THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (5-0) will hit the road for the first time this season, trekking to Mississippi State for the Bulldog Kickoff Classic Friday through Sunday in Starkville, Miss. Tech will take on a five-game slate through the tournament facing Central Arkansas (1-4), Southern Illinois (2-2) and host Mississippi State (3-3).
Game Information Schedule
Friday, Feb. 18 @ 10 a.m. CT vs. Central Arkansas
Friday, Feb. 18 @ 12:30 p.m. CT vs. Southern Illinois
Saturday, Feb. 19 @ 10 a.m. CT vs. Southern Illinois
Saturday, Feb. 19 @ 12:30 p.m. CT vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, Feb. 20 @ 11 a.m. CT vs. Mississippi State
TV
Georgia Tech’s game against Mississippi State on Saturday will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Storylines
- Georgia Tech has outscored its first five opponents 37-9.
- The Yellow Jackets most recently downed Mercer by mercy rule, 9-1.
- Tech has gotten off to a 5-0 start for the second consecutive season. Prior to last season, the Jackets had not started off a year on such a streak since winning seven straight in 2013.
- The Jackets are currently top 10 in the country and among the league’s best in multiple categories – third in the NCAA and second in the ACC in doubles per game (3), fifth in the nation and second in the conference in doubles on the season (15) and seventh in the land and second in the league in on-base percentage (0.491).
- The White and Gold have been proficient at the plate overall, ranking 13th in the NCAA and fourth in the ACC in batting average (.385) while also placing 15th in the country and fifth in the conference in slugging percentage (.623).
- Tech is also currently 13th in the country and second in the conference in walks (26) while placing 26th in the nation and second in the league in double plays turned per game (.60). In the circle the Jackets are 27th in the NCAA and fifth in the ACC in ERA (1.31).
- Graduate senior slugger Tricia Awald is among the nation’s most efficient at the dish. She’s currently fifth in the country and leads the conference in on-base percentage (.812), ranks eighth in the nation and second in the league in batting average (.667) and sits 17th in NCAA and leads the ACC in slugging percentage (1.250).
- Awald has gotten a hit in every game this season as six Jackets have reached base in four or more consecutive games to date.
- Junior catcher Emma Kauf has racked up hits this season, placing sixth in the nation and second in the league with 10. Those hits have led to rankings of 15th in the NCAA and second in the NCAA in total bases (19).
- Junior Blake Neleman tossed a career-high 13 strikeouts in the season opener against Saint Joseph’s, fanning 12 of the 13 batters on the way to a complete game, 4-1 win. She followed that with a complete-game shutout in a five-inning mercy rule victory over Villanova, 11-0. The hometown kid most recently pitched another gem against Mercer, striking out eight batters through six innings.
- To date, Neleman is 12th in the country and second in the conference in strikeouts (27). Her three wins are currently the second most in the NCAA and lead the ACC.
- Freshman Emma Minghini has gotten off to a hot start in her first collegiate season, ranking ninth in the nation and third in the league in RBI (10).
- Awald and Kauf both find themselves tied for fourth in the land and atop the conference in doubles this season with four apiece.
Series Notes
- The matchup between Georgia Tech and Central Arkansas will be the first meeting of the two programs in each school’s history.
- Tech currently trails Southern Illinois 4-1 in the all-time series. The Jackets’ win came at home in 1997, a 5-2 victory.
- Against Mississippi State all time, the White and Gold trail 11-3. The Yellow Jackets claimed the most recent meeting of the two with a 6-4 triumph on the road in 2019.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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