May 8, 2026

Techs Walks Off Duke in Extra Innings for Win No. 40

THE FLATS – Drew Burress sent a 1-2 pitch deep to left field in the bottom of the 10^th inning, scoring Carson Kerce after his leadoff triple as No. 3 Georgia Tech earned its 40^th win of the season in walk off fashion in front of a sold-out Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday night, defeating Duke by a final score of 10-9 (10). The Yellow Jackets (40-8, 20-5 ACC) uncharacteristically lost a late lead in the 7^th inning, falling behind 8-9, only for Parker Brosius to deliver a game-tying solo home run, setting up Burress’ extra innings walk off for a series opening win over the Blue Devils (23-26, 9-16 ACC).

The long ball was working all night as Tech went off for five home runs, four solo shots and a two-run blast. Nine Yellow Jackets recorded at least one hit, eight scored at least one run and six delivered RBI in a total team effort offensively. On the pitching side, a rough sixth inning spoiled what was an otherwise strong start from Tate McKee before Mason Patel delivered 4.0 scoreless innings of relief with six strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.

QUICK HITS: TEAM

The Jackets improve to 40-8, reaching 40 wins in only 48 games for the first time in program history.
The Jackets have secured back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time since 2010/2011 (15 years).
This is the first 40-win regular season at GT since 2010, having reached 40 wins in the postseason during 2025, 2019 and 2011.
This is the 11^th time Georgia Tech has won at least 40 regular season games in program history, joining 2010, 2006, 2002, 2000, 1997, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1990 and 1987.
GT also won its 20^th ACC game of the year today, marking the first 20-win campaign in conference since 2021 (when teams played two extra ACC series) and the first time doing so in a regular 30 game conference slate since 2011.
The Jackets are the fastest to 20 ACC wins in program history as well, doing so one game fewer than the previous record (20-6) back in 2005.
Tech is two ACC wins away from tying the program record for most conference wins (22) set in 2005 and matched in 2011.
The Jackets retain their 2.0 game lead in the conference over North Carolina. The soonest that GT can clinch a regular season title would be Sunday, May 10, if Tech were to win its next two games against Duke and UNC were to lose its next two games vs. Pitt.
Tech is now 28-3 at home, the best home record since 2010.
The Jackets are now 11-2 in series openers this season and have gone onto win each of the last 28 three-game series dating back to 2023 after winning game one.
James Ramsey owns the best record by any first-year GT head coach through 48 games (40-8), three games better than the previous record holder, Danny Hall (37-11 in 1994).
Tech has scored 502 runs through their first 48 games. The fastest to 500 runs in program history and the fastest any Power 4 team has reached 500 runs in the BBCOR era (since 2011).
GT’s 502 runs are already the 3^rd highest total for a single season in the program’s BBCOR era (since 2011) and four runs shy of 2^nd place, 506 runs in 2025.
The Jackets hit five home runs today, bringing their season total to 99. This team is currently on pace for 111 home runs in the regular season, which would be tied for the fourth highest total in program history, with a chance to add onto that total in the postseason.
GT is outscoring its opponents 502-237, that +265 margin is the highest through 48 games in program history.
Tech’s offense is currently on pace to set program records in batting average (.358 – record is .347), on-base percentage (.465 – record is .434), slugging percentage (.624 – record is .575) and runs-per-game (10.5 – record is 10.3).
The Jackets have now won 22 of their last 25 games dating back to March 22.
Tech pitching delivered 13 strikeouts today and has struck out 56 over the last four games.
The Tech arms have struck out at least 13 batters in four straight games for the first time since at least the turn of the century.
The pitching staff allowed only one walk with its 13 strikeouts, in the last two games Tech pitching has recorded 27 strikeouts to only two walks.
The Jackets scored double-digit runs for the 27^th time this season (56.25% of all games).
This was the fifth game of the season with at least five home runs and just the second in ACC play (six homers vs. Virginia Tech – March 7).
Tech improves to 8-0 when playing in front of a sold-out crowd, at home, this season.
The Jackets are now 21-1 in night games (games started after 6 pm).
GT stole four bases tonight, matching the season high set on opening weekend against Bowling Green (Feb. 14) it was the most stolen bases accomplished against an ACC opponent since swiping five vs. Pitt last season (March 15).

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

Junior Drew Burress extended his hit streak to 11 games, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, including the game-winner in the 10^th He has now recorded multiple hits in nine of his last 10 games dating back to April 19 and multiple extra-base hits in four of his last seven.
Burress has been on a tear in the second half of the season (since March 28), leading the team in batting average (.465), runs (35), hits (47), triples (2 – tied with Advincula), extra-base hits (18), RBI (29 – tied with Advincula), slugging (.782), on-base percentage (.526) and OPS (1.308) over the last 23 games.
He hit his 55^th career home run and his 11^th of the season, tying Tony Plagman (2007-10) for the 3^rd most home runs in program history, one away from tying J.J. Thomas (1995-97) for 2^nd and just two away from the program record (57) held by Jason Varitek (1991-94).
Burress has now delivered 74 hits this season, the second most on the team behind only Advincula. He is on pace for 83 hits this season, which would match his career high, set during his All-American freshman season.
He has produced 47 RBI, bringing his career tally to 176, tied with Scott Jordan (1982-85) for the 17^th most in program history and three away from tying Matt Skole for 16^th. He passed Tristin English (175 from 2016-19) and now owns the Georgia Tech BBCOR era record for career RBI.
This was his 25^th multi-hit game of the season, the second most on the team behind Advincula.
He has now scored an ACC-best 64 runs this season, bringing his career total to 214 runs, the ninth most in program history and eight away from cracking the Top 5.
This was his third-career walk-off and his first of 2026, he delivered a walk-off grand slam and a walk-off single last season, vs. Old Dominion (Feb. 15) and vs. Cal (April 12) respectively.
He accomplished all of this on the same day that he graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Business Administration, earning his degree in just three years.
Junior Jarren Advincula extended his hitting streak to a career best 16 games, going 3-for-5 with three singles and a run scored.
He leads Division I with 87 hits this season, averaging 1.8 hits per game, putting him on pace to be the first 100-hit player at GT since 2005 (Wes Hodges & Tyler Greene).
He brings his batting average to .426 for the season, the highest in the ACC and Top 5 in the nation.
This was his team-leading 30^th multi-hit game of the season.
He remains the toughest player to strike out in the ACC, only doing so once every 13.6 at bats this season. He has only struck out in 13 of the 48 games he’s played as a Yellow Jacket.
Junior Ryan Zuckerman connected for his 19^th home run of the season in the fourth inning, a two-run shot. He is now in a three-way tie for the 17^th most home runs ever hit in a single season at GT, tied with Jeff Distasio (1986) and Drew Burress (2025).
Zuckerman finished with two RBI today, bringing his season total to a team-high 60, becoming the first Yellow Jacket to reach 60 RBI this year.
He has hit 33 extra-base hits this season, tied with Carson Kerce for the most on the team (19 HRs, 13 doubles, one triple).
Junior Carson Kerce brought his hit streak to seven games with a 2-for-6 game, hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning before connecting for a leadoff triple in the 10^th and eventually scoring the game-winning run off Burress’ SAC fly.
This was Kerce’s 24^th multi hit game of the season, the third most on the team, giving him multiple hits in half of Tech’s games this year.
He launched his sixth homer of the season and the 12^th of his career. Kerce has now matched his previous career total for home runs over his first two seasons (six in 110 games as a freshman and sophomore).
He is tied with Zuckerman for the team lead with 33 extra base hits (25 doubles (the most in Power 4), two triples and six home runs).
Junior Vahn Lackey went 1-for-4 with a solo home run. He is up to 55 RBI this season, just two away from matching his previous career total from his first two seasons (57).
He launched his 13^th home run of the season, the second most on the team behind Zuckerman.
Lackey has scored 59 runs this year, matching the total from his previous two seasons combined despite playing in half of the total games (96 games from 2024-25).
Senior Parker Brosius tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh inning. It was his fourth homer of the season, one more than his career total from his first three seasons on The Flats. He graduated earlier in the day with a degree in Business Administration.
Junior Kent Schmidt went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He leads the team with 29 RBI in ACC play.
Sophomore Will Baker extended his hitting streak to a career best nine games, going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. He has scored 54 runs this season, third most on the team behind Burress and Lackey.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

Junior Tate McKee made his 29th consecutive series opening start, allowing two earned runs over his first 5.0 innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He recorded six strikeouts, marking his eighth start of the year with at least six Ks (75% of his starts).
Tech improves to 23-6 in series openers started by McKee (.793 win %) and have won 14 of the last 16 series openers dating back to last season.
He has now struck out 214 batters over his GT career, 34 away from cracking the all-time Top 20.
He did not allow a walk over his 5.0 innings, marking the first time he has pitched more than 1.1 innings without allowing a walk in his college career.
R-junior Caden Gaudette made his team-leading 20^th appearance of the season, recording a strikeout and two earned runs in the sixth inning, both inherited runners.
Mason Patel entered the game in the seventh inning, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings with just two hits and one walk allowed while striking out six.
It was the most strikeouts he has recorded over a relief appearance this season and the most since striking out seven at Notre Dame last year (March 22, 2025).
He would get credit for the win, bringing his record to 3-0 for the season.
Since recovering from an injury that saw him miss 20 days during the opening month of the season, Patel has made nine appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 21.2 innings with only one earned run allowed, collecting two victories and six saves.
Over the last two seasons, Patel has made 32 bullpen appearances, posting a team-high 13 wins and 11 saves.

Up Next

The Jackets will look to win the series and maintain their lead in the ACC Regular Season title race tomorrow during game two of the series against Duke. It’s Senior Day on The Flats as the Yellow Jackets will honor six seniors: Carson Ballard, Brett Barfield, Parker Brosius, Kayden Cambell, Caden Gaudette and Caden Spivey. The ceremony will begin before the game, which is set for a 3 pm first pitch. The game will be streamed live on ACCNX and tickets are already sold out.

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.

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