At the start of each week throughout the regular season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will take a closer look at the Georgia Tech baseball team. Here’s a breakdown going into the week:
Record: 30-14, 15-9 ACC
Streak: Won 1
RPI: 33
Last week
Tuesday: lost at Auburn 1-0
Friday: lost to Virginia 12-9
Saturday: lost to Virginia 6-5
Sunday: Beat Virginia 7-6 (10 innings)
This week
Friday: vs. Western Carolina, 6 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Western Carolina, 4 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Western Carolina, 1 p.m.
Week in review
The Yellow Jackets needed Kent Schmidt’s hit in the worst way.
Two outs from being swept for the second weekend in a row and losing an eighth consecutive game, Tech got a two-run home run from Drew Burress in the bottom of the ninth Sunday to tie Virginia 6-6. Schmidt, out for much of the spring with an injury, came up and hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th.
Schmidt’s heroics gave Tech (30-14) its first win in two weeks. It had begun the week with a 1-0 loss at Auburn in which it only mustered two hits, then couldn’t keep pace with the Cavaliers in Friday’s opener in a 12-9 defeat — Virginia scored seven runs in the fourth to take control of that contest.
The Jackets lost Saturday’s game in excruciating fashion by plating three runs in the bottom of the ninth, only to come up short 6-5.
Tech’s two losses to Virginia dropped it to 15-9 in ACC play, and it stands 1.5 games back of first-place North Carolina State, who is 15-6. The Jackets are tied with North Carolina (15-9) for the third spot. Florida State (12-6) stands in between in second.
Week ahead
The Jackets will have some down time this week as players tackle finals instead of an on-field opponent.
Tech hosts Western Carolina for a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Catamounts (22-21) won two of three at Samford over the weekend and host Gardner-Webb on Tuesday before making the trek to Atlanta.
This weekend’s series begins a stretch of five consecutive nonconference games for Tech before hosting Louisville on May 9. The Jackets likely have played themselves out of being a regional host for now, with an RPI of 33 going into the week.
Tech’s next five games (three against Western Carolina, one against Georgia Southern and one at Mercer) will all be considered Quad 3 or Quad 4 results.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
