The 2025 NCAA baseball Tournament is officially underway, with first round matchups happening across the country. One of those matchups featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets taking on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, in a matchup that many people have just looked over in the opening day of the tournament.
The Yellow Jackets got off to a fast start, as ACC Freshman of the Year Alex Hernandez would hit a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the first inning to but the Yellow Jackets up 3-0 early in the contest. A sacrifice fly by Drew Rogers in the bottom of the second would give the Yellow Jackets a 4-0 lead, and before they knew it, they were up 5-0 after a single by Carson Kerce in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Yellow Jackets would score four more times across the last three innings, scoring nine runs in total.
The pitching for the Yellow Jackets was a sight to behold, as Tate McKee would look stellar in all seven innings that he pitched in the contest. McKee allowed the Hilltoppers to get seven hits in his seven innings pitched, but he would allow allow one run in the outing and strike out six batters. Carson Ballard would pitch the last two innings, allowing two hits and one run, as the Yellow Jackets would pick up a 9-2 victory.
The Yellow Jackets will have their next game on Saturday, as they take on the Murray State Racers to try and advance out of the regional round of the tournament.