Georgia Tech Baseball: Jackets set to begin important stretch of games on Wednesday
The Georgia Tech baseball team is set to start an important five-game stretch on Wednesday when they take on Georgia State.
The Georgia Tech baseball team currently sits at 8-3 on the season as they enter an important-five game stretch early here in the 2018 season. That stretch begins Wednesday evening when they take on the Georgia State Panthers who sit at 7-3 and winners of three straight.
Following the Jackets showdown with the Panthers on Wednesday, they will open their ACC slate on Friday when they travel to Clemson. The Tigers sit at 10-1 on the season and are rank 10th in the country entering Tuesday. Last season, the Jackets lost two games of their lone three game series against Clemson.
Following their three game series against Clemson, the Jackets will travel down to Auburn to face the Tigers next Tuesday. The Tigers entered this week at 12-0 and ranked as a top 20 team in the country.
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The five game stretch will be challenging with a doubt for the Jackets but it will be a stretch of games that could determine the Jackets season. It will also be a five-game stretch that will help decide how legitimate the Jackets pitching staff is this season and if they’re bats can hit off some of the best pitchers in the country.
Last season, Jackets Friday night starter, Xzavion Curry started off hot against non-conference opponents. Once the Jackets started facing conference opponents however Curry began to get hit around and eventually ended with a 6-4 record and a 5.23 ERA. As of Wednesday, Curry sits at 3-0 on the season with an ERA of just 1.00.
Sophomore Connor Thomas has also been impressive early but will be tested this weekend by Clemson’s stacked lineup. Thomas enters the weekend with a 2-0 record and 1.42 ERA over 19 innings. He’s also allowed just 13 base runners over those 20 innings.
Overall, the Jackets through their first eleven games have an ERA of 3.33 allowing 37 earned runs over 100 innings. The teams strikeout to walk ratio is sitting at 2.9-to-1 while opponents are hitting just .236 off the Jackets pitching staff.
The Jacket pitching staff has been their weakness in recent seasons which makes their performance over this five game stretch even more important. It will be a early indication in terms of the pitching staff potentially turning a corner or if more struggles look likely down the road.
The Jackets talents at the plate ill also be tested a little more in this five game stretch. So far this season, the Jackets have been nearly unstoppable at the plate. The Jackets are hitting .332 off opposing pitchers, driving in 78 runs on 128 hits and 40 walks, the Jackets have also struck out just 65 times in 385 at-bats.
Georgia State, Clemson, and Auburn’s pitching staff will certainly look to challenge the Jackets lineup over the course of the next five games. Can the Jackets continue to be juggernauts at the plate?
Next: Jackets season comes to an end with loss to BC
We’ll find out more about the Jackets pitching staff and lineup started Wednesday evening at 5 p.m when they take on the Georgia State Panthers.