The Cardiac Jackets Strike Again in Blacksburg

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Mason Patel pitched 4.2 hitless innings in relief to allow for Georgia Tech baseball (12-2, 1-0 ACC) to score two runs in the top of the ninth and defeat Virginia Tech (10-4, 0-1 ACC) 4-3 on Friday evening at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park in Blacksburg, Va.

Carson Kerce and Kyle Lodise led the ninth inning with walks before Kent Schmidt connected for a single to the opposite field on an 0-2 count to score Kerce and tie the game, 3-3. Freshman Alex Hernandez followed that by powering a ground ball through the left side to score Lodise before Patel slammed the door in the bottom of the inning as the Yellow Jackets came from behind for their second ninth inning comeback of the season to start the ACC season in the win column.

QUICK HITS: THE TEAM

• The Jackets improve to 12-2 on the year, tied best record through 14 games since starting the 2013 season 13-1.
• Tech has now won seven-straight ACC opening games dating back to the 2019 season.
• The Jackets have won their first ACC road game of the year for the first time since 2021.
• GT has won six straight games, the longest winning streak of the season and the longest since winning nine straight last season (March 8-19, 2024)
• The Georgia Tech bullpen threw 4.2 scoreless innings today. They extend the scoreless streak to 21.1 straight innings over the last five games, only allowing 11 hits and striking out 20 over that time.
• Georgia Tech pitching has posted a 3.83 ERA over the opening 14 games, its lowest since the 2020 season.
• The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series with Virginia Tech, 45-24, following today’s result.
• GT stole six bases, tying the season high set against West Georgia (Feb. 26). It’s the most in a game in three seasons (7 SBs vs. Campbell in the 2022 Knoxville Regional – June 5, 2022).
• This was the first game that GT has won without recording an extra base hit since Feb. 26, 2019 vs. Georgia State.

THE GLIZZY IN THE CLUTCH! We're all tied up!

ACCNX – https://t.co/qnzoDMwkDH#StingEm🐝 x #WreckHavoc x @kentschmidt_ pic.twitter.com/WBNL3nUiv8

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 8, 2025

HERNANDEZ!! JACKETS LEAD!

ACCNX – https://t.co/qnzoDMwkDH#StingEm🐝 x #CardiacJackets x @_AlexHernandez2 pic.twitter.com/UeJMk8d1y6

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 8, 2025

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Sophomore Vahn Lackey set a new career-high with his sixth-straight multi-hit game (3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored). Lackey reached base four times tonight, tying his career high set vs. West Georgia, and is batting .442 so far in 2025, one of three Jackets over .400 (Kent Schmidt – .431 & Carson Kerce – .400).
• Lackey stole two bases today – his first-career mutli-steal game. He has stolen six bases this season after getting one his freshman year.
• The Suwanee, Ga. native is currently enjoying a six-game hitting streak and a career-long 19-game on-base streak dating back to last season.
• Freshman Alex Hernandez secured the game-winning RBI in the ninth, his team-leading 19^th of the season. He has driven in the winning run twice this season, one behind Drew Burress for the team lead.
• He has reached base safely in all 14 games he has played at the college level and is currently enjoying a six-game hitting streak dating back to Feb. 26.
• Junior shortstop Kyle Lodise scored the game-winning run in the ninth, he has scored at least one run in 11 straight games.
• The Brunswick, Ga. native has reached base in a career-best 26 straight games dating back to his time at Augusta University and is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.
• Sophomore Carson Kerce reached base twice thanks to a pair of walks and came around to score the game-tying run. He has scored in five-straight games, two shy of his career high set last season.
• Sophomore Kent Schmidt has recorded at least one RBI in 10 straight games – a career-long streak.
• He extends his career-best on-base streak to 22 games with his performance today and leads the team with a .537 on-base percentage this season.
• Freshman Caleb Daniel recorded his first-career multi-RBI game today, driving in two runs with a bloop single in the fourth inning, scoring Hernandez and Lackey.
• Sophomore Drew Burress extended his career-high on-base streak to 32 games after drawing two walks tonight.
• Senior John Giesler made his season debut, returning from an injury injury sustained during practice on opening week to pinch-hit in the ninth inning.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• Sophomore RHP Tate McKee made his fourth-straight Friday start, striking out seven over 4.1 innings and only allowing two earned runs (three runs).
• He has struck out five or more in three straight appearances for the first time in his career.
• Senior Mason Patel came out of the bullpen and continued his unconscious season. He pitched 4.2 innings without allowing a hit.
• Patel went 4.2 innings, allowing only three baserunners (one walk, one HBP, one ROE) and retiring seven straight batters during the middle innings.
• He would get credit for the win, becoming the first Yellow Jacket to earn a win in each of his first five appearances since Kyle Bakker in 2002.
• He is the first GT pitcher this century to begin a season with 17.0 scoreless innings.

UP NEXT­­
The Jackets continue the series against Virginia Tech tomorrow at 3 p.m. from Blacksburg., Va. Georgia Tech is expected to start Brady Jones (1-0) against Virginia Tech’s Jake Marciano (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 Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.