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The Jackets Slug Past Miami into the ACC Championship Game

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CHARLOTTE – Top-seeded Georgia Tech (47-9, 25-5 ACC) added another chapter to a storybook season on Saturday afternoon, powering past Miami (38-18, 16-14 ACC) by a final score of 9-3 from Truist Field in Charlotte, N.C. The Yellow Jackets jumped out front, 7-0 after five innings and never looked back, collecting win No. 47 for the season and advancing to the ACC Tournament championship game for the 14th time in program history and the first since 2019.

The Jackets hit three two-run home runs to get out to the early lead, courtesy of Ryan Zuckerman (two) and Vahn Lackey. That brought the team’s home run total to 123 for the season, breaking the program record (122) set back in 2010. Those home runs, along with five shutout innings from starter Jackson Blakely set the stage for a comfortable semifinal victory as Tech awaits North Carolina in the ACC Championship game tomorrow, May 24th at noon on ESPN 2.

QUICK HITS: TEAM

  • The Jackets improve to 47-9, the best 56-game record in program history, two games better than the previous record set back in 1993 (45-11).
  • This is only the 8th time in program history the Yellow Jackets have reached 47 wins, along with 2010, 2006, 2002, 2000, 1994, 1993 and 1987.
  • The Jackets have reached the ACC tournament championship for the 14th time in program history and the first time since 2019. Tech is 9-4 in the title game all-time with the last win coming in 2014.
  • GT is hoping to become the first ACC team to win both the regular season and tournament titles in 13 years (North Carolina in 2013). That feat has only been accomplished by 13 teams in conference history, including three times by GT (2005, 2000 & 1987). Each of the last three ACC teams to sweep both championships have ended the season in Omaha (North Carolina, 2013 / Miami, 2008 / Clemson, 2006)
  • Tech has scored 603 runs this season. The most runs scored through 56 games in program history and the most scored by any Power 4 team through 56 games in the BBCOR era.
  • GT has scored 600 runs in a season for just the 4th time in program history and the first since scoring 604 in 2000 – also 1994 (634) and 1987 (program record – 662).
  • The Jackets hit three home runs today, bringing the season total of 123 – a new program record, breaking the previous mark (122) set over 62 games in 2010.
  • GT is outscoring its opponents 603-268, that +335 margin is the highest in program history.
  • Tech’s offense is currently on pace to set program records in batting average (.358 – record is .347), on-base percentage (.469 – record is .434), slugging percentage (.636 – record is .575) and runs-per-game (10.8 – record is 10.3).
  • Tech drove in five two-out runs today, giving them 224 two-out RBI this season, 40.4% of all RBI for the year. Two of the two-run home runs were hit with two outs.
  • Tech has now won each of its last 12 games against ACC opponents and the last seven by a combined score of 94-19.
  • GT pitching allowed only one walk, marking the ninth time this season with one or fewer walks allowed. Tech pitching has only surrendered one walk in six of its last 10 games dating back to May 3rd.

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

  • Junior Ryan Zuckerman delivered his 4th multi-HR game of the season, connecting for two-run blasts in the third and fourth innings. He had previously hit three vs. Northwestern (March 1), two vs. Georgia Southern (April 14) and two vs. Xavier (May 1). It was his seventh career multi-HR game.
  • He has now hit a team high 22 homers this season, tied with Andy Bruce (1991) Jason Varitek (1993) & J.J. Thomas (1997) for the sixth most in a single season in school history.
  • He is now one HR shy of cracking the Top 5 list and four away from tying the record, set by Kevin Parada in 2022.
  • He finished the day a triple shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double and a single for four RBI and two runs scored.
  • The four hits are his second-most in a game this season after going 5-for-5 with two home runs last month vs. Georgia Southern (April 14).
  • His four RBI bring his season total to 74, tied with Lackey for the most on the team and tied with Lackey for the 15th most RBI ever recorded in a single season at Georgia Tech
  • Zuckerman and Lackey are trying to become just the third duo in GT history to drive in 80 RBI in the same season, currently only accomplished by Jason Basil (83) and Mark Teixeira (80) in 2000 and Riccardo Ingram (99) and Mike Fowler (87) in 1987.

 

  • Lackey continued his incredible ACC tournament, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two walks and three runs scored.
  • He hit his two-run homer in the first inning, giving him 18 HRs this year and extending his hitting streak to a career best 13 games.
  • He is 78 runs takes over the team lead and lands him as the ACC leader in runs scored this year while tying him with Jason Varitek (1993) and Jay Payton (1994) for the 10th most runs scored in a single season by a Yellow Jacket.
  • Through two games at the ACC Tournament, Lackey leads the team with a 2.314 OPS, thanks to three home runs in seven at bats.

  • Junior Carson Kerce produced his second three-hit game of the weekend, going 3-for-5 for the second game in a row with a triple and two singles.
  • He leads the team with 42 extra base hits this season (a program record 28 doubles, a team-high four triples and 10 HRs).
  • This was his 14th game with at least three hits this year, the most on the team. He has scored 76 runs this year, 17 more than his career total over his freshman and sophomore seasons.
  • This was his 27th multi-hit game of the season.
  • Junior Jarren Advincula extended his hitting streak to a career best 24 games, tied for the 5th longest in program history and tied for the longest since 2002.
  • He has delivered 102 hits this season, tied with Victor Menocal (2001) for the 9th most in a single season in program history and the most since 2005.
  • He has gotten a hit in 39 of his last 40 games dating back to March 10 and 52 of 56 games overall this season.
  • His batting average now stands at .434, the highest in Power 4 and the 2nd best in the nation and tied for the 5th highest in program history. He has the highest batting average of any Tech player since 1979, when Doug Ibele went 52-for-112 (.464)
  • Should the season end today, Advincula would be tied for the highest batting average of any Yellow Jacket with at least 200 ABs – a record currently held by Jay Payton (.434) from back in 1994.
  • Junior Drew Burress extended his on-base streak to 19 games with an infield single. He would come around to score a run as well, his 76th of the season, the second most on the team and 2nd most in the conference behind Lackey.
  • Burress holds the GT BBCOR era records for the most runs (226), RBI (183), doubles (60), home runs (57) and total bases (488).

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

  • R-Sophomore Jackson Blakeley pitched yet another gem of a game, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings to allow GT to jump in front, 7-0, before running into trouble and eventually exiting the game in the sixth (5.2 IP).
  • This was his 12th start of the season, the second most on the team behind only Tate McKee (15).
  • He would strike out three and only walk one through his 5.2 innings, marking his sixth start of the season with one or fewer free passes allowed.
  • The Jackets have won each of Blakley’s last 10 starts.
  • His ERA stands at 2.79 over 61.1 innings, the lowest on the staff.
  • He stands at 64 strikeouts this season, the second most on the roster, and 61.1 innings pitched, also the second most, both behind Friday night starter Tate McKee.
  • Blakely would get credit for the win, bringing his record to 8-1 for the season, tied with McKee for the most on staff.
  • Blakely and McKee become the first pair of Tech starters to deliver eight wins apiece since Connor Thomas and Amos Willingham in 2019. Tomorrow’s starting pitcher, Carson Ballard is sitting on seven wins this season (7-0), Tech has not had three starting pitchers register eight wins in the same season since 2010.
  • Blakely is currently on pace to be the first Tech pitcher with 50+ IP and an ERA under 3.00 since 2016 – Brandon Gold 2.48 ERA over 105.1 IP.

  • R-junior Caden Gaudette made his team-leading 23rd appearance of the season today, pitching 1.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
  • He lowers his ERA to a career-best 3.94 this season over 29.2 innings pitched, surpassing his previous career total for appearances from his past two seasons.
  • R-freshman Dimitri Angelakos shut the door in the final two innings, entering the game with runners at the corners and nobody out and posting six straight outs, one of which was a SAC fly to allow the inherited runner to score.
  • This was his 14th appearance of the season and his 11th out of the bullpen.
  • He has been lights out against ACC competition this year, making his fifth in-conference appearance and bringing his ERA down to 1.69 over 10.2 innings of relief with 12 strikeouts.

Up Next

The Jackets continue their quest for an ACC Tournament title with the championship game on Sunday, March 24th at noon from Truist Field in Charlotte, N.C. Tech will face No. 2 seeded North Carolina(45-10, 22-8 ACC) in the title game which will air on ESPN 2.

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.

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