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: 22-6, 8-4 ACC
Streak: Lost 1
RPI: 19
Last week
Tuesday: beat Kennesaw State 15-4 (7 innings)
Friday: lost to Clemson 9-7
Saturday: beat Clemson 18-2 (7 innings), lost to Clemson 4-3
This week
Tuesday: vs. Mercer, 8 p.m.
Friday: at Stanford, 9 p.m.
Saturday: at Stanford, 5 p.m.
Sunday: at Stanford, 4 p.m.
Week in review
Tech fell just short of a possible big series win when it lost 4-3 to Clemson on Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader and finale of a three-game set. The Jackets had opened Saturday with an 18-2 victory in seven innings at Russ Chandler Stadium, but couldn’t keep the momentum going in the nightcap.
Tech had a 3-2 lead in the second game of the DH and needed three outs for the win, but an error on second baseman Alex Hernandez started the top of the ninth and fueled the Tigers’ rally. After a single, strikeout and a walk, reliever Kayden Campbell hit a batter with the bases loaded to tie the score. Carson Ballard came in and got a strikeout, but then gave up a two-out infield single.
The Jackets then left the tying run on first in the bottom of the ninth.
Tech’s 18-2 victory earlier Saturday included a 10-run fourth inning and featured home runs by Hernandez, Kyle Lodise, Connor Shouse, John Gielser and Parker Brosius. On Friday, Clemson used more late-inning magic to break a 6-6 tie with two runs in the eighth and an insurance run in the ninth for a 9-7 triumph. Catcher Vahn Lackey nearly missed a walk-off homer by sending a ball to the left-field warning track with two on base and two outs.
The Jackets began last week with a 15-4 victory at Kennesaw State in seven innings. Lodise and Hernandez each drove in four runs in that win.
Week ahead
Tech and Mercer will go deep into the night Tuesday when the two meet for a contest that doesn’t begin until 8 p.m. at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Bears will make the drive up I-75 from Macon with a 19-10 record after taking two of three from Western Carolina at home over the weekend.
The Jackets will then head West to open a three-game series at Stanford on Friday. Tech baseball has never played Stanford.
The Cardinal (16-9, 5-7 ACC) were swept at Virginia over the weekend and host Santa Clara on Tuesday before Tech comes to town. Stanford has an RPI of 35 and has been to an NCAA Regional six times in the past seven possible seasons (not including the 2020 COVID-19 season).
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