After three weeks of preseason practice, the Yellow Jackets are yearning to turn the page to a new season.
“We’re definitely ready to go,” Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. “It’s kind of reached that point where you play against each other all fall, and now you’re playing against each other for three weeks in the spring. They’re anxious to see someone else in a different-colored uniform.”
Hall’s squad opens the 2024 campaign at 4 p.m. Friday when it hosts Radford at Russ Chandler Stadium. The event will be the first opportunity for those interested to take a good gander at what is a new-look Tech team because of a dozen incoming transfers and a large freshman class.
The veteran Hall, going into his 31st season with the Jackets, is eager for everyone to see what he has witnessed the past three weeks and how much improved Tech can be than the 2023 team that missed an NCAA regional.
“I do think we’re in a better spot pitching-wise. I think we are definitely capable of playing really good, high-level defense, and I think our offense is coming along,” Hall said. “I think defensively we know who, at least initially, should be playing and who will be playing. I think the pitching, there’s enough guys that we have a lot of confidence in that will probably take us a while to sort everybody’s role out, but I’m very confident that we will get it sorted out for sure.
“Then I think offensively we probably could say these 12, 13 guys are certainly gonna be in a rotation of sorts that we can count on these guys to give us quality at-bats and hopefully make our offense great again.”
Among those expected to be on the diamond and in Tech’s revamped lineup are catcher Matthew Ellis (Indiana), first baseman John Giesler, second baseman Mike Becchetti (Fairfield), shortstop Payton Green (North Carolina State) and outfielder Drew Burress.
On Friday, Hall will hand the ball to junior Terry Busse (1-2, 5.10 ERA, nine saves in 2023). Junior Aeden Finateri (2-4, 4.64 ERA) is penciled in to make Saturday’s start and Georgia State transfer Mason Patel (1-0, 2.87) is scheduled to toe the rubber Sunday. Junior Ben King (6-2, 3.73), chosen to wear the late Jim Poole’s No. 21 this season, and Georgia State transfer Cam Jones (2-2, 2.04) will be two of the primary options out of the Jackets’ bullpen.
All those arms will be under the watchful eye of first-year pitching coach Matt Taylor.
“We’re just kind of focused on taking care of our business, showing up every single day and trusting our process, trusting what we’re doing,” King said earlier this preseason. “We’re talented enough that if we get the right breaks and we handle things the way that we need to, the sky’s the limit for this team.”
Tech will face a Radford team that went 10-45 last season and 2-25 in the Big South Conference. The Highlanders, under second-year coach Alex Guerra, lost 22 games in a row at one point in 2023.
“For us, the message is we just need to worry about ourselves, take care of ourselves and be ready to compete at a high level,” Hall said.
About the Author
