March 23, 2004
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (13-10, 2-4 ACC) visits in-state rival No. 24 Georgia (16-4, 2-1 SEC) on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the first of three meetings during the 2004 season. The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs will play on Apr. 14 at Russ Chandler Stadium and on May 11 at Turner Field.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a solid week against Purdue and Wake Forest, sweeping a two-game series from the Boilermakers and taking two of three from the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem. Tech has won four of five games after being swept in a three-game series against Virginia two weeks ago. The Bulldogs enter Wednesday’s game as winners of nine of their last 11 games, including taking two of three from Alabama last weekend.
Following Wednesday’s game Georgia, Tech returs home to host Georgia Southern for a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. each day.
GAME COVERAGE: The game will be televised live by CSS (Comcast Sports Southeast). Live statistics will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Live 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 .973 as a team in 2004, committing 24 errors in 23 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 16 of 23 games, including 10 errorless games. In six conference games, Tech is fielding .982 (four errors in six games).
THE LINEUP CARD: Head coach Danny Hall has used 21 different starting lineups in 23 games this season.
IN THE BULLPEN: Tech has used 15 different pitchers this season, including 13 pitchers who have made at least five appearances.
MOUND MATCHUP: The pitching matchup for Wednesday is Tech LHP Lee Hyde (1-1, 3.29) vs. Georgia LHP David Timm (1-0, 7.15).
GEORGIA TECH VS. GEORGIA
*** Georgia leads Georgia Tech, 183-139-2, in a series that dates to 1898. The Yellow Jackets hold an 80-65-1 advantage in games played in Atlanta, while the Bulldogs hold a 48-106 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 324-game series is Tech’s longest against any opponent. The Yellow Jackets’ next longest series are 221 games against Auburn and 176 games against Clemson.
*** Georgia won both meetings during the 2003 season, an 8-4 decision at Russ Chandler Stadium on Apr. 23 and a 10-3 win at Turner Field on May 13. The May 7 game in Athens was canceled due to a conflict in Georgia’s final exam schedule.
*** The Yellow Jackets won five of six meetings between the two schools in 2002, including the final five games of the year. Tech won three of four during the regular season and sweeping a pair of games in the NCAA Atlanta Regional.
*** Tech has had the upper hand in the series in recent years, posting a 37-22 record against Georgia since 1988. The Yellow Jackets either won or split the annual regular season series every year from 1988-2000 until the Bulldogs took four of five games in 2001.
*** Georgia Tech is 24-15 against Georgia under head coach Danny Hall.
STARTING PITCHER NOTES
Freshman Lee Hyde will make his second career start on Wednesday at Georgia. Hyde’s first six appearances all came in relief before he made his first career start last Tuesday against Purdue.
In his first start last week against the Boilermakers, Hyde worked a career long five innings, holding Purdue to two unearned runs on four hits. He struck out a season high five batters.
Hyde is one of seven different Yellow Jackets that have started a game in 2004.
OFFENSE RETURNS FROM HIBERNATION
Tech has won four of its last five games, largely thanks to an offensive resurgence after a 12 game cold stretch. Of note, there is a direct correlation between the success of Eric Patterson, Tech’s leadoff hitter, and Micah Owings, Tech’s top power hitter, and the success of the team. A breakdown Tech’s offensive production:
Games Record Avg. SLG% OBP% runs/gm Patterson BA/OBP Owings BA/SLG(1-6) 6-0 .332 .514 .421 10.2 .391/.444 .300/.500(7-18) 3-9 .252 .372 .333 4.1 .222/.314 .143/.286(19-23) 4-1 .387 .628 .464 10.8 .435/.500 .435/1.000
