per game is 2.21, which was established during the 1987 season.
* New Tech pitching coach Bobby Moranda has stressed the importance of throwing strikes. Those efforts have been displayed early in the season where Tech pitchers have walked 85 batters in 329.2 innings (2.3 per 9 IP).
* Tech has used 15 different pitchers already this season after having a total of 11 different pitchers see action during the 2001 season. The most pitchers that Tech has used in any one season prior to this season was 13 in both 1985 and 1996.
* Four freshmen – Eric Patterson (2B), Brandon Boggs (CF), Clifton Remole (1B) and Jeremy Slayden (DH) – were in the starting lineup for opening day. Mike Nickeas (3B) started the second game of the series at Georgia Southern, raising the total number of freshmen to start in 2002 to five. A total of 15 freshmen have seen game action so far this season, while seven different rookie position players have made at least one start.
* Tech hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the fifth inning against Ga. Southern on Feb. 10. Jason Perry, Tyler Parker and Jeremy Slayden all blasted solo shots to open the inning. The last time the Yellow Jackets accomplished that feat came in 2000 when Brad Stockton, Mark Teixeira and Bryan Prince homered consecutively at Wake Forest.
MENOCAL BREAKS TECH HITTING STREAK RECORD
Senior shortstop Victor Menocal had a 30-game hitting streak snapped on Apr. 10 against Western Carolina, but his streak established a new Georgia Tech record for most consecutive games with a base hit. Menocal’s streak ranks as the sixth-longest such streak in ACC history. Despite failing to get a hit in two games this season, Menocal has still reached base safely in all 36 games he has played in this season, and in 54 of the last 55 games dating back to 2001.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
One of the main reasons for Georgia Tech’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament last year was the struggles of the Yellow Jackets in close games. Tech posted just a 3-7 mark in one-run games a 10-12 record in games decided by three runs or less during the 2001 season. This year, Tech is 6-2 in one-run games and 13-2 in games decided by three runs or less.
BEST RECORD AFTER 37 GAMES
Georgia Tech owns a 32-5 record after 37 games, tied for the best record in school history though that number of games. Listed below are Tech’s best record through 37 games and what happened in the next three games:
BEST GEORGIA TECH RECORDS AFTER 37 GAMES . . .Record Year Next Three Game1. 32-5 2002 ??? 32-5 1997 1-2 (33-7)3. 31-6 1971 end of season4. 30-7 1994 2-1 (32-8) 30-7 1993 2-1 (32-8)6. 29-8 1987 3-0 (32-8) 29-8 1992 2-1 (31-9) 29-8 2000 3-0 (32-8)
