Beesball Weekend (April 8-10): at Pittsburgh

[GTJT622]

The JJ's travel to chilly Pittsburgh this weekend for a very important Coastal Division clash. The Panthers are near the top in most offensive categories in the ACC, though they are near the bottom in most of the pitching and defensive categories. The last (and only) time Tech traveled to Pitt 2 years ago it was also a cold weekend both literally and figuratively. At least, as far as Tech's bats and offense was concerned. Pitt took all 3 games while Tech mustered scoring a total of 5 runs all weekend (and the series opener went to 13 innings in a 4-3 loss). Tech was shutout in Game 2, 5-0, and lost the finale 4-2.

Pitt is currently a respectable #31 in the RPI. They have played the 10th toughest schedule in the nation per Warren Nolan's Live RPI. The Panthers are 7-10 vs RPI 1-100 opponents. In the race for the ACCT, this is a critical series for both teams. Pitt is 5-7 lurking 1 game behind the big 3 of Cheaters, French and NATS. The Panthers have a far more favorable schedule remaining than the JJ's too.

All 3 games will be streamed live via ESPN-3. The Sunday game has been moved up from a 1pm first pitch to a 12pm first pitch. Note, the Pitt and ESPN-3 schedule websites show the Sunday game as being streamed live via ESPN-3. As usual, the GT website has not updated that as of yet. Friday 6pm and Sat & Sun with noon starts. Temps in the mid to low 40's on Friday and Sunday. Temps around freezing with snow flurries on Saturday.

For reference, since moving to the current ACC format in 2014 where 10 teams had a shot with seeds 7 thru 10 having a play-in game, the 6-seed to avoid having to play in a play-in game while guaranteeing 3 games of pool play had a 16-13 record last year and a 15-14 record in 2014. Safe to say, if it plays out that way again, Tech needs to be above .500 to have a shot and preferably a few games over .500. Tech's schedule is very difficult the rest of the way.

Other ACC series this weekend...

Virginia at BC
Clemson at Duke
Miami at Notre Dame
#4 Louisville at #5 FSU
Virginia Tech at Cheaters
Wake at NC State (Fri & Sat evening games, off Sunday, Monday night live on ESPN-U)

 

[GTJT622]

Side notes...

...Tech is 7-1 in midweek games this year. That is very good and will help our record in pursuit of making the NCAAT. However, we've got to win the weekend games to qualify for the ACCT as well as any hopes of hosting a regional - which is still very possible if the JJ's can play well in the 2nd half of the season.

...Tech is 6-0 against teams from the state of Georgia this season. Next up...the Cesspool brings fleas and stench to the Rusty C Tuesday night, 6pm (ESPN-3). Our home game against the Fleabags last year was PPD due to rain and was never made up.

 

[GTJT622]

At the midway point to the season, a quick look-see at how our OOC opponents are looking...(current RPI in parenthesis)

Purdue (255) - this team is terrible...4-21 overall and 0-6 in the Big Ten

Western Michigan (222) - the MAC is one of the lowest rated RPI conferences...Broncs are in 2nd place in the MAC-West at 5-2 and 8-17 overall

VCU (67) - the A-10 is barely ahead of the MAC, though the Rams are by far the highest rated team in RPI in the conference...next highest is St. Joe's at #130...VCU is coming off a midweek win this week over the French...they are 3-3 vs RPI top 100 teams...19-10 overall and 5-1 in 2nd place in the A-10

Georgia Southern (126) - Eagles are 17-12/6-6 and tied for 4th in the SBC

UMBC (196) - 13-12 overall and 4-1, 2nd place, in the America East Conference

Georgia State (225) - 13-14/3-6 and tied for 7th in SBC

Western Carolina (92) - sitting atop the SoCon at 14-13/5-1 (note, UNC Greensboro and Samford are rated higher in RPI in SoCon)

Auburn (133) - 14-15/2-7 sitting at bottom of SEC West...lowest rated RPI team in SEC and only 1 of 2 SEC teams outside the RPI top 100

Kennesaw State (220) - 11-19/2-1 in 2nd place in the A-Sun

Mercer (117) - 17-13/3-3 tied for 4th in the SoCon

YET TO PLAY>>>>

Cesspool (59) - 17-13/4-5 in 5th place in SEC East...next 4 weekend series includes at #12 A&M, home vs #2 South Carolina, at #1 Florida, and at #11 Vandy...sandwiched in between are midweek roadies at #19 GT and #7 Clemson as well as hosting the Good Guys

Coastal Carolina (18) - 20-10/5-1 tied for 1st in Big South

Savannah State (287) - 9-21/4-5 tied for 2nd in the MEAC-South

 

[GTJT622]

Friday game moved up from 6pm to now at 3pm due to potential wintry weather. Preview from rr.com... http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/040716aaa.html

 

[GTJT622]

Gonzo back in the lineup today. That's good news.

 

[GTJT622]

Good win, JJ's! Saturday's game has been cancelled due to winter weather. Sunday's game is still on with a noon start. Don't know if the 2 head coaches may try to do a morning doubleheader to get the Saturday game in. We'll see.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Gonzo cracked a dinger in the 6-3 win.

 

[GTJT622]

Yesterday's win moved the JJ's up 5 spots to #12 in the RPI. Nice.

Other scores of note from yesterday...

Duke 5-3 over Clemson
Virginia 3-0 over BC
NC State 11-7 over Wake
Cheaters 6-0 over Va Tech
FSU 12-7 over Louisville
Miami-Notre Dame was postponed due to weather and is scheduled for a DH today
(Texas A&M 5-0 over the Cesspool)

 

[GTJT622]

FWIW, the Pitt Beesball page says yesterday's game will not be made up. We'll see.

I doubt Danny will mind too much if we are relegated to 2 games since his 3rd starter was/is up in the air. We can assume Ryan will go tomorrow in hopes of getting a 2-game sweep, perfect 4-0 week, and a 4-game winning streak when the fleabags arrive Tuesday.

Btw, Weather Underground currently calling for t'storms earlier in the day Tuesday, but getting out of the ATL by early-to-mid afternoon. Hopefully, we can avoid another PPD like last year. That's a big game for our team and fans as well as usually a nice gate for the GTAA.

 

[GTJT622]

Saturday results...

-Clemson scored 2 in the top of the 9th to win 3-2 at Duke and even the series

-Miami at ND was cancelled again today so they have played no games in Michiana...I guess they will try to get 1 in tomorrow before the Canes have to fly the long flight home

(A&M is kicking the Cesspool's ass 15-1 in the bottom of the 8th)

 

[GTJT622]

More...

BC gives the JJ's and Coastal some help as they defeat the French, 3-2, in walkoff fashion...but, in a bizarre ending. Bottom of the 9th, France gets the first 2 Eagles batters out. Then, a single followed by a stolen base includes a throwing error by the catcher on the steal moves the winning run to 3B. Next, a few pitches later, the batter is struck out swinging, but the ball is in the dirt. The catcher then throws the ball away to 1B for the winning run to come home.

Yikes!

 

[GTJT622]

JJ's rallying in the 4th to get back in the game after digging and early 5-0 hole. Woohoo!!

New game.

 

[GTJT622]

Well, so much for that. Pitt puts 4 right back up on the board in the bottom of the 4th (and still batting). 9-4 Panthers in a good old fashioned college beesball slugfest.

 

[GTJT622]

It's cold in Pittsburgh, but the bats are hot. Pitt may score 20+ in this game. Tech pitching is horrendous.

3 of our last 4 weekend games have seen us give up double digit runs. Too early to panic? Yes, of course.

But, that is a bad bad sign.

The Braves once had "Spahn and Sain then Pray for Rain". Tech may now be "Gold and Pray for Rain (or snow in Pittsburgh this weekend that thankfully may have saved us a loss)".

Ugh.

Pitt up 11-4 heading to the 5th.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Hands full of bees when you hit one!

Burrrrr!!

 

[Buzzforlife]

13-6 Bad Panthers.

 

[GTJT622]

Other Sunday results of note...

Hokies 4-3 over Cheaters (Buzzards avoid the sweep and get just their 2nd ACC win at Chapel Hell)
Duke 2-1 over Orangenecks (2 straight ACC series wins for the Blue Devils...and, over ranked teams)
Cuba 10-2 over Ireland (they do get 1 game in this weekend at Michiana)
Noles 16-5 over UofL (FSU wins series, 2-1)
French and BC tied 4-4 in the 11th (1-1 heading to the 10th where the French scored 3 only to give up 3 in the bottom of the 10th...Go Eagles!)

5 Coastal teams within 2 games of one another behind the Canes at the top and well ahead of the Buzzards at the bottom.

(A&M crushed the Cesspool for the 3rd straight day, 10-2...here's hoping we can continue to add to their misery Tuesday night at the Rusty C)


edit note: BC wins 5-4 over the French taking the series...the French are 7-8 in the ACC...recall a year ago, the French had to beat the JJ's in a play-in game to qualify for pool play at the ACCT...of course, "beat" is exactly what they did as they took our guys to the woodshed...they then went on a run that took them to the final series at Omaha for the 2nd year in a row playing Vandy, but this time they won it all

 

[GTJT622]

Halfway point to the ACC schedule...

-If the ACCT began today it would look like this...

Auto to pool play:
1. Miami
2. FSU
3. Louisville
4. NC State
T5. Clemson
T5. Cheaters

Play-in games:
7. Ga Tech vs 10. Pitt
8. Virginia vs 9. Notre Dame

-FSU has lost 4 of their scheduled 15 ACC games so far due to weather

-only 6 teams have played all 15 of their ACC games so far...meaning, 8 (including Tech) have lost at least 1 game due to weather cancelations

-Tech is 0-3 vs the Atlantic and 7-4 vs the Coastal...only 2 series left vs Coastal (home vs Miami, at Virginia)

-Next weekend's series:
NC State at Ga Tech
Cheaters at Virginia
Clemson at Louisville
Miami at Duke
Pitt at Va Tech
FSU at Wake
BC at Notre Dame

 

[BornAJacket]

wow, GT's pitching is not what it needs to be these last few weekends. That's the story of college baseball for the most part. Best pitching staffs are the ones who make the best runs in post season. They show potential, but maybe its just a lack of experience?

Either way glad to see them get a split on the road, Need to keep winning the mid-week games but they need at least 2 this coming weekend.

 

[GTJT622]

Tech wakes up Monday morning still sitting at a solid #18 in the RPI. Our guests this upcoming weekend from Raleigh are #16. The ACC has 7 clubs in the top 18 of the RPI...

2 - Miami
5 - FSU
6 - Louisville
9 - Clemson
16 - NC State
17 - Cheaters
18 - NATS

Others...

(21 - Coastal Carolina)
32 - Pitt
51 - France
(59 - Cesspool)
62 - Notre Dame
65 - Duke
68 - Wake
73 - BC
(74 - Western Carolina)
(79 - VCU)
(95 - Mercer)

 

[Buzzforlife]

Injuries:
Jon. King
Jon. Hughes
Tristan English(21 rbi, but still not cleared to pitch. Was a 39th round M.L. Selection).
Zac Ryan(working his way back after F$U Series started his season).

Other pitchers have had challenges. In baseball, rule of thumb is try to split on the road and take 2 of every 3 home games. College is fairly similar with priority on conference and top rpi matches. Want to take 2 of 3 or all three vs. Dwags starting tomorrow. Hope to see a fired up crowd with a huge Tech turnout.

 

[Buzzforlife]

VPI, 190
Kenn St, 219
Mercer, 119
Ga Sou, 127