April 18, 2016
| GAMES 36-37: GEORGIA TECH vs. MERCER / at GEORGIA STATE Tuesday, April 19 // 6 p.m. // Atlanta // Radio: WREK 91.1 FM Wednesday, April 20 // 6 p.m. // Panthersville // Radio: WREK 91.1 FM | |
| GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS (24-11) Last Game: W, 16-7 vs. NC State (April 17) 2016 Home Record: 17-6 2016 Midweek Record: 7-2 2016 Record vs. In-State Schools: 5-1 Head Coach: Danny Hall (Miami – Ohio, 1977) Career Record: 1,155-580-1 (29th year) Tuesday SP: TBA Wednesday SP: TBA | MERCER BEARS (22-15) Head Coach: Craig Gibson (Mercer, 1986) Career Record: 415-307 (13th year) Tuesday SP: RHP Josh Knies (1-1, 7.71 ERA) GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS (16-19) |
| Games Notes // 2016 Information Guide // @GTBaseball on Twitter // Listen Live |
LEADING OFF: STORYLINES TO KNOW
- Georgia Tech freshman C Joey Bart has emerged as one of the ACC’s best rookie hitters in 2016. Bart, who currently third on the team with a .354 average, is batting .435 when he’s behind the plate in the lineup.
- Georgia Tech is 14-3 in its last 17 games against in-state rivals. Georgia Tech is 5-1 against in-state rivals this season.
- Georgia Tech enters Wednesday’s road game at Georgia State with a 10-game road winning streak in the state of Georgia.
- Sophomore Wade Bailey is toughest Yellow Jacket to strikeout in 2016 as the second baseman strikes out once every 11 at bats. In 88 career games, Bailey has struck out 30 times in 354 AB’s.
- Georgia Tech is 21-1 when allowing five or fewer runs this season. Offensively, the Jackets are 18-3 when scoring five or more runs in a game.
- While Georgia Tech leads the nation with 52 double plays, it’s been 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus involved in most of them. Bailey and Justus have combined to turn 31 of Tech’s 52 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 47 of Tech’s 52 double plays.
- Dating back to his final five appearances of the 2015 season, closer Matthew Gorst has a 0.67 ERA in his last 26.2 relief innings, allowing two earned runs with 33 strikeouts.
- Georgia Tech has used 29 different lineups in the first 35 games. Only 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus have started every game at the same position.
- Junior SS Connor Justus is enjoying his best season with the White and Gold. Justus leads all Georgia Tech hitters with a .375 average – 126 points higher than his .249 batting clip in 2015.
- Senior 3B/LF Matt Gonzalez is second among NCAA Division I active players behind UConn’s Bobby Melley (256) with 255 career hits. He is tied for 18th on Tech’s career hits list.
THE BAT BEHIND THE MASK
• Georgia Tech freshman C Joey Bart has emerged as one of the ACC’s best rookie hitters in 2016. Bart, who currently third on the team with a .354 average, is batting .435 when he’s behind the plate in the lineup.
• In fact, 27 of Bart’s 34 hits and 15 of his 21 RBI have come when he’s the starting catcher.
• Bart’s six multi-RBI games this season are the third-most among all Yellow Jackets.
HOMEGROWN SUCCESS
• Since 1999, the Yellow Jackets own a 152-54 record against their in-state foes.
• Georgia Tech is 14-3 in its last 17 games against in-state rivals. Georgia Tech is 5-1 against in-state rivals this season.
(PEACH) ROAD WARRIORS
• Georgia Tech enters Wednesday’s road game at Georgia State with a 10-game road winning streak in the state of Georgia. Tech went 5-0 in true road games in 2015 at Georgia schools, picking up wins at Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, Georgia, Georgia State and Mercer.
• The Yellow Jackets’ current streak began with back-to-back road wins at Kennesaw State and Georgia State in 2014.
A TOUGH ONE TO CRACK
• Sophomore Wade Bailey is toughest Yellow Jacket to strikeout in 2016 as the second baseman strikes out once every 11 at bats. In 88 career games, Bailey has struck out only 30 times in 354 at bats.
• Bailey’s career at bat-to-strikeout ratio of 11.8 would rank him eighth all-time in Georgia Tech history, but he currently does not qualify (needs 400 at bats).
CONNOR’S CAREER YEAR
• Junior SS Connor Justus is enjoying his best season with the White and Gold. Justus leads all Georgia Tech hitters with a .375 average – 126 points higher than his .249 batting clip in 2015.
• Justus’ 13 doubles, which are a career high, rank second on the team and is one shy of matching his combined doubles total from his first two seasons.
• Through 35 games, Justus has 51 hits, which are two shy of his freshman season total of 53 hits in 56 games.
FRESHMEN POWER HOUR
• Freshmen Joey Bart and Tristin English have become mainstays in Georgia Tech’s lineup. Bart ranks third on the team with a .354 average with seven doubles and 21 RBI. English is fourth with a .333 average, a team-best 14 doubles with one home run and 24 RBI.
• Bart and English have combined for 21 doubles and 45 RBI in 33 games.
BRANDT. GO. BOOM.
• Freshman Brandt Stallings crushed a pair of 3-run home runs over the weekend against NC State. The home runs accounted for Stallings’ only hits on the weekend.
• In his last seven games, Stallings is batting .333 (8-for-24) with two doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI. Eleven of his season-total 19 RBI have come in the last seven games, including three 3-RBI games – April 2 vs. Duke, April 16 and April 17 vs. NC State.
#DOUBLETROUBLE
• While Georgia Tech leads the nation with 52 double plays, it’s been 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus involved in most of them. Bailey and Justus have combined to turn 31 of Tech’s 52 double plays. Either Bailey or Connor has been involved in 47 of Tech’s 52 double plays.
SHUT THE DOOR
• Junior Matthew Gorst has solidified his role as Georgia Tech’s closer. The Alpharetta, Ga., native has recorded 9 of Tech’s 13 save opportunities. Gorst owns a microscopic 0.39 ERA, allowing one earned run with 31 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.
• Since allowing his lone run of the season, Gorst has pitched 16.0 scoring innings of relief, walking only four batters and allowing four hits with 16 strikeouts.
• Dating back to his final five appearances of the 2015 season, Gorst has a 0.67 ERA in his last 26.2 relief innings, allowing two earned runs with 33 strikeouts.
GONZO ON THE CAREER LISTS
• Senior 3B/LF Matt Gonzalez is tied for the lead among NCAA Division I active players with 18 career sacrifice flies and is second behind UConn’s Bobby Melley (256) with 255 career hits. Gonzalez is also second in career at bats and is currently sixth among NCAA active players in doubles, and ninth in both total bases and RBI.
• Gonzalez is three sac flies shy of tying the school record of 21 held by Jason Basil (1998-2001). He is currently tied with Ty Griffin and Luke Murton for 18th on Tech’s career hits list.
TIME FLIES
• 24 of Tech’s 35 games this season have been played in less than three hours.
• Georgia Tech is 20-4 (15-1 at home) in games played in less than three hours. In contract, the Jackets are 4-7 (2-5 at home) in games lasting more than three hours.
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