THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball (26-6, 11-4 ACC) has been awarded the No. 15 ranking in Perfect Game‘s latest Top-25 poll, No. 18 in D1 Baseball and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and No. 20 in Baseball America. The Yellow Jackets have been ranked in three consecutive weeks, with this week marking the first time in the Top-15 since March 21, 2022. Tech moved up seven spots in the D1 Baseball Poll, the largest jump of any team, this week.
Georgia Tech is 26-6 for the first time in 15 seasons (2011) and is off to its best road start in program history (10-1). The Jackets swept Stanford, in California, this weekend (8-6, 10-3, 18-2 (7)), becoming the first team from east of the Rocky Mountains to sweep a three-game series, in Palo Alto, in the history of Stanford baseball (since 1892).
It was the Jackets second ACC sweep of the season and second straight sweep on the road, the first time that has been accomplished in 21 years (2004). Tech is the only ACC team with double-digit conference wins to this point (11).
The No. 15/18 Yellow Jackets will put their ranking on the line four times this week, first, on Tuesday vs. No. 9/11 Auburn (22-10, 6-6 SEC) before hosting California (16-15, 6-9 ACC) for a weekend series, all at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.
This Week’s Schedule
Tuesday – No. 15/18 GT vs. No. 9/11 Auburn – 6 p.m. – Gold T-Shirt Giveaway for first 400 fans – Tickets
Friday – No. 15/18 GT vs. California – 6 p.m. – Greek Weekend – Hawaiian Shirt Giveaway (students only) – Tickets
Saturday – No. 15/18 GT vs. California – 4 p.m. – Greek Weekend – Signature Saturday – Tickets
Sunday – No. 15/18 GT vs. California – 1 p.m. – Greek Weekend – White Yellow Jacket Shirt Giveaway (students only) – Tickets
TEAM QUICK HITS
- Tech owns the most potent offense in the Power 4, leading the nations top four conferences in batting average (.342), doubles (98), hits (376) and runs-per-game (10.3).
- The Jackets are the only ACC program, and one of only four teams in the nation, to be Top 20 in both runs-per-game (2nd – 10.3) and ERA (20th – 3.93) – also No. 1 Arkansas, No. 3/4 LSU and No. 4/5 Tennessee.
- Tech has now won at least one game via mercy-rule in each of its last four ACC series (11-1 (7) vs. Pitt / 18-7 (8) at ND / 18-2 (7) vs. No. 3 Clemson / 18-2 (7) at Stanford).
- The Jackets boast a +186 run differential so far this season, the best since 2010 (+197). Tech has scored 328 runs through 32 games (most since 2018) while only allowing 142 (fewest since 2013).
- Since Head Coach Danny Hall announced this would be his final season on The Flats, GT is outscoring opponents 85-31 (7 games).
- Georgia Tech is averaging 3.06 doubles per game this season, the most in the nation – the program record for doubles/game is 2.51, set in the 1987 season.
- Tech pitching has struck out 10.50 per-nine-innings this season, the program record for a full season is 10.00 set back in 1998.
- Tech is Top 10 across Division I in the following statistical categories: Doubles (1st – 98), Avg. (2nd – .342), hits (2nd – 376), runs-per-game (2nd – 10.3), SAC flies (2nd – 29), slugging % (5th – .591) and on-base % (6th – .446).
- Last week, four Yellow Jackets were named Midseason All-Americans: Drew Burress (1st Team / D1 Baseball & Perfect Game), Mason Patel (1st Team / D1 Baseball & Perfect Game), Kyle Lodise (2nd Team / Perfect Game) and Alex Hernandez (Freshman All-American / Perfect Game).
- Lodise and Burress lead the Power 4 and are third in the nation with 17 doubles each – Tech is the only team in the nation with two players in the Top 20, let alone the Top 5.
- Over the weekend, Burress passed college baseball hall of famer Mark Teixeira, among others, on the all-time home run leaderboard. He is currently 17th, tied with Anthony Maisano (1989-90). He is five home runs shy of the Top 10 and 20 away from the program record (Jason Varitek – 57).
- Lodise leads the ACC with a .860 slugging % this season (7th in Division I)
- Burress leads Division I in career slugging % (.806) by a margin of .079, the same as the distance between 2nd and 27th.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
