what time tomorrow afternoon/evening works best for everyone for the Q&A?

So far it has not exactly been smooth sailing. Damon Stoudamire was not lying when he said this was not on his radar when he got the call from J Batt to interview for the job and he is off to a slow start hiring staff. I know of four guys who have turned him down now including an HS coach in the ATL, an assistant at a nearby high-major team that was in the NCAAT, and Pershin Williams.

I'm sure he is still working to put together a staff, but this is a guy who was out of the college game for a little bit and was for many years isolated at Pacific where there is zero overlap on staffing. So he is having to figure it out on the fly while still working the portal and using the remaining support staff to help do stuff. Not exactly ideal.

Keep the thread on topic, I locked the other one.

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football continued preparations for the annual spring game with a morning practice session on the turf at Grant Field on Friday. After practice a trio of offensive players spoke to the media sharing updates on various topics including the progression of the offensive line and the quarterback competition.

Slot receiver Malik Rutherford spoke about the slot receiver position and said that newcomer Christian Leary has impressed him and the two of them are probably the fastest players on the team. He said that Leary ran a 10.5/100m in HS so he can fly. They are both Florida boys so they've bonded over that. He said that people shouldn't sleep on Jamal Haynes either and he feels like they have a nice rotation at slot receiver.

Rutherford said playing some last year gave him a lot of confidence going into this spring and he has big shoes to fill with Nate McCollum leaving, so he is trying to be a better leader and help the receiving room get better.

Rutherford said he had been waiting for his chance to be the guy and he just wants to make plays.

Rutherford said he really likes Josh Crawford (his third WR coach at GT) and he loves that he coaches the walk-ons with the same intensity he coaches the scholarship guys.

Rutherford said that Buster Faulkner's offense will use him in all types of ways from the slot to outside to even lining up off the tackle or with the RB taking quick pitches. He said it is really dynamic.

Rutherford said his toughness comes from his childhood and being undersized so he just never shies away from contact and plays like he is a bigger guy.

Rutherford said that DJ Moore has really stepped up this spring and Abdul Janneh has stepped up since Leo Blackburn got hurt and knows he has to play a larger role.

Weston Franklin said he has had to change his mentality this year and even though he still is a young guy he has had to step into a bigger leadership role so he is trying to be the best leader he can be. He said he is not by nature a vocal leader and more of a lead by example type so he has pushed himself to be more vocal.

Franklin said last year was him just trying to figure everything out on the fly and know he has a base of knowledge and game experience to build upon.

Franklin said he has worked a lot on cleaning up his technique and that Coach Geep Wade coaches it differently than Coach Key so that has been an adjustment along with what they are doing offensively as blockers. He said they know they can't be perfect especially at tempo so they do the best they can. He said that Wade is a fun guy to be around and a good coach and he said they are seeing his teaching translate on the field and he wants perfection with technique.

At center, Franklin said that Brandon Best is doing well and they've tried some other guys including Elias Cloy and Jordan Williams taking some snaps to build some depth.

Franklin said the OL room is very close and everyone comes in early and talk about their previous day and hang out and he will be friends with them for life.

Franklin said the tempo of Faulkner's offense is a little different and they are adjusting to that and trying to get calls quick and knowing you won't be perfect against the front the D is showing, but you have to execute anyway. Just set your eyes and roll with it sometimes.

Franklin joked that Brent Key tries to stay away from the OL but drifts over during practice anyway and occasionally gives his thoughts.

Rutherford and Franklin both said they feel good about the QB situation and the battle there and they think it will continue after the spring.

Fusile said that they are doing more Olympic training with AJ Artis and his staff and more power clean and a lot of work with their hips and he feels great and is moving better on the field.

Fusile said it has been good working with Franklin and Corey Robinson on either side of him again especially as they put more in offensively and change things.

Fusile said he is a little stiff and that is something he works on a lot and improving his movement, he joked that he is "stiff as a board."

Fusile said the techniques and teaching is a little different with Coach Wade than Key and the scheme is different because they come off the ball much faster in this scheme and he said you can get a better idea watching some App State clips from last year.

Fusile said that Akelo Stone is having a great camp for them and they've had some great battles.

Fusile said it is different now being a guy expected to start and contribute compared to before, but it is really exciting for him to be in that situation and he is just trying to get the scheme down perfect and tighten things up.

Fusile said that Mike Maye is a guy who has come on this spring along with Brandon Best and he likes the OL rotation they have, he thinks they will be in that top 8 group that Wade is trying to build.

Fusile said he is down 6 pounds and has dropped his body fat significantly.

OF NOTE:

Former Yellow Jacket PJ Davis was at practice today with several of his players from Columbia, SC.

Thacker had his family at practice today and his kids were providing a good bit of entertainment. Thack as you can imagine is a fun dad with a lot of energy.

I figured this was something fun since we have so many music lovers on here. Post some new stuff or off the beaten path. CCR at Nirvana tempo

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Let’s do this thing. I’ll go until 7:20

To Southlake Carroll (Tex.) QB Graham Knowles
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Committed to Miami today. Login to view embedded media

Released his top ten. Georgia Tech made the cut
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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball student-athletes earned three midseason All-America honors on Wednesday, Perfect Gameannounced this week.



Right-handed pitcher and closer Terry Busse (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso (John A. Logan) led the way with a first-team selection, while outfielder Jake DeLeo (Norwalk, Conn./Avon Old Farms School) received second-team recognition and two-way playerJackson Finley (Richmond Hill, Ga./Richmond Hill) made both the hitting and pitching rosters on the third team.



One of the nation’s top closers, Busse has been sensational in the final innings of games, ranking tied for third nationally and co-leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven saves this season. The right-hander has worked to an 0.93 ERA in 12 appearances with a 1-1 record overall. In 19.1 innings of work, the Valparaiso, Ind. native has worked to a blistering 34:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio and is holding hitters to a .167 average.



Finally getting his chance at a fully healthy season, DeLeo is taking advantage in spades, currently one of the top hitters and center fielders in the ACC. The Norwalk, Conn. native currently leads the league with 52 hits (ranking third nationally) and 97 total bases (fourth nationally), ranks third in the league in batting average (.409), doubles (13) and slugging percentage (.764), ranks fifth in home runs (10), seventh in runs (34) and 10th in RBI (30).



A Golden Spikes candidate and one of the top two-way players in the nation, Finley has been dominant at the plate and on the mound for the Jackets this season. At the plate, Finley ranks top-15 in the ACC in slugging percentage (.821 – first), home runs (11 – third), RBI (34 – fourth), total bases (78 – seventh), doubles (11 – eighth) and batting average (.358 – 14th). When not hitting and playing first base, the Richmond Hill native is Tech’s typical Sunday starter, pitching to a 4.60 ERA over seven starts this season. In 31.1 innings of work, he’s worked to a 13:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 34 punchouts overall, while holding hitters to a .260 average.



Busse, DeLeo, Finley and Georgia Tech remain home in a five-game homestead, including four games in five days, when they host North Carolina on April 6-8. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday and will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.

That five-star Fla. DL David Stone will arrive on the Georgia Tech campus tomorrow to begin a multi-day unofficial visit at the school.
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PROBABLES:
THU: GT RHP Dawson Brown (Jr., 1-1, 8.42 ERA) vs. UNC RHP Max Carlson (Jr., 1-1, 7.31 ERA)
FRI: GT RHP Luke Schmolke (Fr., 4-0, 7.12 ERA) vs. TBA
SAT: GT RHP Jackson Finley (So., 1-3, 4.60 ERA) vs. TBA

UNC come into the series this weekend with 55 home runs, a number that ranks 9th nationally, 3rd in the ACC. Led by Mac Horvath's 13 HR, the Tar Heels have other regulars like Vance Honeycutt and Jackson Van De Brake with 9 and 8, respectively.

While on paper the stolen bases appear to be a big factor in their offense, it is actually the level of patience they show at the plate that deserves more attention. Coming into the game on Thursday night, the Tar Heels rank 9th nationally in walks, with 171, a number also good enough for second in the ACC (Wake Forest has over 200)

The patience at the plate could be trouble for GT if they are unable to throw strikes consistently, especially because UNC also does not chase bad pitches the way some other opponents have thus far in conference play.

----------------------------

On the pitching side of things, it is hard to really go in-depth on a preview given the way the Tar Heels have decided not to reveal their plans for the weekend rotation other than their typical Friday starter, Max Carlson, throwing on Thursday.

Carlson has by far the highest ERA among the projected starters (more on that in a moment) and his ERA is second worst on the entire pitching staff. In comparison, his ERA would not rank in the bottom five on Georgia Tech's staff.

He has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, and his 38 K are more than anyone on the staff in Atlanta. Look for him to be in the mid-90s consistently, using a slider he worked hard all off-season on.

The other three likely candidates to pitch Friday and Saturday (weather pending)

Connor Bovair (2.52 ERA, 35 K, 10 BB in 39.1 IP, throws a low to mid-90s fastball, a very nice slider, and a lot of swing and miss per scouts who have seen him)
Jake Knapp (4.91 ERA, 28 K, 13 BB in 29.1 IP, throws in the mid 90s as well)
Kevin Eaise (2.96 ERA, 37 K, 8 BB in 27.1 IP, throws in the high 80s/low 90s, and has what UNC considers a slurve that has been nearly unhittable at times this season)

The forecast for Friday and Saturday remain awful.

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball will retire number 23, worn by former Yellow Jacket standout Mark Teixeira, it was announced on Thursday. Teixeira will be honored in a special pregame ceremony on Saturday, May 20, before Tech takes on Virginia at 12 p.m.

“To be able to retire Mark Teixeira’s number is one of my great honors as a head coach,” head coach Danny Hall said. “Mark has meant so much to this program, and to Georgia Tech, in his time as both a player and as an alum. His accomplishments on the field speak for themselves as to how great a player he was on The Flats and in the Major Leagues. He is undoubtedly deserving of this prestigious honor and I’m proud to have been his coach.”

One of the top performers in Yellow Jacket history, Teixeira earned a long list of honors, including the 2000 Dick Howser Trophy (National Player of the Year), 2000 ACC Player of the Year, 2000 consensus first-team All-American, 1999 National Freshman of the Year, 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year and 1999 second-team All-American. He was also named to the All-ACC first team twice (1999, 2000).

The third baseman from Baltimore, Md., batted .409 during his three-year career while slugging 36 home runs and 165 RBI. He ranks fourth in school history in career batting average (.409) and second in slugging percentage (.712), and holds the school record for most runs scored in a season with 104. As a sophomore in 2000, Teixeira batted .427 with 18 home runs and 80 RBI, posting the seventh-best batting average for a single-season in school history. That performance helped Georgia Tech win the 2000 ACC regular season and tournament championships as well as the NCAA Atlanta Regional title.

“It’s with great excitement and pride that we announce the retirement of Mark Teixeira’s No. 23 from Georgia Tech baseball,” director of athletics J Batt said. “Mark is one of the greatest players to ever wear the White and Gold on the baseball diamond, and his accomplishments in the Major Leagues are a huge point of pride for Yellow Jackets everywhere. In the classroom, he was an Academic All-American who came back to the Institute following his MLB career to earn his degree in business administration. And, most importantly, he and his wife, Leigh, have been champions away from the field with their selfless contributions to Georgia Tech and so many communities across America. It is our privilege and honor to recognize Mark as one of the greatest student-athletes in Tech history.”

Teixeira would be selected by the Texas Rangers with the fifth overall pick of the 2001 MLB Draft, and continue his excellence over the next 14 years. He’d play in three All-Star Games (including the 2005 Midseason Classic with fellow Jackets alumnus Jason Varitek), win five Gold Gloves (all at first base), three Silver Sluggers, and win the 2009 World Series Championship with the New York Yankees.

Teixeira was elected to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. An Academic All-American in 2000, he returned to Georgia Tech after retiring from professional baseball and completed his degree in business administration in 2022.

His number will join only two previously retired numbers in program history: No. 44 for infielder and eventual head coach Jim Luck and No. 33 for Jason Varitek.

Weston Franklin

Joe Fusile

Malik Rutherford

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football continued preparations for the annual spring game next week with morning practice sessions. Head coach Brent Key spoke with the media following practice and shared some insight on the Jackets' first spring scrimmage last Saturday and gave some updates on various areas of the program and his impressions of seeing his new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner in action for the first time calling a simulated game.

"We are two practices away from the scrimmage on Saturday and got in just under 130 plays and we got a chance to see what the guys can do without the coaches on the field," Key said. "It was a heavy move the ball type scrimmage mixed with some situational things and some short yardage scrimmage involved. We had some second downs and third downs and some move the ball on the plus side of the field and had a chance to work the ball toward the red area. Overall I was pleased with the effort and pleased with the guys are really learning how to practice that is the biggest thing, the competition we had out there."

Toughness and clean football are the two pillars of Key's program and he looks for that every day and he was pleased with that as well.

"We are playing cleaner football in several ways as far as the discipline we want to instill on a consistent basis. A lot of that comes pre-snap, the alignments, the stances and we are making sure we are extremely detailed and the things we coached on the first day of practice we can't lose sight of on the eighth or ninth day of practice. We harp on those things and make them just as important as they were the first day. That is what I'm really challenging the coaches and they are challenging the players to do," Key said. "But overall, I'm very pleased with the outcome of the scrimmage and where we wanted to be, but we've got a long way to go."


Key said he shuffled things up a little on Monday and the team met for an extra hour and practiced for a shorter period of time coming off the scrimmage and focused on corrections and only did about 1:20 on the field in full pads. They focused Monday on more situational football, red area, third downs and force drills so the kids could have a bit of a break since a lot were banged up from the scrimmage.

Key said he is excited about how things are progressing and the potential of the team, but they have a lot of work to do, this is the foundation laying time for what he is trying to build and he is trying to put the kids through some challenges to see how they respond to adversity.

I asked Brent about the three scholarship QBs, Zach Pyron, Haynes King and Zach Gibson to get his thoughts about where they are right now.

He said it is a very real competition, Pyron has experience actually playing games here as does Gibson while KIng has experience at TAMU playing, but the guys have more familiarity with Pyron and Gibson and their voices and how they run things, that cadence and rhythm have helped those two gel with the team.

He said all three have things they need to work on and different strengths, but what he is looking for is the poise and ability to control the offense and execute. He said the situation part of the game will pick up in the scrimmage this coming Saturday and that is when you can start to see who has more command of the offense as they increase the tempo and who has the ability to play at a high tempo.

Key said one of the interesting parts of last Saturday's scrimmage was hearing Buster Faulkner call the game and how he does it and the flow and he said that was reassuring to hear on the headset for the first time the way he does it and how he adapts as he calls plays and how he tailored things for each QB when they were in the game to take advantage of each QBs strengths and adjust to their weaknesses.

Key said on his staff he feels like he has some really good teachers and that is what he was looking for. He wanted to hire great men who are great husbands, great fathers, great teachers and great recruiters and he feels like he hit the nail on the head with that. He said they can all teach in the classroom and then on the field too. He said part of a good coach is teaching kids and inspiring them to learn as well at the same time and getting the kids to come out and play and not overthink or overanalyze and keep their mental edge at all times.

Key said that Ricky Brumfield has done a great job installing on special teams and keeping the guys focused in those meetings and then being able to drill it and execute.

I found this funny news correction in the WSJ:

"Corrections & Amplifications
Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, was incorrectly referred to as Georgia Tech University in an earlier version of this article. (Corrected on April 3.)"

THE FLATS – Due to inclement weather in the forecast this weekend, Georgia Tech baseball announced today that Games 2 and 3 of its series against North Carolina will be played in a doubleheader on Friday, April 7, beginning at 11 a.m.



Georgia Tech’s series opener against North Carolina on Thursday, April 6 remains unchanged at a 6 p.m. first pitch.



Further schedule updates will be available online at ramblinwreck.com and @GTBaseball on Twitter.

Greetings from Choa where I sit with my toddler after spending yesterday at the ER with my wife who had a blood clot. Good times

I’ve been told that Pershin Williams backed out of the GT deal and is likely now following Amir to USF.

Stoudamire is supposed to be in Houston interviewing candidates this weekend.

He is being picky and his staff. Not a bad thing just interesting.

Thursday- Dawson Brown (returning from one week injury)

Friday- Luke Schmolke

Saturday- Jackson Finley

Weather is expected to play a MAJOR factor this weekend.

Just got my email with the time line for season ticket renewal and this part specifically sucks!

“As a reminder, this year's Mercedes-Benz Stadium seating process will be the same as 2022. Please ensure when renewing your seats, you designate who you would like your seats to be allocated with at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

Hard to believe with all the negative feedback that they aren’t changing that. Here’s the entire email for those interested:

As your personal ticketing representative for all things Georgia Tech Athletics, I am excited to share with you that the renewal process for 2023 football season tickets launches next week!

Key Dates:

• Thursday, February 2nd – 2023 football season ticket renewal process launches, with additional information to be sent the day renewals are live.
• Monday, February 13th – Early renewal loyalty discount of $25 per ticket expires (does not apply to already discounted seats).
• Friday, March 31st – 2023 football season tickets renewal deadline.

2023 Season Ticket Member Benefits:

• $25 off per ticket if you renew before February 13th(does not apply to already discounted seats)
• Priority access to season parking, away tickets, and other exclusive benefits
• 10% discount on tour admission tickets to the College Football Hall of Fame
• 15% discount on admission tickets to the Illuminarium Atlanta
• Guaranteed access to the Yellow Jackets’ season opener versus Louisville at Mercedes-Benz Stadium*
• VIP Service experience with dedicated sales and service representative
• And more!

As a reminder, this year's Mercedes-Benz Stadium seating process will be the same as 2022. Please ensure when renewing your seats, you designate who you would like your seats to be allocated with at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Any questions about renewing? Please feel free to contact me by replying directly to this email or calling me at the number below. On behalf of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, we look forward to having you back on The Flats this fall!

Go Jackets!