March 29, 2004
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (15-11, 2-4 ACC) hosts 13th-ranked Auburn (20-6, 3-3 SEC) Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Russ Chandler Stadium in the final regular season game between the two teams this year. The Jackets dropped a 6-2 decision to the Tigers earlier in the year in Auburn, but won two of three games last week, including a 4-3 victory over in-state rival Georgia last Tuesday night and a 13-2 win against Georgia Southern Sunday.
In its most recent outing, Georgia Tech defeated Georgia Southern 13-2 Sunday afternoon in the final game of a two-game series after giving up seven runs in the final two innings the day before in an 8-7 loss. Tech has won six of the last eight games after being swept in a three-game series against Virginia two weeks ago. The Tigers enter the game as winners of four of their last five, including taking two of three games from Tennessee this past weekend.
Following the game against Auburn, Georgia Tech will host Miami this weekend in a three-game series. Friday’s game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., while first pitch for Saturday and Sunday’s games is at 1 p.m.
GAME COVERAGE: Comcast Sports Southesast (CSS) will be broadcasting the game with Matt Stewart calling the play-by-play and Tech alum Randy Carroll providing the color. Live statistics will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Radio coverage can be found on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.wrek.org.
LEADING OFF … NEWS & NOTES ON THE YELLOW JACKETS
WEB GEMS: The Yellow Jackets are fielding .975 as a team in 2004, committing 25 errors in 26 games. Tech’s best fielding percentage in the 10 previous years under Danny Hall is .968, which was accomplished by the 1994 team that played for the national championship and featured Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek and Jay Payton. The Yellow Jackets have committed one error or less in 19 of 26 games, including 12 errorless games. In six conference games, Tech is fielding .982 (four errors in six games).
THE LINEUP CARD: Head coach Danny Hall has used 24 different starting lineups in 26 games this season.
IN THE BULLPEN: Tech has used 15 different pitchers this season, including 13 pitchers who have made at least five appearances.
HOT OF LATE: The Jackets have gone 6-2 in the last eight games and are hitting .379 as a team during that span. Georgia Tech has averaged 14.5 hits and 9.8 runs while hitting 10 home runs and stealing 17 bases in those games. Four Yellow Jackets are hitting at least .400 in the span, led by sophomore Micah Owings (.528 avg., 1.000 slg%, 5 HR, 36 RBI).
GEORGIA TECH VS. AUBURN
*** Auburn leads the all-time series with Georgia Tech, 114-102-5; the series dates to 1897.
*** Tech is 60-46-2 in games played in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets are 2-1 against the Tigers at Russ Chandlers Stadium since the series resumed in 2001.
*** The Yellow Jackets and Tigers split a pair of meetings last season, each team winning on the opponent’s home field. Tech took a 4-2 win at Plainsman Park on Mar. 11 behind a strong starting effort from Micah Owings (6 IP, 1 R) and home runs from Owings, Matt Murton and Tyler Greene. Auburn won 7-5 at Russ Chandler Stadium on Mar. 18 after jumping to a 6-0 lead through the first four innings.
*** Auburn took a 6-2 win over Tech on Mar. 2 at Plainsman Park. Sean Gamble and Ben Maitland each drove in two runs, and Arnold Hughey held the Yellow Jackets to two runs in six innings to earn the win.
*** Tech’s 221-game series with Auburn is the second longest in school history behind only Georgia (324 games). Tech’s third longest series is 176 games against Clemson.
*** Tech and Auburn have renewed the long-standing series in recent years. After not playing an on-campus series since 1989, the two schools resumed an annual home-and-home series in 2001. Since that time, the Yellow Jackets hold a slim 4-3 edge in the series. The two teams split in both 2001 and 2003, and Tech swept the series in 2002. Auburn won the first meeting of the year at Plainsman Park, 6-2, on Mar. 2.
*** Tech is 4-4 against Auburn under head coach Danny Hall.
