THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (RV) returns to the field to begin the 2023 season with the 24th Buzz Classic, welcoming North Texas (RV), Saint Francis, UConn and UIC to Mewborn Field Friday through Sunday. The tournament is currently set to consist of 13 games, featuring six including the Yellow Jackets and seven neutral contests.
Tournament Schedule
Friday
UIC vs. North Texas (9 a.m.)
Saint Francis vs. North Texas (11:30 a.m.)
UIC vs. Saint Francis (2 p.m.)
UConn vs. Georgia Tech (4:30 p.m.)
UConn vs. Georgia Tech (7 p.m.)
Saturday
Saint Francis vs. UIC (9 a.m.)
North Texas vs. UConn (11:30 a.m.)
UConn vs. UIC (2 p.m.)
North Texas vs. Georgia Tech (4:30 p.m.)
Saint Francis vs. Georgia Tech (7 p.m.)
Sunday
UConn vs. Saint Francis (9 a.m.)
UIC vs. Georgia Tech (11:30 a.m.)
North Texas vs. Georgia Tech (2 p.m.)
TV
All games over the weekend will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
Parking
Friday/Saturday – Parking will be available in the McCamish lot.
Sunday – Parking will be available in the Family Housing deck.
Promotions
During Georgia Tech’s doubleheader against UConn, there will be a gold, long-sleeved t-shirt giveaway for Opening Day. Saturday’s doubleheader against North Texas and Saint Francis will be Think Pink day for the Yellow Jackets, featuring a pink shaker and bracelet giveaway along with stadium decorations. Sunday will promote Glove is in the Air, including a heart-shaped sunglasses giveaway as well as a Valentine’s Day card-making station.
Storylines
- Georgia Tech enters its sixth season under the tutelage of coach Aileen Morales on the heels of the first NCAA regional appearance in a decade.
- 18 Yellow Jackets return from the 2022 regional squad.
- The White and Gold received votes in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 preseason poll entering 2023.
- Tech received votes for five weeks during the 2022 season, including votes from both USA Today/NFCA and ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate polls in three of those weeks. The Jackets received votes from each of the aforementioned publications in the remaining two weeks.
- Most notably during the 2022 season, Georgia Tech received its first ranking on record of No. 25 by Extra Inning Softball since being tabbed No. 24 by ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate at the conclusion of the 2011 season.
- Chief among the notable returners is NFCA Southeast Second Team All-Region and First Team All-ACC catcher Emma Kauf.
- Kauf has been named Preseason All-ACC, the No. 8 catcher and No. 85 player in the nation by D1Softball and the No. 10 catcher and No. 81 overall player in the country by Extra Inning Softball heading into the 2023 season.
- In the Tech record books, Kauf finished second in program history in single-season doubles with 25 last spring. That mark placed her second in the nation and topped the conference as she led both in doubles per game (0.45). Her 71 hits on the year led the ACC and marked her 11th in program history for a single season as well.
- The ACC’s two-time top catcher in the league is joined by a dynamic duo of right-handers in the circle in Blake Neleman and Chandler Dennis as well as the “walking web gem” serving as Tech’s vacuum in the middle, shortstop Jin Sileo.
- Also returning from last season’s regular starting lineup is leadoff mainstay and third baseman Mallorie Black along with ACC All-Freshman Team left fielder Auburn Dupree and fellow former freshman center fielder Ella Edgmon.
- The stable of returners is bolstered by the Yellow Jackets’ recent recruiting class, composed of five highly-touted new Jackets joining the collegiate ranks.
- During Morales’ tenure in the dugout as a player in the Buzz Classic, the Jackets went 18-2.
- A season ago, the White and Gold went a flawless 4-0 in the storied tournament, downing the likes of Saint Joseph’s and Villanova by a combined total of 28-8, including a mercy rule victory.
- In its history, Georgia Tech is 82-29 all-time in its renowned tournament.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech split its lone two battles with North Texas at a neutral site in 2016, winning 8-4 in the first of the two contests.
- The White and Gold defeated Saint Francis in both meetings in each program’s history, winning a pair of neutral contests 11-0 and 13-4 (5) in 1994.
- Georgia Tech currently leads UConn 3-2 in the all-time series, claiming the last three contests. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 2-1 at home after back-to-back home victories (5-0, 3-2) in 2018. The White and Gold also came out on top in a neutral matchup (4-0) in 2006.
- Tech trails UIC 5-2 in the all-time series, earning a pair of victories at neutral sites in 2000 (2-1) and 2006 (5-2).
2023 Softball Tickets
Georgia Tech softball 2023 season and single-game tickets remain on sale and can be purchased HERE. Each Buzz Classic ticket will grant all-day access on the date purchased.
Season tickets are located in the reserved chairback sections of Mewborn Field and cost $100 per seat. Season ticket members enjoy every game in the same seat for a discounted rate. Single-game tickets are also available as detailed below.
Single-Game Pricing:
Reserved Chairback: $5
Adult GA Bench: $3
Youth/Senior GA Bench: $2
Group (10+) GA Bench: $2
Standing room only tickets will be sold for $2 each if all other sections are sold out. Georgia Tech students and faculty/staff can receive free admission to regular season home games while seats remain available by showing a valid BuzzCard at the entrance.
More ticketing information, including the steps to become a member of the Mew Crew and the benefits of joining, can be found on the official Georgia Tech Softball Tickets page.
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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