Georgia Tech pitcher Cole Pitts will get the start Friday in the Jackets’ opening NCAA tournament game against College of Charleston in Gainesville, Fla. Coach Danny Hall will hold back staff ace Buck Farmer on the reasoning that Tech will almost certainly have to beat Florida, the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, to get out of the four-team, double-elimination regional, and he wanted to save Farmer for the Gators.
“If things work out the way I think they might work out, I think that we’re going to need Buck to beat Florida,” Hall said.
Either decision is a calculated risk. Starting Farmer, a two-time All-ACC pick who has a 9-3 record with a 3.43 ERA, against College of Charleston gives the Jackets a better chance of winning that game and moving into the winner’s bracket, but then gives Tech a lesser chance against Florida. Starting Pitts against College of Charleston increases the risk of losing and falling into the loser’s bracket. Hall said the coaching staff had a “pretty heated debate” on the matter before Hall made his choice.
“Your whole goal is not just to have a good showing,” he said. “Your goal is to win the tournament.”
Hall said that, before telling the team, he spoke with strength coach Steve Tamborra, who typically has a good read on the team.
“[Tamborra] goes, ‘The players have already talked about it. They want to pitch Pitts on Friday,’” Hall said. “I said, ‘Well, I guess I made the right decision.’”
Pitts, a freshman, has been in good form of late. In his last four starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA. He has given up 23 hits over 21 2/3 innings, 21 of them singles.
“We’re counting on him to pitch well in this game against College of Charleston and then we’ll proceed from there,” he said.
Jake Davies and Josh Heddinger are options in third and fourth games, should Tech advance past the first two games. Hall said he would want Davies, a lefty, to pitch against Florida, which has a lineup heavy with left-handed hitters.
Pitts could face the Cougars’ Christian Powell, the pitcher of the year in the Southern Conference who is reportedly projected to be selected in the fifth or sixth round of the major league draft next week.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
86 comments Add your comment
Buzz Me
May 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
First!!
Danny Hall has done a heck of a job and knows what he is doing. I like holding Farmer for the Gators who are beatable with a few breaks. Hey anybody know what regional the puppy Dawgs are playing in? (LOL)
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
3:11 pm
Good call by Hall and his staff.
@ Buzz Me, I believe the Dwags will be playing in the cesspool regional, cleaning up all the crap (literally) in the library and the north campus
Burdell
May 30th, 2012
3:54 pm
If our bats stay hot then we are in really good shape to continue the run.
GO JACKETS!!
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
3:59 pm
@ Burdell……GOT to have consistent pitching too though.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
4:15 pm
That 4:04 post defies belief. I think it should be obvious to all that it was fake
Caught in a Jacket
May 30th, 2012
4:27 pm
The article says Coach Hall wants Farmer to pitch against the Gators. Towards the end, it says Coach Hall wants Davies to pitch against them because he’s left handed. Confused.
Super, we won’t know what’s real and what’s fake. Only you would.
GT Lee
May 30th, 2012
4:30 pm
@Caught, double elimination tournament. Probably have to face Fla twice, Farmer & Davies could each start 1 game…..
Caught in a Jacket
May 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
Oh ah. Right. Thanks, Lee.
Alabama Jack
May 30th, 2012
4:46 pm
GEAUX JACKETS !!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
4:57 pm
@ GT Lee……you’re missing quite a show on the recruiting blog right now.
GOLD PANTS
May 30th, 2012
4:57 pm
Anyone know if any of the games will be televised on Comcast?
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
4:59 pm
@ GOLD PANTS…..haven’t heard any TV schedule yet, but I would think surely they would be on at least CSS or Fox Sports South
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
5:00 pm
And if not one of those (or better), most likely ESPN3
Jacket Man
May 30th, 2012
5:02 pm
Saw where Florida lost to Vandy today in the SEC tourney.
GTman
May 30th, 2012
5:10 pm
I’d pitch Farmer first and then Davies against the UF left handed line up. Look what the save your ace strategy did to FSU in the ACC tournament. I see this strategy employed in little league, high school, college, etc. It always seems to backfire.
GOLD PANTS
May 30th, 2012
5:13 pm
Thanks Super, I’ll tune in.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
5:28 pm
@ GOLD PANTS……check the following link
http://web1.ncaa.org/NCAATV/exec/query
Tech’s first 2 games, regardless of which opponent are on ESPN3. In fact, it looks like ALL games in Gainesville are only on ESPN3
Jim 70
May 30th, 2012
5:37 pm
Can’t get espn3 – bummer!
Danny hall knows what he is doing. Just keep feeding the players the same as the past week and we wil be fine.
Looking forward to playing in Raleigh ..go tech
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
5:46 pm
@ Jim 70……you can’t get ESPN3 on your computer? I thought anybody on the internet could get that. It’s certainly not very good quality usually, but it’s free and, at least I thought, accessible to anybody.
GTSteve
May 30th, 2012
5:59 pm
Hey Supersize, I think espn3 is limited to some ISP’s…..I think Verizon is one you cant get it on, I know it was that way at one time, I have At and T at home and Cox cable at work and I get it both places
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
6:02 pm
@ GT Steve……I wasn’t aware of that limitation. I have Knology, and I can get it. I believe Comcast subscribers can get it too
Bill
May 30th, 2012
6:05 pm
I went by the stadium today and had the great fortune to listen into Danny’s presser. He also said that neither Luke Bard or Matt Grimes is healed enough to pitch but hinted that Luke could conceivably be ready IF we get to Omaha. Wouldn’t that be super?
Go Jackets!
Bill
May 30th, 2012
6:07 pm
Comcast subscribers can indeed get ESPN3 although the log in process can be kind of frustrating – at least for me. I also think you can pay for it per viewing, but am not sure.
dry dirt road
May 30th, 2012
6:28 pm
I agree with the coach concerning playing Farmer against Florida. Florida is on top, and Farmer is on top of Tech pitchers. I recall another Farmer in Florida in late 60’s-early 70’s who was a renowned surfer in Jacksonville Beach named Alvin “Bucky” Farmer, named that way because his teeth were kinda bucked. So Tech should play Buck Farmer against Florida because of coincidences. All the pro surfers in Jacksonville Beach know Bucky Farmer, whose first name is even the name of the town where Joe Hamilton was from, Alvin, in SC. There’s just alot of coincidences that point to playing Tech’s Farmer against Florida. Now as a Tech alum I have 2 Buck Farmers and 2 Alvins in my life. I just had to bring up this trivia here.
Tech to pitch Pitts on Friday, hold back Farmer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Highland Beach News
May 30th, 2012
6:55 pm
[...] here: Tech to pitch Pitts on Friday, hold back Farmer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) CriticsAudience Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in [...]
tiger
May 30th, 2012
7:47 pm
hopefully this will not back fire on gt like it did for fsu last weekend.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
9:15 pm
As if Ken doesn’t know who the REAL Supersize is vs YOU the IMPOSTER. Are you really that stupid?
Supersize that order, mutt
May 30th, 2012
9:17 pm
Any further posts made tonight by anyone using my name will be made by my imposter. Please ignore all of them. I will not be logging back in tonight at all.
Crazy Robert
May 31st, 2012
8:49 am
Clemson took two of three from COC, sure hope the Jackets can be victorious against a pretty good team.
juvenal
May 31st, 2012
11:30 am
we do better as under-dogs….hope that the sticks stay hot, good pitching can wear down in these packed post seasons….
Buzzed
May 31st, 2012
11:37 am
The Diamond Dawgs are in the same regional as your golf team.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
11:41 am
@ Buzzed…..the golf team made the regionals; they just didn’t advance. The Diamond Dwags didn’t even make the regionals.
William Casey
May 31st, 2012
11:58 am
This imposter business is really tiresome. I’ve never understood the need for anonymity on a sports blog. My Dad taught me fifty years ago that a man stands behind his words. He never taught me how to deal with imposters, but I can’t imagine that it would have been anything pleasant.
Jmonty
May 31st, 2012
12:24 pm
Danny Hall is a great coach. If he thinks this is the best shot for them to get out of the regional with a victory, than I am with him 100%. Go Jackets!!
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
12:48 pm
@ William Casey……you better believe it is tiresome. I have probably been subjected to it more than anybody on these blogs for some reason. In talking to a rep of the AJC, I was told that it is “in the plans” to start requiring registration for blogs, which would prevent the existence of imposters. Hell, even the lowly Augusta paper requires such registration; you would think the AJC could do it too. At any rate, if it truly concerns you, email the AJC and express your feelings to them. There is strength in numbers.
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
12:49 pm
Ready for the Jackets to ROLL in the Tourney.
Do they Flip for HOME team every game or is the Higher ranked always the home team?
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
12:50 pm
SuperS he really hits on the Recruiting blogs posting as a few different people too.
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
12:51 pm
as far as the ESPN3.com I plug the laptop into the Big Screen and it is great.
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
12:53 pm
24 hours 7 minutes until the JACKETS start the RUN to Omaha!!!!!!!!
Buzzed
May 31st, 2012
1:24 pm
super: You get the point. Neither team is where we would like them. A little immature (but maybe not surprising) that the very first 2 posters (including yourself) would take shots at the Dawgs without provocation. Our golf team is dancing – slowly, but dancing nonetheless. Let’s talk IF your guys even see Omaha.
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
1:37 pm
Buzzed did the dwags even get of the Bus in Hover?
GT Lee
May 31st, 2012
1:39 pm
Hey Buzzed if you don’t like people taking shots at your beloved puppy dwags then GET THE HELL OFF A TECH BLOG
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
2:03 pm
@ Buzzed……I guess we have become so accustomed to trolls coming on our blogs taking pot shots at Tech, that we just do it automatically. IF there were NEVER any trolls on these blogs distorting things, making things up, and just flat out lying, then perhaps we wouldn’t jump the gun like that. HOWEVER, if you were not on a Tech blog, then you wouldn’t have seen what we said to begin with. But you are right, neither team is where we want them to be, and in all seriousness, I doubt that Tech gets out of Gainesville. I hope like hell they do, but I won’t be surprised if they don’t
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
2:10 pm
Beat the Gator’s head in with a Baseball Bat.
5150 UOAD
May 31st, 2012
2:14 pm
WOW GaState has some HUGE plans but 15 acres in Downtown Atlanta? Hahaha right. They will be riding MARTA to their stadiums and arenas with the fans I guess.
Check out Doug “worthless hack” Roberson’s GSU Blog.
Trying to Start FBS in a big city is not going to be EZ no matter how they try to do it.
bulldog steve
May 31st, 2012
3:10 pm
Tech got hot at the right time. FL is really deep in pitching though and has some big bats. I would think they would hold their Friday starter as well for the first game. The regionals are usually where Danny Hall falls flat on his face, so it should be interesting.
Beesball In NCAA Divisional (Gainesville) With Florida In The Way
May 31st, 2012
6:18 pm
[...] Hall said. “I said, ‘Well, I guess I made the right decision.’” Tech to pitch Pitts on Friday, hold back Farmer | Georgia Tech Saving Farmer for Saturday was a no-brainer if you want to win it all. We just need to keep the [...]
Buzz 2011
May 31st, 2012
6:59 pm
Bulldog steve was hoping for the Jakets to fall in the ACC tournament, yet than ran the table. Why didn’t the Dawgs play? Did they not even make the SEC tourney? They are terrible and high school quality at best.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
7:08 pm
First of all, the poster at 6:42 is my imposter; hell, he couldn’t even type my name correctly. Secondly, I would never divulge my bowel movements online. The fact that the imposter did pretty much assures he comes from the cesspool in Athens. Thirdly, I don’t think bulldog steve was out of line in his post. Tech HAS gotten hot at the right time; Florida IS deep, and Danny Hall, unfortunately, does have a history of failure in the post-season. Hopefully the fact that the Jackets are finishing this season pretty strong is a good omen. But if they fall again, at least this year, they didn’t enter the season, and especially not the post-season, with high expectations, only to fall flat. So maybe, HOPEFULLY, they will surprise us all yet one more weekend…..GO JACKETS !!!
FeeldaSting
May 31st, 2012
8:03 pm
@Supersize that order, mutt – what kind of game are you playing, guy? Do you think that is funny??
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
8:09 pm
Ask my imposter, bubba. I don’t play games
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
9:05 pm
Looks like GT will be picking up OLB/DE Mustaffa tomorrow, good get guys.
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
9:10 pm
Supper sizes does not play, heck he quit school because of recess.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:11 pm
48, do you know that as a fact about Mustafaa? Where did you see or hear it?
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:14 pm
SS, just a lot of chatter about it. Georgia is probably about to get a commitment from a LB from Indiana that is a little higher on there list. He alas did not visit UGA Tuesday either.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Thanks, 48. I hope the chatter you hear is accurate.
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:19 pm
SS, look out for Niegel Bowden also very soon.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:20 pm
48….I don’t recognize that name. who is he?
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:21 pm
I just Googled him, and it said he has already committed to Vandy. Is there a change?
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:23 pm
GT thinks there is a strong chance to flip him.
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:26 pm
Eric Thompson on Swarm247 has a thread about him, but I don’t have there VIP.
Leather helmet blog has some talk about it also.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:26 pm
hmmm. interesting
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:30 pm
Mustaffa is a beast, I would love to see him in Athens, but with the 2 OLB UGA picked up last year with Jenkins and JHC I think Mustaffa is looking at playing time. Mustaffa is at that weight range he could play with his hand in the dirt as a DE or line up at OLB.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:32 pm
Since he’s a legacy, he BELONGS at Tech. lol
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:33 pm
SS, I hope this prediction does not work out as well as the prediction of the half back pass at the UGA, GT game last year. Lol
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:34 pm
That’s right his dad did play at GT.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:34 pm
yep, back when he was Reginald Rutland
Dawg48
May 31st, 2012
10:39 pm
SS, if I hear anything else on them I will drop by and let you know. Have a good night.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 31st, 2012
10:42 pm
ok, 48. have a good one
Todd
May 31st, 2012
11:10 pm
My girl is asleep so no more tonight fellas.
bulldog steve
June 1st, 2012
9:43 am
We will see how Tech does against a real team from a real conference this weekend. UGA lost one gmae to FL in 16 innings, beat them on Saturday and lost 5-3 on Sunday. I admit, UGA blew it at the end of the year and did not make the tournament. Hat’s off to Tech for getting hot during the A She She tournament. Heck maybe one day a team from the conference will win the college world series. Oops, I just made myself laugh out loud.
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
9:52 am
@ bulldog steve……thanks for admitting what we have all known for ages……that being that UGA is not a real team. Seems like I remember Tech beating that nobody team from Athens 2 out of 3 times this year and something like 7 out of the past 9 times we have played. Yep, sure doesn’t sound like a real team to me, regardless of the conference.
5150 UOAD
June 1st, 2012
11:19 am
KEN where is the LIVE GAME BLOG?
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
11:25 am
UOAD……let this one be it. I’ll be here for a short time
Todd
June 1st, 2012
11:26 am
Mornin fellas! My girl is very sensitive today so please be nice!
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
11:27 am
or maybe Ken will get one open by game time
5150 UOAD
June 1st, 2012
11:41 am
SUPER….either WAY we need some of KEN’s pregame post. LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
11:48 am
I’ll be in and out a lot, so I probably won’t get to watch much of the game or the blog either
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
11:50 am
oh, the game doesn’t even start till 1PM. I thought it was at noon. I may see even less of it then
5150 UOAD
June 1st, 2012
11:59 am
The game was listed as NOON on the TECH site yes..rday now I see you are right it moved back to 1pm
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
12:06 pm
I hope Todd and my imposter had a good night together. They deserve each other
Burdell
June 1st, 2012
12:10 pm
I’ll give steve credit where it is do….at least he can spell bulldog correctly.
Let’s go Jackets.
5150 UOAD
June 1st, 2012
12:10 pm
Super I would hate to be their mom that has to clean the Sheets after those boys come out of the basement.
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
12:11 pm
LOL @ UOAD
Supersize that order, mutt
June 1st, 2012
12:12 pm
@ Burdell ,,,, I DID read steve’s comments right, didn’t I? He DID admit that UGA is not a real team, correct?
5150 UOAD
June 1st, 2012
12:22 pm
Super KEN did a NEW game blog