THE FLATS – The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech baseball team has released its 2013 schedule, highlighted by 35 home games, three games versus rival Georgia, match ups with eight teams that reached the NCAA Regionals in 2012, and a marquee late-season series with Coastal Carolina.
The Yellow Jackets’ 56-game slate begins Friday, February 15 when the University of Akron visits Atlanta for a three-game series. Eleven of Tech’s first 13 games will be played at Russ Chandler Stadium, as early home opponents include Georgia State (Feb. 19), St. John’s (Feb. 22-24), Rutgers (Mar. 1-3) and Mercer (Mar. 5).
“Top to bottom this is a very aggressive schedule and one we are very excited about here at Georgia Tech,” said head coach Danny Hall, who led the Jackets to their eighth ACC championship last season. “The ACC is without a doubt one of the elite baseball conferences in the nation, but we’ll also play a very challenging non-conference schedule that includes St. John’s, Georgia, Coastal Carolina and Ohio State. We have a veteran, battle-tested ball club that I’m confident can handle a schedule like this.”
Eight Tech opponents played in the NCAA postseason in 2012 (St. John’s, Florida State, NC State, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina and Miami), with three in the Super Regionals (St. John’s, FSU and NC State) and the Seminoles reaching the College World Series.
Tech’s 2013 opponents won a total of 726 games last season for a winning percentage of .561, with two claiming conference titles — Coastal Carolina (Big South) and St. John’s (Big East). Both of those defending conference champs are slated for three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Red Storm visits Feb. 22-24, while the Chanticleers are in town May 3-5.
For the second consecutive year, Tech opens ACC play on the road with a series at Virginia Tech (March 8-10). Other road conference series include Florida State, Duke, Clemson and Miami. The Jackets’ ACC home opener comes against Boston College March 15-17, while Wake Forest, Virginia, NC State, and North Carolina also visit the Flats.
The Yellow Jackets, who have not lost a season series to Georgia since 2008, will play the Bulldogs in Athens on Tuesday, April 9, at Turner Field in the annual Kauffman Tire Spring Classic for Kids on April 23, and at Russ Chandler Stadium on May 14.
The final month of Tech’s regular season is a grind with five consecutive non-conference games to open May – Coastal Carolina (May 3-5 in Atlanta) and Ohio State (May 7-8 in Columbus), followed by a home series versus North Carolina, the series finale versus Georgia and a road series at Miami to conclude the slate.
The 2013 ACC Championship will be played at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. May 22-26, with NCAA Regional play beginning June 1.
Tech was 38-26 in 2012, won the ACC Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time.
Opponent Notes
Akron… 17-38 (10-17 MAC)… Coached by former Tech assistant Rick Rembielak
Georgia State… 24-31 (14-16 CAA)… The team’s have split the last four meetings
St. John’s… 40-23 (18-9 Big East)… Big East tournament and co-regular season champs and won UNC Regional
Georgia Southern… 33-27 (15-15 SoCon)… Tech has won 10 of the last 12 meetings
Rutgers… 31-25 (16-11 Big East)… Tech and Rutgers have played each other in each of the last 10 years
Mercer… 38-21 (15-12 A-Sun)… Mercer has won three of the last four in the series
Virginia Tech… 34-21 (11-19 ACC)… Tech has won the series each of the last two years
Boston College… 22-33 (10-20 ACC)… BC won last year’s series in Chestnut Hill
Florida State… 50-17 (24-6 ACC)… Won ACC regular-season crown and reached College World Series
The Citadel… 25-33 (13-17 SoCon)… Tech won the only previous meeting, 13-3, in 2000
Wake Forest… 33-24 (13-17 ACC)… Wake won last year’s series with Tech for the first time since 2002
Kennesaw State… 34-25 (15-11 A-Sun)… Tech leads series 14-4
Duke… 21-34 (9-21 ACC)… New head coach Chris Pollard was the 2012 SoCon Coach of the Year at Appalachian State
Georgia… 31-26 (14-14 SEC)… Tech has won eight of the last 11 in the series
Virginia… 39-19-1 (18-12 ACC)… Tech and UVA split four meetings last year
Savannah State… 19-34 (11-13 MEAC)… Tech is 2-0 all-time in the series, winning in 2004 and 2011 (24-7 combined score)
NC State… 43-20 (19-11 ACC)… The Pack were top 10 in the NCAA in runs (437) and reached Super Regionals
Clemson… 35-28 (16-14 ACC)… All-time series favors Clemson 105-102-3
Coastal Carolina… 42-19 (18-5 Big South)… Owned nation’s third-best ERA last season of 2.65
Ohio State… 33-27 (11-13 Big Ten)… Tech will make first ever trip to the state of Ohio, but is 58-19-1 all-time versus Ohio teams
North Carolina… 46-16 (22-8 ACC)… Won the Coastal Division, but Tech won the series for the third straight year
Miami… 36-26 (16-14 ACC)… Tech beat Miami in 2012 ACC Championship game
Full 2013 Georgia Tech Schedule
