Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Overall Rank: #15
Conference Rank: #3 ACC
Georgia Tech Team Page
Georgia Tech continued to generate consistent results in 2011, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year and 11th time in the last 12 years. Nineteen year Head Coach Danny Hall brings back 23 lettermen from a year ago, including seven starting fielders and four pitchers. Hall has led his Yellow Jackets to 16 tournament appearances and averages over 43 wins per season while skipper.
2011: 42-21, 22-8
2011 Postseason: NCAA Eliminated in Atlanta Regional (losses to Austin Peay and Mississippi St.)
Coach: Danny Hall 19th Season
Field Players:
Jake Davies, the only senior of the returning starters, was second in hitting on his team with a .347 average. The first baseman slugged five home runs and drove in 35. Freshman All-American Kyle Wren returns in centerfield. The sophomore had an excellent rookie year, hitting .340. Juniors Sam Dove (2B) and Brandon Thomas (LF) hit .310 and .307 respectively. Sophomores Mott Hyde (SS), Zane Evans (C) and Daniel Palka (RF) round out the list of last year’s starters. Palka hit .297 and provided power for the offense smashing 12 home runs last season.
Pitchers:
All-American Buck Farmer comes back to lead the Yellow Jacket rotation. Last spring the junior righty made 16 starts going 11-3 with a 2.82 ERA. Buck fanned 106 in 108 innings of work. Sophomore Matt Grimes played in 16 games, starting 12 times. The right hander finished 7-4 with a 4.15 ERA, striking out 77 in 74 innings. Luke Bard, a junior, and sophomore Dusty Isaacs did well out of the bullpen last season. Both appeared 25 times and posted identical ERA’s of 2.72. Bard threw 49 innings and struck out 46 while Isaacs hurled 36 frames, retiring 40 by strikeout.
Who to Watch:
Freshman Cameron Gibson was a High School All-American hitting .495 with five homeruns as a senior at Salem High School (Conyers, GA). Playing all over the field and pitching, he finished as the career leader in average, home runs, RBI and saves. Josh Heddinger led Buford High to the 2011 Georgia AA State Championship. His senior year he was 10-0 with a 1.99 ERA, striking out over nine batters per game. A.J. Murray, the 2011 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, led Westfield High in hitting his senior season and set a myriad of school records including home runs and hits. The catcher hit .540, with nine home runs, scoring 54 times as a senior, all of which are school records.
Final Projection:
Georgia Tech should continue to be in the top of the ACC. With the large group of returning starters, the offense and defense will be solid. The bullpen is strong both starting and in relief. If Coach Hall can get his newcomers to contribute at the plate, the Yellow Jackets will surely make their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and have a chance to make it to Omaha.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Kyle Wren, CF, 265
Hits: Kyle Wren, CF, 9
Home Runs: Daniel Palka, RF, 12
RBIs: Daniel Palka, RF, 52
Runs: Kyle Wren, CF, 57
Stolen Bases: Thomas Brandon, LF, 19
Wins: Buck Farmer, P, 11
Innings Pitched: Buck Farmer, P, 108.1
Strikeouts: Buck Farmer, P, 106
Saves: Luke Bard, P, 8
Madness 2012 MLB Draft Rankings:
#59 Brandon Thomas
#74 Buck Farmer
