April 22, 2004
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ATLANTA–Georgia Tech (22-17, 4-5 ACC) resumes Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend at Florida State (27-13, 6-3 ACC) for a three-game series at Dick Howser Stadium. First pitch on Friday and Saturday is 7 p.m., and Sunday’s game will begin at 1 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets dropped two of three last weekend against Washington before rebounding with a 7-6, 13-inning win over Winthrop on Tuesday. The Seminoles enter the weekend series after losing two of three at Miami last weekend but bouncing back with a 16-4 win over No. 19 Florida on Wednesday night.
Following the weekend series, Georgia Tech will take a week off for spring semester final exams before traveling to NC State for a three-game ACC series next weekend.
GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Fox Sports Net South and Sunshine will televise the games on Friday and Saturday nights. Radio coverage for all three games will be available on WREK-FM (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 .972 as a team in 2004, committing 43 errors in 39 games. Tech’s best fielding percentage since records were kept in the 1950’s 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 25 of 39 games, including 16 errorless games. In nine conference games, Tech is fielding .985 (five errors in nine games).
THE LINEUP CARD: Head coach Danny Hall has used 32 different starting lineups in 39 games this season.
IN THE BULLPEN: Tech has used 15 different pitchers this season, including 10 pitchers who have made at least 10 appearances. All 15 pitchers have made at least eight appearances, and eight different pitchers have started at least one game.
THE OFFENSE: After seeing the team batting average briefly drop below the .280 mark in early March, Tech has returned to its familiar ways of a potent offensive attack. The Yellow Jackets lead the ACC with a .312 team batting average, and Tech is averaging 8.3 runs per game.
Tech has hit over .300 as a team in 19 of the last 21 years, and the Jackets have averaged at least seven runs per game every year since 1981. Tech has led the ACC in batting in four years (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001) under head coach Danny Hall.
GEORGIA TECH VS. FLORIDA STATE
*** Florida State leads Georgia Tech, 54-25, in a series that dates to 1959. The Seminoles have won six of the last eight meetings since 2002, snapping a streak of four Tech wins in five games from 2000-01.
*** Tech is just 9-31 against FSU in games played in Tallahassee. The Yellow Jackets have lost 10 of their last 12 games at Dick Howser Stadium since 1996. Tech went 1-2 in Tallahassee in 1996 and 2000, and went 0-3 in 1998 and 2002.
*** The Yellow Jackets and Seminoles split four meetings during the 2003 season. Florida State won two of three during the regular season in Atlanta, and Tech eliminated FSU in the final day of the ACC Tournament in Salem, Va.
*** In the regular season in Atlanta, Florida State scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break open a 2-1 game en route to a 7-1 win in the opener. Tech took a 5-4, 10-inning win in game two of the series with Mike Nickeas’ game-winning single. The Seminoles won the series finale, 12-7, by scoring eight unanswered runs after the Yellow Jackets built a 7-4 lead.
*** Georgia Tech won the final meeting of the year, a 10-7 win in the final day of the ACC Tournament. Trailing 7-2, Tech scored two runs in the seventh inning and six more in the ninth to rally for the win. Tech, which had defeated North Carolina, 10-6, earlier in the day, went on to defeat NC State, 6-5, to win a triple header and claim the 2003 ACC Championship.
*** Georgia Tech is 15-21 against Florida State under head coach Danny Hall.
“5” – THE MAGIC NUMBER
Although just 22-17 overall, Georgia Tech is 16-2 this season when the Yellow Jackets allow five runs or less. Tech’s only two losses when allowing five or less runs are against Virginia (3-4 and 1-2).
Since the arrival of pitching coach Bobby Moranda prior to the 2002 season, the Yellow Jackets are 88-6 when allowing five runs or less. Tech went 34-2 in 2003 and 38-2 in 2002 when allowing five runs or less. When allowing six or more runs, the Yellow Jackets are 30-45 since 2002, including a 6-15 mark this season.
PATTERSON CLIMBS TECH STOLEN BASE CHARTS
Junior second baseman Eric Patterson owns 104 career stolen bases, which ranks third in Tech history. Ty Griffin (1986-88) holds the school record with 127 stolen bases. Patterson’s 41 steals as a freshman in 2002 was the second highest single season total in school history, while his total of 35 in 2003 stands as the seventh best single season total. Patterson currently owns three of the top 13 single season totals in stolen bases.
Tech Career Stolen BasesPlayer Steals Years1. Ty Griffin 127 1986-662. Scott Jordan 114 1982-853. Eric Patterson 104 2002-pres.4. K.G. White 89 1985-885. Steve Newbern 86 1982-85
Georgia Tech Probable Starting Pitching FRI: Micah Owings So., RHP (4-2, 3.57) SAT: Andrew Kown Jr., RHP (5-1, 4.23) SUN: TBA
