Baseball Travels To No. 9 Georgia Tech
May 8, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami baseball team (24-23) travels to Atlanta, Ga. this weekend for a three-game series with ninth-ranked Georgia Tech (39-10) at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The series begins Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by 7 p.m. start Saturday night at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. All three games can be heard over the Internet at www.hurricanesports.com or on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM.
The Friday and Saturday night games will be televised, but not locally. The first two games of the series can be seen on cable systems that carry Fox Sports South.
The Yellow Jackets are ranked No. 9 this week in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, No. 10 by the NCBWA, No. 11 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and No. 12 by Baseball America.
Miami holds a 30-12-2 all-time record in the 44 games played against Georgia Tech since the first meeting in 1958. The Georgia Tech series is the third oldest on the Hurricanes’ 2002 schedule behind Florida (1940) and Florida State (1955). Within the 30-12-2 mark vs. the Yellow Jackets, the Hurricanes are 10-8 at Atlanta, 19-4-2 at Coral Gables and 1-2 at neutral sites.
Additionally, UM leads Georgia Tech 7-1 in the eight three-game series played. Miami has won all four three-game series at Mark Light Stadium and have gone 3-1 in Atlanta. The lone three-set drop was in 1967.
Miami holds a 7-2 record in the nine games played against Georgia Tech since Jim Morris took over as head coach of the Hurricanes in 1994. Morris had previously served 12 seasons (1982-93) as Head Coach of the Yellow Jackets compiling a 504-244-1 record becoming the school’s all-time coaching leader. Under Morris, Miami holds a 5-1 mark over Georgia Tech at Mark Light Stadium and a 2-1 record in Atlanta.
Miami holds a 192-159-6 all-time record against schools currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference and has gone 67-38 vs. the ACC during the Morris era. Subtract the annual rivalry with Florida State and UM is 87-39-3 all-time vs. the ACC and 34-12 under Morris.
The Hurricanes enter this weekend’s match-up fresh of a series victory over Bethune-Cookman College last weekend at Mark Light Stadium. Georgia Tech is coming off a productive week where the Yellow Jackets blew out Mercer, 20-7, on Wednesday and picked up two of three games against No. 1 Clemson at Russ Chandler Stadium. The series clincher against Clemson came on Monday night when Georgia Tech defeated the Tigers 11-0.
On the mound for the Hurricanes this Friday night will be Sophomore RHP Dan Touchet (4-2, 4.81 ERA). Junior RHP Kiki Bengochea (3-6, 6.41 ERA) will pitch Saturday night. Junior RHP Troy Roberson (2-1, 4.50 ERA) will get the start on Sunday.
The Yellow Jackets will counter with sophomore LHP Kyle Bakker (9-2, 3.31 ERA) on Friday, junior RHP Chris Goodman (6-0, 3.38 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore RHP Brian Burks (9-3, 3.30 ERA) on Sunday.
The Atlanta chapter of the Hurricane Club will be hosting a tailgate party from 4:45-6:45 p.m. Friday night across from the main gate at Russ Chandler Stadium for members and guests. On Saturday, the Atlanta Hurricane Club will also host a social at Jock’s ‘N Jill’s Sports Bar on 10th Street between 4-6 p.m. Coach Morris will speak to the club from 4:15-4:45 p.m. There will be fan buses to and from the game from Jock’s ‘N Jill’s.
For more information on University of Miami athletics log on to its newly designed website www.hurricanesports.com, the official site for all Hurricane news, tickets and apparel. For Hurricane ticket information call 1-800-GO CANES.
