Georgia Tech vs. Georgia State: a battle of Atlanta
In one of the more intriguing draws and games, Georgia Tech will host Georgia State on Friday in the first round of the NCA baseball regional. I half thought the NCAA might have some fun and put UGA and Ga. State in the Atlanta regional, as well.
While making the NCAA is old hat for Danny Hall and the Jackets (he’s now guided the Jackets to the playoffs 14 of the past 16 years, including the College World Series in 1994, 2002 and 2006), this will be the Panthers’ first time in the postseason.
There have been some comments on this board from Tech fans unhappy with Hall’s reign, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why. The playoffs 14 of 16 years in what has arguably been the toughest conference in the country? Three times in the College World Series? One loss in the title game? There’s a reason you don’t see too many dynasties in college baseball. In fact, during the past 10 years no team has won the CWS more than twice. LSU is the closest thing to a dynasty in baseball, winning the title five times during the past 18 years, and it hasn’t played for the championship since last winning it in 2000.
Why? It’s tough to do. And baseball doesn’t exclude anyone from the playoffs. Every team, even the ones that are I-AA or a mid-major in football, can play for the national championship in baseball.
Throw in the fact that baseball rosters, which are obviously much smaller than football rosters, constantly churn because of the draft. Three times in 15 seasons? That’s the same as three sweet 16s in basketball, which is a decent accomplishment.
Anyway, let’s look at how the Jackets and Panthers match up statistically in a few key categories (leaders in bold):
Category Tech State
Team BA .318 .310
Opp. BA .263 .284
HR 104 72
Opp. HR 46 53
RBI 438 426
Opp. RBI 252 325
SLG .549 .474
Opp. SLG .389 .426
ERA 4.68 5.41
Opp. ERA 7.98 7.24
SO 478 459
Opp. SO 380 384
As you can see, Tech is better in most categories, has a big advantage in home runs, and a significant advantage in slugging percentage and opponents’ RBI, which says to me that Tech takes much better advantage of taking advantage of scoring opportunities, and limiting its opponents’ chances.
One more thing about Tech. It played arguably the toughest schedule in the country this year. It did stumble at the end, but it is hosting for a reason.
Anyway, send me your thoughts on this matchup, as well as Tech’s chances of making it to the super regionals.
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75 comments Add your comment
GSU1
May 26th, 2009
12:43 pm
Ramblin….Tech’s baseball team doesnt have a single “NO NAME NOBODY”
And even if they did, they wouldnt see the field against a team ranked in the top 30 in the country.
When Georgia Southern beat Tech 23-3 it was a wakeup call for the Jackets that they arent as good as they thought. The ACC Tourney proved that point too.
If you dont think Tech and Southern are growing more and more equal in baseball then as a fan you are just ignorant. Chris Mederos could just as easily shutout Tech as your Ace could shut out Georgia Southern.
2-2 this year. We split. Now try and handle ELON. Dont let them sneak up on you. They have a fierce team.
gotech 610
May 26th, 2009
12:55 pm
GSU1,
I think you mean Ga Southern 1, unless of course you go to the real GSU in Atlanta!
GA Southern, thanks for Paul Johnson, other than that GA Southern is a useless party school even lower on the totem pole then UGA. GSU and GT are the only respectable schools in the state!
Ramblinwreck1378
May 26th, 2009
1:10 pm
When did I ever say “NO NAME NOBODY’? And are you meaning to tell me that we’re not as good as we thought we are when we went to Miami and swept them, and took two of three from FSU? Everyone goes through slumps, and yes, we split, but I don’t think there’s a real question as to who’s the better team.
Too Easy
May 26th, 2009
1:56 pm
1378: At 11:10 this morning you used ‘no name nobody’. Glad to help.
realGSUfan
May 26th, 2009
2:02 pm
ramblinwreck1378Ramblinwreck1378
“When did I ever say “NO NAME NOBODY’?”
Check your post at 11:10
realGSUfan
May 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
gotech 610
First you say “GA southern “fans” get a hold of yourselves.”
Then you say “but I still don’t know GSU chances. If they pitch well and keep the homers out, could make for a classic.”
Talk about needing to get hold of one’s self!
obvious
May 26th, 2009
2:23 pm
when does football start?
DawginLex
May 26th, 2009
2:31 pm
I’m just glad the Tech people are arguing with someone else…………………..
Baba O'Riley
May 26th, 2009
2:35 pm
If UGA fans wouldn’t come into Tech blogs, the amount of arguments would decrease immensely.
GSU1
May 26th, 2009
3:23 pm
If Tech fans wouldnt try and put makeup over the black eye GEORGIA SOUTHERN gave them in their own stadium we wouldnt have this problem. Give credit where credit is due. GTech has a great program. But they will never steamroll Georgia Southern in baseball. NEVER.
Losing 23-3 at home. Thats like kissing your sister.
egeagle
May 26th, 2009
3:40 pm
BooBoo O’Really is a perfect example of the Techage wasteland and their crosstown night school. In my 25 years in Atlanta, there’s one thing I’ve noticed. I can count on one hand the Tech people over that time who weren’t total snobs or a-holes. State is a legend in its own mind as well. Southern’s baseball tradition is solid, and I believe GSC/U has been to the CWS three or four times. We did win the NAIA CWS in ‘62. I guess Tech gets its colors, urine yellow and white, from the streak that runs up their back. To reference football for a moment, the SoCon you disparage so has helped you fill your schedule for years. Since Southern started football, you’ve played nearly every team except Southern. Scared, huh? Ga. Southern has always been a smaller school with people who have a “bad case of the wants” summed up so masterfully by Coach Erk Russell. Every school has obnoxious, delusional fans. But GT is one of the few in which the lunatic fringe is the majority. We enjoyed beating you by three TDs in baseball. Too bad we or UGA won’t have the extreme pleasure of sending you home just like the Dawgs did last year and before. Techies and their red-headed stepfriends at State are easy to despise.
Worst of luck in your regional and the rest of the way. Can you both lose?
GSUfor6
May 26th, 2009
3:43 pm
“we didn’t play our ace” “it was early in the season”……. man, you guys are starting to sound like UGA football fans. Talk about making excuses. You got beat twice, and one was a total but kicking. Why can’t you just admit it instead of making excuses? I bet your coach is thrilled that GSU got sent out to California instead of being placed in your region. I’d put money on it.
As someone mentioned above though. Don’t sleep on Elon. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came out of this region a winner.
GT
May 26th, 2009
3:51 pm
Wow, Georgia Southern fans are coming out of the woodwork. I wish Georgia Southern was in our regional, I really do. Yeah Georgia Southern beat us bad in one meaningless mid-week game, but college baseball has more parity than any of the big 3 college sports, upsets are going to happen. I would like Georgia Southern to go play the #2 toughest schedule in the nation like we did and then compare records. We’ll see you in a couple of years at Bobby Dodd because we finally got you on the schedule.
Go Tech610
May 26th, 2009
4:07 pm
GSU1,
What does me not knowing GSU’s chances have to do with me not having a hold of myself? GSU beat GT once already, but GT beat them as well. So it could either way that’s what I was saying. You Georgia Southern morons are the one’s arguing in a blog that doesn’t have one thing to do with Georgia Southern. Then again I guess that’s the only GA Southern will ever get any press from any relevant news source, isn’t it? That’s why you morons are fuming anyways right? It’s not the AJC’s fault that Georgia Southern is an irrelevant school in GA.
Tapate50
May 26th, 2009
4:41 pm
Irrelevent how? Football NCs? Baseball conference championships? How exactly are they irrelevent?
Don’t sleep on Elon Gnats… they can really play ball.
GoTech- No reason to dismiss a mid week game as a fluke (after all, you guys should be deeper and have BETTER mid week pitchers than us- bc we are throwing mid week players as well). We split the series with ya’ll (2-2) and pretty much embarassed ya’ll at your own field. Mid week or no midweek game it was a embarassing loss.
If we played 100 times, I think its pretty close to a slpit… no runaways there.
realGSUfan
May 26th, 2009
4:54 pm
Go Tech610
“What does me not knowing GSU’s chances have to do with me not having a hold of myself?”
Sorry about your ADD, but that was me, not GSU1, that made that comment. And what it has to do with getting hold of yourself is that you actually think that GA State has a chance in the regional.
It’s sad (but certainly not surprising) that you are so ashamed of your JC commuter night school that you use the Go Tech name rather than identifying with the institution that you actually attend.
Ty Webb
May 26th, 2009
5:07 pm
GA State has a good team. They recruit Metro Atlanta just like Tech and Georgia and there are enough good baseball players to feed all three schools. It should be a good atmosphere if it doesn’t rain like it has every single weekend this spring. Despite Tech falling apart down the stretch, they are hosting for a reason, I just hope Tech can find some momentum and make a run to the CWS.
Randy Carroll
May 26th, 2009
8:06 pm
I’ll admit to being an “inexperienced blogger” by the fact that I’m using my real name here; however, I was disturbed by the “negative” comments made by fans of all the schools involved in the NCAA baseball Regionals. First of all, my allegiance is to Georgia Tech and they should be commended for being selected to host the Regionals and having a fine season; however, I am proud that Georgia, Georgia Southern and Georgia State all received “NCAA bids” whether they won a conference championship or were selected “At Large”. The point here is that all these schools have good programs and deserve positive recognition for
their efforts.
I know that the coaches of these schools (David Perno, Greg Frady,
Danny Hall and Rodney Hennon) have a mutual respect for each other despite intense competition on the field. You can find “negatives”
about each team or cite a “specific victory” for your school, etc.,
but let’s give all the teams credit for making the NCAA and hope next
year that both Kennesaw State and Mercer make the field as well. It
wouldn’t surprise me with the quality of baseball played in Georgia!
Mister T
May 27th, 2009
10:30 am
I wonder if Jason C and some of the other new GSU & GSU bloggers will show up if they bow out in two?
Jason, you used the word arrogant towards someone else and accuse Tech fans of “looking dumb.” Interesting? Someone definitely looks arrogant and dumb, but I am not quite sure it is who you think.
I will agree that GaStU should get a little more pressseeing how they are what? the second largest university in the state and located in ATL, but I think that winning consistantly over time will garner more press. But let’s face it, college baseball does not get press. The fact that the state has four teams in the Regionals really is the story.
Southern fans really have more to squawk about that State fans. They do have a much longer history of success than State in baseball. But nobody is going to get a lot of press in a sport where the sound of the ball coming off the bat is spelled “tink.”
Bottom line is that the only reason that college baseball is getting any press at all is because it is a slow sports news time of year.
Oh yeah, eagles1, where is all the anger coming from? I don’t remember reading anyone putting down Southern about baseball. 2-2 is respectable, but it is 2-2, not 3-1 or 4-0. When is the last time you won the series. Heck, it could have been last year, but it will never be reported because it happens in a time of year that an ACC team is likely not throwing there #1 or even #2 against a non-conference opponent. If they win in the Regionals, congrats. You will have earned your spot in the super. Maybe southern will get a shot at Tech in Omaha…I doubt it though. I really don’t think Tech will make it out of the Regional let alone Super based on the last month’s play.
Mister T
May 27th, 2009
10:36 am
On a seperate note, I really don’t get the fighting over the “GSU.” Sorry Southern fans, but that belongs to Georgia State University. They have always been GSU. Southern just added the U a few years back.
Just stick with “Georgia Southern”. More fitting anyway. It was good enough for Erk, it is good enough for you.
THWg!
Alabama Jack
May 27th, 2009
9:04 pm
Hey, Jason C. I paid for the damn pizza, not get off my porch.
Slugger (http://www.theweeklyscene.com)
May 28th, 2009
2:02 pm
Correction, Georgia Southern beat Elon in the Conference Tournament. Elon won the SoCon Title.
H2H in 2009 Elon v. GA Southern, tied 2-2.
Push.
Slugger (http://www.theweeklyscene.com)
May 28th, 2009
2:07 pm
USMFan -
Elon Alum here. We beat Miss. State in the Clemson regional in 2006, so the thought that either Elon or Southern Miss can’t take down Tech in this tournament is hilarious.
Are people forgetting Fresno won the CWS last year against the #2 team in the country (beat them two games in a row!).
USMFan – I have to work in Nashville, TN tomorrow, so I’ll miss the game. I’ll be there on Sat to see my Phoenix play, and hopefully you have a safe trip!
Slugger (http://www.theweeklyscene.com)
May 28th, 2009
2:13 pm
Southern fans, you have an Elon fan routing for you to upset the world in Fullerton.
It’s too bad that’s probably one of the toughest regional sites to play at! Talk about home cookin’ to the Nth degree…Anyone remember 2005 when the umpires called a ‘phantom’ bases-loaded, game-winning balk against the visiting ASU pitcher? What a crock of s***.
George P. Burdell
May 30th, 2009
12:20 am
All you GSU (read wannabe UGA fans) guys are just looking brilliant. Way to go out West and get handle it. That thing dangling between your legs may very well be your jock. Welcome to Big Boy Baseball.