Coming off a disappointing midweek split series against Stony Brook, the Cavaliers return to ACC play this weekend as they travel south to take on the No. 9 Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.
Following a disappointing 23-3 drubbing Wednesday at the hands of Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech (20-7, 9-4 ACC) is anxious to get back on the field as well and make up for its recent blowout defeat. Contrary to what Wednesday’s result might suggest, Georgia Tech has had a very successful season; the Yellow Jackets already swept Maryland and took two out of three games against Miami this year.
Virginia (27-6, 8-5 ACC) knows it must handle these wasps with care or face the sting of a potent Yellow Jacket offense, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said.
“We’ve always had great games with Georgia Tech,” O’Connor said. “They’ve got a very good ball club this year, they had a very good ball club last year.”
Veterans junior first baseman Tony Plagman and senior outfielder Luke Murton lead the Georgia Tech offense. Plagman has been the Jackets’ main power threat this year, leading the team with eight home runs and 33 runs batted in. Murton, meanwhile, leads all Georgia Tech starters with a .370 average and .680 slugging percentage.
Not to be outdone by its offensive counterparts, the Yellow Jacket pitching staff has compiled an impressive team ERA of 4.8. Sophomore Deck McGuire leads Georgia Tech’s rotation, posting a 5-0 record with a team leading 2.36 ERA.
Virginia needs to focus on every aspect of the Yellow Jacket’s play if it wants to come out on top, O’Connor said.
“This is a big weekend,” O’Connor said. “We need to play good, sound fundamental baseball. You obviously don’t want to lose a game like this going into a series, but we have to handle it like men, and that’s what I told the players.”
Despite the loss against Stony Brook, the Cavaliers still find themselves ranked 11th in the nation. The Virginia bullpen, a question mark at the beginning of the season, has played a key role in helping the Cavaliers acquire their No. 11 ranking. Freshmen Shane Halley and Justin Thompson have performed well in relief duties this season, not allowing a single earned run this year.
Halley “is a great, fresh arm,” junior catcher Franco Valdes said. “He’s shown poise, he’s shown that he’s gone out there and be able to handle his stuff, throw his pitches for strikes, and he’s had success.”
Starting pitching also will be key for the Cavaliers this weekend. Virginia’s most recent loss was partly because of starting pitcher Jeff Lorick’s inability to get through the first inning; Lorick gave up five earned runs in two thirds of an inning of work. The Cavaliers hope for stronger performances from their starting pitchers this weekend, as both freshman Danny Hultzen and senior Andrew Carraway take the hill. Hultzen leads Virginia with five wins, while Carraway is tops among all starters with a 2.14 ERA.
At bat, the Cavaliers will look to get their swings back on track after being held to two runs on six hits last time out. Sophomore first baseman Dan Grovatt hopes to recover after a difficult midweek series. Although he ranks second among Cavalier starters with a .389 batting average and 49 hits, Grovatt was held hitless in six at bats against Stony Brook.
With both teams looking to bounce back with a big series win, O’Connor said his squad must be the one able to leave behind its past.
“They’ve gotta deal with it, turn the page, and get ready to work tomorrow and play down there in Atlanta on Friday night,” he said.
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