June 10, 2004
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (44-19), champions of the NCAA Atlanta Regional, will host Georgia (41-21) in the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional, Friday through Sunday, June 11-13, at Russ Chandler Stadium on the Tech campus. Game times are 2 p.m. on Friday, 12 noon on Saturday, and 12 noon Sunday, if necessary, with the winner of the three-game series advancing to the College World Series.
Tech’s Russ Chandler Stadium, which was rebuilt in 2002 and now seats 4,157, is hosting an NCAA Super Regional for the third time, following 2000 and 2002, when the Jackets defeated Florida Atlantic to advance to the College World Series. Tech will be hosting its ninth NCAA regional or super regional event.
NCAA Super Regionals are also being hosted by Long Beach State (vs. Arizona), Arkansas (vs. Florida State), and Texas (vs. Vanderbilt), all of which begin on Friday, with the winners opening College World Series play on Friday, June 18. The Atlanta Super Regional winner is paired with the Long Beach winner in the opening game in Omaha.
Super Regionals beginning on Saturday are being hosted by Cal State Fullerton (vs. Tulane), LSU (vs. Texas A&M), South Carolina (vs. East Carolina) and Miami (vs. Florida), with the winners opening the CWS on Saturday, June 19.
Tech advanced by defeating Jacksonville State, 16-5, and then winning two games against Texas Tech, 9-3 on Saturday and 5-3 in Sunday’s championship game. The Bulldogs defeated Clemson, 7-6 in 10 innings in Sunday’s second game to win the Athens Regional.
Georgia Tech is making its 19th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 20 years, and the Yellow Jackets are making their 21st overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Yellow Jackets tied a school record with 20 straight wins before dropping a pair of games to Florida State in the championship of the ACC Tournament last weekend in Salem, Va. Georgia Tech enters the NCAA Super Regional with 23 wins in its last 25 games.
SUPER REGIONAL COVERAGE: All eight Super Regionals will be televised by ESPN and ESPN2. Games one and three of the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional will be carried on ESPN, and game two will be shown on ESPN2. Bill Roth and Larry Conley will handle the play-by-play and color on the broadcast.
Live statistics for all games in the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional will be available on the internet at www.ncaasports.com. Radio coverage for Friday’s game will be available WREK (91.1 FM) and on the internet www.wrek.org. Radio on Saturday and Sunday will be available on 790 The Zone (790 AM) and WREK (91.1 FM) and on the internet at www.790thezone.com.
Georgia Tech’s NCAA Tournament History
ALL-TIME RECORD: 46-40
Georgia Tech is making its 21st NCAA appearance in 2004, posting a 46-40 overall record in NCAA Tournament play. The Yellow Jackets have captured four regional championships – 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2004.
The Yellow Jackets are making their 19th NCAA appearance in the last 20 years. Tech is hosting a NCAA Regional for the sixth time, including the fourth time in the last five years. The Jackets are 13-8 in NCAA play at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Georgia Tech is 27-18 in NCAA Tournament play under head coach Danny Hall, including a 23-15 mark in regional tournaments and a 4-3 record in the College World Series.
SERIES vs. GEORGIA
***Georgia leads Georgia Tech, 184-141-2, in a series that dates to 1898. The Yellow Jackets hold an 80-66-1 advantage in games played in Atlanta, while the Bulldogs hold a 49-106 edge in Athens. Tech and Georgia have played every year since 1946 when the series was suspended for three years during World War II.
***The 327-game series is Tech’s longest against any opponent. The Yellow Jackets’ next longest series are 222 games against Auburn and 180 games against Clemson.
***Tech won the first meeting of 2004, a 4-3 decision in Athens on Mar. 24. Trailing 3-2, Eric Patterson drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the top of the ninth inning. Patterson went 3-for-5 in the game, and Micah Owings added a home run. Georgia freshman Josh Morris had a three-run homer. Georgia won game two, a 6-5 decision in Atlanta on Apr. 14 when Josh Morris broke a 5-5 tie with a solo home run in the eighth inning. Tech won the final game of the year, a 12-5 win before a record crowd of 28,836 at Turner Field on May 11.
***Tech has had the upper hand in the series in recent years, posting a 39-23 record against Georgia since 1988.
***Georgia Tech is 26-16 against Georgia under head coach Danny Hall.
***Georgia Tech and Georgia will be meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time but the first time in an NCAA Super Regional. In 2002, Tech defeated the Bulldogs twice in the NCAA Atlanta Regional and went on to win a Super Regional and advance to the CWS. The previous year, it was the Bulldogs who defeated Tech in the Athens Regional and went on to Omaha. The teams first met in NCAA play in the 1987 Northeast Regional in Atlanta, which Georgia won. The teams are 2-2 against either other in NCAA play.
GEORGIA TECH’S NCAA SUPER REGIONAL HISTORY
Georgia Tech is playing in its third NCAA Super Regional since the current 64-team format was adopted for the 1999 season. All three Super Regional appearances have been at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Tech made its first NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2000 against Southern California, and the Yellow Jackets lost 7-2 and 6-3 after strong starting pitching performances from the Trojans’ Rik Courier and Mark Prior. Tech made a second appearance in 2002, defeating Florida Atlantic, 14-3 and 11-5, to advance to the College World Series.
BALANCE OF POWER
Georgia Tech batted .390 as a team and hit eight home runs to sweep through the NCAA Atlanta Regional last weekend with a perfect 3-0 record against Jacksonville State and Texas Tech. Tech averaged 2.7 home runs per game in the regional after hitting 1.0 home runs per game during the regular season.
Of note, Tech’s eight home runs were hit by seven different players – Whit Robbins (2), Eric Patterson (1), Clifton Remole (1), Mike Nickeas (1), Tyler Greene (1), Steven Blackwood (1) and Brandon Boggs (1). None of Tech’s home runs were hit by team HR leader Micah Owings, who has 15 this season.
STARTING PITCHING SHINES IN NCAA REGIONAL
Georgia Tech’s starting rotation of Brian Burks, Micah Owings and Andrew Kown led the Yellow Jackets in the NCAA Atlanta Regional last weekend. The trio went 3-0 and posted a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings, striking out 21 batters against 21 walks. Since the final weekend of April, the trio of Burks, Owings and Kown is 16-0.
SIX YELLOW JACKETS EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT AT NCAA ATLANTA REGIONAL
Six Georgia Tech players were named to the NCAA Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Team. Second baseman Eric Patterson was named the regional MVP, while first baseman Whit Robbins, shortstop Tyler Greene, outfielder Clifton Remole and pitchers Micah Owings and Andrew Kown were all named to the All-Tournament team.
