Tech Wins Slugfest in the Steel City

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The offense jumped out to a big lead and the pitching did just enough to turn it into a win as the No. 3-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team (18-4, 5-2 ACC) defeated Pitt (14-5, 2-2 ACC) by a final score of 11-9 on a rain-soaked Friday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field.

The Yellow Jackets got out in front, 8-0 after the first two innings thanks to a three-run blast from Pitt transfer Ryan Zuckerman and a grand slam by Alex Hernandez. After a 45-minute rain delay, the Panthers cut the lead to 11-9 through five, only for Caden Gaudette and Mason Patel to deliver 4.0 hitless innings out of the bullpen, securing the victory and giving GT its sixth straight series opening win.

QUICK HITS: TEAM

• Tech improves to 18-4, matching the 22-game record from last season and tied for the best start since 2010.
• The Jackets have now scored 10 or more runs in 15 of 22 games played in 2026 (68.2 % of games).
• GT has scored at least 10 runs in all three ACC series openers, scoring an average of 12.3 runs in those games.
• Tech has scored 267 runs through their first 22 games. It’s the most runs Georgia Tech has recorded after 22 games in the program’s 131-year history and the most runs any Power 4 team has scored through 22 games in the BBCOR era (since 2011).
• The Jackets scoring average now stands at 12.1 runs/game this season. The program record is 10.3, set back in 1984.
• GT is outscoring its opponents 267-101 through 22 games, that +166 margin is the highest through 22 games in program history.
• Tech hit a pair of home runs today, marking the 15^th multi-HR game of this season. Tech is hitting HRs at a 2.18 per-game pace, the third highest in Division I.
• Six of the 11 RBI from today’s game came with two outs. The Jackets have driven in 109 of their 251 RBI with two outs this season (43.4%). In contrast, Tech’s opponents have driven in 28 runs with two outs this season, 25.5%.
• James Ramsey is tied with his predecessor, Danny Hall for the best record through 22 games of any first-year Georgia Tech head coach.
• The Jackets have recorded 293 hits, a new Power 4 record for the BBCOR era (since 2011) through 22 games.
• The Jackets drew seven walks tonight, bringing their season total to an NCAA best 161.
• Alex Hernandez hit a grand slam in the second inning, already the second grand slam the Jackets have hit through seven ACC games after Kent Schmidt hit one last weekend at Clemson.
• All nine Jackets in the lineup reached base and all nine came around to score.
• The pitching struck out 10 batters today, the eighth time this season the staff has struck out double-digits and the second time in ACC play.

  QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Junior Ryan Zuckerman enjoyed his first game back at his former institution, driving a pitch 435 feet for a three-run home run in the first inning.
• It was his ninth home run of the season, tying him with Vahn Lackey for the most on the team. Zuckerman is now four HR shy of the career high he set last season, over 55 games played.
• The Yardley, Pa. native drove in three runs for the day, all coming on the home run. He brings his season total to 31, also tied with Lackey for the most on the team.

𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐙𝐔𝐂𝐊!!@RyanZuckerman_ CRUSHES one into the parking garage in his first AB back in the 'burgh!

435 ft / 106 EV / 26.5 degrees

📺 ACCNX#StingEm🐝 x #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/RQNSdYcLKC

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 20, 2026

• Sophomore Alex Hernandez extended his hit streak to three games with a grand slam in the second inning. He was jammed on an inside fastball but muscled it over the right field wall anyway, giving Tech an 8-0 lead.
• It was his 5^th home run of the season and already the third grand slam of his GT career, having hit two last season as a freshman.

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐙!

Herny muscles out his 5th 💣 of the season and his 3rd career grand slam!

376 ft / 95 EV / 31 degrees

📺 ACCNX#StingEm🐝 x #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/wop7rqJNwP

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 20, 2026

• Sophomore Caleb Daniel went 1-for-4 with three RBI thanks to a two-run single in the fourth inning and a productive out in the third. That brings his season total to 18 RBI with five multi-RBI games.
• Junior Kent Schmidt got the scoring started with an RBI single in the first inning. It was his 16^th RBI of the season and his 10^th in ACC play, 2^nd on the team, only behind Zuckerman’s 11.
• Junior Jarren Advincula continued his consistent hitting, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. He has now recorded a team-high 13 multi-hit games this season and extends his hitting streak to a team-high six games.
• Junior Drew Burress drew a walk and was hit by a pitch twice. He would come around to score, becoming Tech’s sixth player with 26 runs scored.
• Georgia Tech is the only program in the nation to have six different players score at least 26 runs this year: Hernandez(30), Lackey (30), Will Baker (27), Advincula (27),  Zuckerman (26) & Burress (26).

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• Junior Tate McKeemade his 22nd consecutive series opening start, battling across 4.0 innings with six strikeouts and six earned.
• He becomes the first Yellow Jacket to breach the 30-strikeout mark, bringing his season total to a team high 31.
• Tech improves to 18-4 in series openers started by McKee (.818 win %).
• R-junior Caden Gaudette made his team-leading 10^th appearance of the season out of the bullpen, no other Tech pitcher has more than seven.
• He put the Pitt comeback hopes to bed with 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings, allowing only one baserunner off a walk.
• This was his fifth scoreless outing of the season and his third outing of at least 2.0 innings.
• He lowers his ERA to 4.09 over 11.0 innings on the season.
• Mason Patel got the ball for the final two innings, earning himself a 2.0 inning save by shutting down the Pitt lineup with only one baserunner allowed (via a two-out walk) and striking out two.
• This was Patel’s sixth career save and first of the season. He recorded a team-high five saves last season on his way to becoming Tech’s first NCBWA All-American pitcher since 2019.
• Since recovering from an injury that saw him miss 20 days, Patel has made two appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with a victory and a save.
• Over the last two seasons, Patel has made 25 appearances out of the bullpen, posting 12 wins and six saves.

Up Next

The Jackets look to take the series against Pittsburgh tomorrow. Game two is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch from Charles L. Cost Field. Georgia Tech will start Dylan Loy (1-0) against Pittsburgh’s Vincent Spizzoucco (2-0). The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on X (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.