Full ACC Breakdown by Perfect Game
THE FLATS – No. 11 Georgia Tech baseball continues to receive preseason attention as sophomores Kevin Parada and Tres Gonzalez earned preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors by Perfect Game on Friday.
The two Yellow Jackets were among the 15-player team that consists of each on-field position as well as a designated hitter, utility player, four starting pitchers and one relief pitcher.
Parada has earned multiple preseason all-American honors heading into the season after an impressive freshman campaign, where he was a consensus freshman all-American. He made 48 starts behind the dish and led the ACC in hitting the entire first half of the season before inevitably “cooling” slightly to finish top 20 in the league with a team-best .318. He became the first freshman to lead Georgia Tech in hitting since Matt Murton in 2001.
The California native also led the ACC with 20 doubles on the season, and recorded four four-hit games on the season – only two other ACC players had three games.
Gonzalez is also coming off a banner 2021 campaign that had him start in all 56 games for the Yellow Jackets – 26 in left field and 30 in center field. He was a constant presence on the base path, recording a .422 on-base percentage after finishing fourth in the ACC with 44 walks. Gonzalez hit .279 for 57 hits, 16 doubles and three homers for 27 RBI overall in addition to his blanketing defense in the outfield.
The Georgia native didn’t slow one iota this past summer either, hitting .331 and producing a .418 on-base percentage for the Wareham Gatemen in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Gonzalez finished runner-up for the 2021 Cape batting title.