The Georgia Tech baseball team will be looking to avoid elimination for the second straight day.
The Yellow Jackets kept their season alive with a 4-2 win over Army on Saturday afternoon and will play a rematch against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Seahawks today at 12 noon ET, with the winner of that game playing the University of Georgia Bulldogs tonight and the loser heading home.
Things didn’t go well for Georgia Tech against the Seahawks on Friday. They were shut out 9-0 and their offense just couldn’t get a hit off their pitching staff. Georgia Tech’s offense has only scored four runs combined over their last three games, one of which came on a walk with the bases loaded. They’ll have to play sharp today against UNC Wilmington if they want a chance tonight against the Bulldogs.
Here’s how to watch today’s first match:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (32-24) vs. North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks (40-20)
Date Time
• Sunday, June 2, 12pm ET (ACC Network)
Stadium
• Foley Field – Athens, Georgia
Online TV
• Sunday’s first game will be broadcast on the ACC Network and the Georgia Tech GameDay app
Below is a preview of today’s opponents from our very own Rohan Roman.
“Georgia Tech can’t ignore the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, as evidenced by losses to Cornell, Pittsburgh, and Miami. While the Coastal Athletic Association is not a particularly strong conference, the Seahawks have the highest RPI in the conference at 34 according to D1 Baseball, and they won the CAA by defeating talented teams such as Northeastern and College of Charleston. Offensively, their statistical profile is not particularly impressive, ranking outside the top 100 in every metric except home runs. Still, the home run numbers are somewhat mitigated by a 21% strikeout rate, which is 225th in the country. Georgia Tech pitchers should be able to throw strikes easily against this lineup and control the zone.
The two hitters Georgia Tech really needs to be wary of are first baseman Tanner Sutch and center fielder Trevor Marsh. One of the best players in the CAA, Sutch’s strength is power, having a team-leading 27 homers and 74 RBIs in 2024 with a .714 slugging percentage. Marsh is a contact hitter, as evidenced by his team-best .372 batting average and .442 on-base percentage. If either or both of Sutch and Marsh perform well early on, the game could easily slip away from the Yellow Jackets, and with coach Randy Hood often placing Sutch and Marsh in holes at No. 3 and No. 4, it will be crucial for Georgia Tech to get a breakout up the top of the lineup.
While UNC-Wilmington’s pitching staff boasts strong numbers, it’s fair to wonder how they’ll fare against a lineup like Georgia Tech’s.RJ Sales is the team’s ace with a 3.70 ERA and 87 strikeouts, and the batting lineup is also a force to be reckoned with, with starters Jacob Schafer and Zane Taylor both having over 50 strikeouts and very few walks.Some of these numbers are inflated by playing in the CAA, but it’s still a talented rotation.
“Georgia Tech will be in a position to beat UNCW if they can contain the duo of Tuck and Marsh. Forcing other hitters in the lineup to attack will make pitching to them that much easier. The Yellow Jackets have a great on-base percentage (sixth-best in the country, according to Friday Starters), and there’s no reason they can’t continue that against the Seahawks. It’ll all depend on whether they can muster the strength to turn runners into runs.”
