No. 5 Georgia vs No. 14 Georgia Tech
WHERE: Truist Park, Atlanta
WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Georgia 32-6, Georgia Tech 29-7
TV: None: Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Jeff Dantzler, David Johnston)
The Game
Two teams off to their best starts in years will look to prove who’s best when No. 5 Georgia and No. 14 Georgia Tech meet in the annual Children’s Healthcare Classic on Tuesday night at Truist Park.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
Fresh off a series victory over previously top-ranked Arkansas, Georgia’s 32-6 start is the program’s best start at the 38-game mark in school history. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, is 29-7, the Yellow Jackets’ best start in 15 seasons.
Ole Miss transfer JT Quinn (0-1, 2.50) gets the start in what will be a staff night for the Bulldogs. Georgia Tech, which will open with lefty Brett Barfield (0-0, 2.50), will do the same.
Georgia is batting .307 with a .600 slugging percentage and an NCAA-leading 98 home runs. They have a .441 on-base percentage with 228 walks, have been hit 88 times, plus are 50-for-55 in stolen bases.
The team’s leading hitters are roommates Ryland Zaborowski (.405-16-54, .910 slugging percentage) and Robbie Burnett (.333-16-53, 12 stolen bases). Recently, Zaborowski was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, the NCBWA/Dick Howser Trophy National Hitter of the Month for March, and a mid-season All-American by multiple outlets.
Burnett made the second team mid-season All-America lists, too.
Junior Kolby Branch (.315-7-22) posted a fine week, blasting four homers with 12 RBI as Georgia went 3-1.
Georgia Tech is batting .341 with 58 home runs, an NCAA-leading 106 doubles, a .584 slugging percentage, and a .445 on-base percentage. They are 61-for-67 in stolen bases. The leading hitters are Kent Schmidt (.415-2-26), Kyle Lodise (.395-13-44), and Drew Burress (.368-12-46).
Starting pitchers finally showing some consistency
If last week’s effort against Arkansas is an indicator, Georgia’s weekend rotation may finally be rounding into shape.
Together, Brian Curley, Kolten Smith, and Leighton Finley combined to throw 15.2 innings against the Razorbacks, scattering 12 hits with just two walks and 21 strikeouts.
“That was massive. I mean, we got something from Curley. We got something from Kolten, and we got something from Leighton,” head coach Wes Johnson said. “It’s a sign that things are starting to get where you need them to be on the mound.”
Both Smith and Finley allowed just one earned run each. Both struck out eight.
Another pitcher turning the corner is Brian Zeldin.
The graduate student gave the Bulldogs a huge boost, tossing 3.1 innings of one-hit ball over innings 9-12 with no walks and three strikeouts to give Henry Hunter a chance to win the game in the 12th with his two-out home run.
“Zeldin’s throwing some good pitches that we're … if they're an eyelash one way or the other … it gets a better result, so his numbers are a little skewed," Johnson said. "What you saw (Sunday) was he got the eyelash. His stuff hasn’t changed. He just really, really executed and did a good job.”
Next Up
The Bulldogs will drive straight from Atlanta to Nashville where the Bulldogs will take on Vanderbilt Thursday-Saturday.
Georgia will travel to No. 4 Clemson next Tuesday before hosting Oklahoma in Athens the following week.
