BASEBALL GT vs. Pitt series preview...

[Alex Farrer]

Same rotation. I thought they might make a switch or two with Jones and Stanford but they're staying steady with the same 3.


From GT Athletics...

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS vs. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
MARCH 14-16, 2025 • 6 PM | 4 PM | 1 PM
Atlanta, Ga. (Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium)
Ticket Information | Parking | Promotions
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday – GT – RHP Tate McKee (2-0) vs. Pitt – LHP Patrick Gardner (2-0)
Saturday – GT – RHP Brady Jones (1-0) vs. Pitt – LHP Ryan Reed (2-1)
Sunday – GT – RHP Riley Stanford (0-0) vs. Pitt – RHP Drew Lafferty (1-0)
Friday – 6 PM
TV: ACC Network Extra | Watch Live
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
Analyst: Dusty Isaacs
Radio: GT Gameday App
Play-by-Play: Colin Lacy
Live Stats
Saturday – 4 PM – BARK IN THE PARK
TV: ACC Network Extra | Watch Live
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
Analyst: Harrison Fant
Radio: GT Gameday App
Play-by-Play: Colin Lacy
Live Stats
Fans and their pups must meet the following qualifications prior to entry into Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium:

• All owners must sign a waiver – HERE
  • Email completed waiver(s) to gtmarketing@athletics.gatech.edu
• Only two (2) dogs per owner may enter the stadium.
• Owners and dogs are welcome to sit in Section 12 on the first-base side and the nearby concrete area within Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.
  • Reserved and bleacher seats are off limits.
  • Permitted owners will be supplied with a wristband to leave and re-enter the stadium.
• Dogs must be non-aggressive, good in crowds of dogs and people, not in heat, in good health and current on all vaccinations.
• Dog must be under 80 pounds.
• Dogs must be on a leash at all times.
• Children with dogs must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older at all times.
• Owners must promptly bag and dispose of any waste created by their dog.

Water monsters will be available on the first-base concourse for filling up bowls to keep dogs hydrated. Complimentary bowls will be provided if needed.
Other giveaways for fans and their canines will include Georgia Tech dog bandanas!
Sunday – 1 PM – & FRIENDS PROMOTION
TV: ACC Network Extra | Watch Live
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
Analyst: Dusty Isaacs
Radio: GT Gameday App
Play-by-Play: Colin Lacy
Live Stats
SERIES STATS
Overall: GT leads, 17-14
Home: GT leads, 10-5
Last Series: Georgia Tech won last year’s series, 2-1, over the Panthers in Pittsburgh. Tate McKee made his second career start in the rubbermatch on Sunday, pitching 5.0 innings and getting a season-high 9 Ks to help Tech take the series. It was his career high for Ks until he struck out 10 against Western Michigan in his last home start.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Game Notes | Gameday Rosters
TOP STORYLINES

• Georgia Tech baseball will look to continue its momentum into the weekend for the ACC Home Opener against Pitt (10-5, 0-0 ACC).
• Tech is 14-3 this season, tied (with 2022) for the best 17-game start to a season in 12 years (since 2013).
• The Jackets have won three of their last four games when tied or trailing after the sixth inning and are outscoring their opponents 8-1 in the final three innings over that stretch.
• The Yellow Jackets are coming off a series victory in the opening weekend of ACC play, taking two of three on the road Virginia Tech before defeating Georgia State, 4-2, on Tuesday back at home.
• This weekend has the potential for yet another milestone achievement by Head Coach Danny Hall. He currently has 1,425 career wins – two wins away from tying Cliff Gustafson for the 10th most career wins by a D1 College Baseball coach.
• Coach Hall owns the 2nd most victories among active NCAA head coaches after South Carolina hired Paul Mainieri (1,520) out of retirement this season.
• Tech is led by reigning National Freshman of the Year, Drew Burress, who kicked off his sophomore encore with a walk-off grand slam during opening weekend. He leads all of Division I with a .791 career slugging percentage.
• The Houston Co. product became the fastest Yellow Jacket in program history to reach 30 career home runs – doing so in just 73 games, a full 20 games faster than the previous record holder, Kevin Parada
• He hit another home run on Tuesday, his 6th home run of the season and the 31st of his career, passing Georgia Tech legends Joey Bart (2016-18), Jake Davies (2009-12), Pete Geist (1983-85) and Matt Murton (2001-03) on the all-time home run leaderboard as he creeps closer to the Top-10 in program history.
• The emergence of the pitching staff has been the highlight of the season, boasting 10.4 strikeouts-per-game this season – over a full strikeout-per-game improvement over last season (9.2) – Tech has not averaged double-digit strikeouts from the pitching staff since the COVID shortened 2020 season (10.9) and hasn’t done it over a complete season this century.
• That early bullpen success has been spearheaded by Mason Patel who became the first Yellow Jacket pitcher this century to win each of his first six appearances in a season – 20.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 17 Ks, 0.45 WHIP, 6-0 record.
• Patel leads the nation with six victories and a 0.45 WHIP. He is the only pitcher in the nation to not allow a run with at least 1 inning/Team Game and the first pitcher in the NCAA to pitch 20.0 scoreless innings to begin a season since Luke Holman (LSU) and Ryan Prager (TAMU) did so last season – they were both drafted in the first three rounds of the MLB draft last summer.
• Tech leads the nation with 51 doubles this season, headlined by Kyle Lodise, who leads the ACC with nine – the 11th most in Division I
• GT is the only ACC program with multiple players in the national Top-25 for doubles – Kyle Lodise (9 – 11th) and Carson Kerce(8 – 25th).
• Freshman Alex Hernandez is fourth among Division I freshman with 5 home runs and 21 RBI. He is the only undergraduate and one of only three players in Division I to record a save and hit at least five home runs this season.
• Tech is one of 11 programs across Division I, and one of only two in the ACC (Wake Forest) to have three players hitting 5+ HRs this season: Burress (6), Hernandez (5) and Lodise (5)
• The Jackets are 3rd in the ACC and 15th in the nation with 187 hits this year, 10th among P4 teams.
• GT’s .330 batting average is fourth in the ACC and 17th in the country.
• The Jackets are 2nd in the nation with 16 SAC flies this season, led by Parker Brosius (3) and Alex Hernandez (3).