Posts
... from baseballamerica.com - link here.
No. 9 GEORGIA at No. 4 GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Dave Perno (third season at Georgia).
How UGa Got Here: Won the Athens, Ga., regional in four games, beating Clemson in the final.
Fab Five: Fr. 1B Josh Morris (.323-16-68); Jr. RHP Sean Ruthven (7-1, 2.97 with 81 strikeouts and 29 walks in 79 innings); So. RHP Michael Hyle (7-2, 2.90 with 49 strikeouts and 28 walks in 78 innings); So. LHP Will Startup (7-2, 2.35 with eight saves, 58 strikeouts and 20 walks in 69 innings); So. RHP Bo Lanier (3-1, 2.68 with two saves, 38 strikeouts and 17 walks in 40 innings).
Lowdown on the Bulldogs: "This was a real surprise for me. I saw them in the fall and early spring and thought they were going to be in trouble. Their biggest star is Morris. I think a lot of teams have just been pitching around him as the season went on. He's got great bat speed; don't test it. I couldn't tell you another name off the top of my head, but they're kind of like Arkansas because no one sticks out but anyone can get big hits. The lineup is OK. (Third baseman) Josh Smith is a singles guy and (Second baseman Marshall) Szabo is a scrapper that will surprise you with pop every now and then. They play good team ball and can manufacture a run when they need it.
"(Lefthander Paul) Lubrano, Ruthven and Hyle all stepped up and had a great year. They don't have the best stuff, but they really overachieved on the mound. Ruthven has been great on Friday night. He gets that big breaking ball in there for strikes and it throws you out of whack for the rest of the weekend. He's not lighting up radar guns (at 85 mph), but he's a real pitcher. As good as the arms are at Georgia Tech, Georgia's guys have pitched just as well.
"Their bullpen is phenomenal. It's better than Georgia Tech's. Startup is 92 and Lanier is 90-95 and can just blow you away with that fastball. They can go lefty or righty, and they have a lot of confidence in their club if they get to one of them in the sixth or seventh inning. If they have a chance to win (at that point), they just put it in the hands of those guys."
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Coach: Danny Hall (11th season at Georgia Tech; two trips to Omaha)
How Tech Got Here: Swept through the Atlanta regional in three games, beating Texas Tech in the final.
Fab Five: So. RHP/DH Micah Owings (9-2, 3.52 with 108 strikeouts and 39 walks in 107 innings and .324-15-64); Jr. 2B Eric Patterson (.326-8-47 with 47 steals); So. OF Steven Blackwood (.367-4-64 with 21 doubles); Jr. OF Brandon Boggs (.329-9-58); Jr. RHP Andrew Kown (10-1, 3.49 with 94 strikeouts and 34 walks in 106 innings).
Lowdown on the Jackets: "The thing about Georgia Tech is they are so streaky and go hot and cold, especially the hitters. If some guys are hot, they play like the Yankees, but when one goes cold, they all seem to. Patterson, when he's on base, he can do some damage and make things happen. You have to keep him off. Right fielder (Clifton) Remole is the sleeper for me--he was cold early but I bet he hit .400 during the second half. Micah, even if he's struggling, he can beat you. Boggs is the most consistent guy because he always has good at-bats. Blackwood's just a good hitter.
"They have the pitching to get all the way to the national championship if it's going well. Owings is a big-game guy; they used him as a starter and in relief, whatever role they needed him in. Kown really got better with every start. He's 6-foot-7 and can throw his breaking ball for strikes. (Righthander Brian) Burks is a little 5-foot-9 guy who can sink it and cut it. He can be the Sunday starter or the closer; he's a wild card that way.
"They have big range up the middle with (shortstop Tyler) Greene and Patterson in the infield, Boggs in center and (Mike) Nickeas behind the plate. I should have said Nickeas when I was talking about those hitters. He's not a .270 hitter like he was this year. It wouldn't surprise me if he proved that now.
"Because they're such a physical group, if you get ahead of them early it's your best chance. They haven't had to do a lot of situational stuff like team offense and they are definitely free-swinging."