AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USJackets lose, wait for NCAAs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech left the ACC tournament without its 40th victory but with an ugly 10-4 loss to Clemson, instead.
I’ll be writing a story about how bad the Jackets’ pitching has been and what the situation is now with the NCAA tournament, whose regional sites are announced at 7 p.m. on Sunday and whose field is announced on Monday. A victory today cerrtainly would have improved Tech’s chances of hosting.
Here’s the as-it-happened blog of today’s game.
Derek Dietrich’s two-out single drives in Charlie Blackmon with the game’s first run in the Tech half of the first.
Eddie Burns on the mound for the Jackets.
It’s early, but Clemson looks like what it is, a not-very-good team with nothing to play for.
I’m perusing Baseball America’s list of the top 200 prospects for the draft. Blackmon is No. 142. David Duncan is No. 151. Blackmon is a terrific story; a year ago he wasn’t a prospect at all, but over the summer he switched from pitching to hitting. He’s got speed, he’s hitting .384 and now he could be gone as high as the fourth round.
Well, the storyline of this tournament, too many walks by Tech pitchers, plays out again. Burns loses Mike Freeman on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the third, and Jeff Schaus makes Burns pay with a two-run home run. Clemson 2, Tech 1, through 2 1/2.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: baseball
Comments
By ArkyTech
May 24, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this
How embarrassing. The ACC is way too good of a baseball conference for this silliness.
Tech has absolutely NOTHING to gain by playing this game. They are supposed to win, and if they don’t it will be used against them by the NCAA committee. Meanwhile Clempson’s season is over regardless of the outcome.
I’ll bet the buzz at Jacksonville is deafening!
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
Arky
It’s not deafening at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, but there’s a decent gathering of fans, and they got to make some noise when Thomas Nichols hit a high home run to right with two out in the fourth that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Tech 3, Clemson 2 through four innings.
If you think the ACC should be embarrassed by this format, it has company. The Big 12 pioneered the idea of setting up a tournament this way.
By Kevin
May 24, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
Jackets back ahead with a Nichols homerun in the fourth. 3-2 GT going into the 5th inning.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Is there an echo? Just kidding, Kevin. I know there’s a gap between when I write and when it shows up on the site.
BTW, Wilson Boyd just tied it for Clemson with a leadoff home run in the sixth.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
Zach Von Tersch, the No. 3 starter, has come on in relief in the seventh for Tech, which needs to get him some work and doesn’t play again until the regional.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
Grand slam off of Von Tersch by Ben Paulsen, and still nobody out. One of the runs is unearned, when Tech went for a force at second on a bunt and threw high.
By ArkyTech
May 24, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
The ACC is way too good of a baseball conference to copycat Big 12 silliness.
It would be better to just forget the tournament - let the two division champs play a series or something.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this
Tech loads the bases with no outs in the seventh but gets only one run.
Von Tersch is gone after a leadoff single and a sacrifice in the eighth. It’s Taylor Wood, trying to hold Clemson’s lead to three.
For a Tech team that has rallied from four- and five-run deficits already in this tournament, being down three with two innings to go can’t seem daunting. Then again, they did lose that second game.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
It’s 8-4 with one out in the Clemson ninth, and Danny Hall just brought in closer Brad Rulon, who is pitching for the third time this week. Hall is definitely coaching like this game means something to him.
By ArkyTech
May 24, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
Hall is definitely coaching like this game means something to him. Really? Is that why he didn’t pitch his #3 starter - only brought him in later to “get him some work”?
Hall has a tough job in this one. The kids know there is nothing to gain by winning, and losing will probably drop them a few rungs in the NCAA tournament.
By old gold engineer
May 24, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this
Our team’s performance in the ACC tournament doesn’t inspire much confidence in this fan heading into the NCAA tournament. Perhaps they shall rise to the occasion and surprise me by advancing to the CWS and making some noise once they get there. It’s about time.
By CarolinaJacket
May 24, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
This wasn’t a great Tech team, but maybe they can get hot and surprise some folks in the tourney, like UGA did in basketball to even get there.
By Fire Danny Hall
May 24, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
Mike, for your article please ask Danny why he hired a pitching coach who had only been a high school coach in the past. I know they were friends in college but wouldn’t it make sense to bring in a coach with college experience with three pro prospects in the weekend rotation? I thought that this would be a good team when Burns and Duncan came back this year but the team has really underachieved for the second year in a row and you can only blame that on coaching.
By College Fan
May 24, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this
The bottom line: Tech chokes and loses again like it always does, regardless of the sport.
That’s why Tech has only 1 NCAA title, and that was earned last year by the women’s tennis team.
By Mike Knobler
May 24, 2008 8:23 PM | Link to this
Arky
Sorry it took so long to respond. I was coming back to Atlanta.
Hall pitched his No. 2 starter for the first six innings. Remember, the No. 4 starter pitched against N.C. State, and the No. 1 starter pitched against Miami.
By SlimG
May 24, 2008 9:15 PM | Link to this
Coaching lost this tourney and a few I’ve witnessed in the past. I mean come on Dhall give these kids a chance to win why don’t you. Example: 8th inning against Miami, we somehow catch a break when Miami’s closer throws how many wild pitches. Our coach runs us out of an inning when he sends the guy from third on a swinging bunt after the catcher looks the runner back to third and then throws the batter out at first. Double play to end the inning plus making the last out at home. Just trust these kids please!
By SlimG
May 24, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this
Oh yeah, why stay with that pitcher Dhall in the 9th against Miami. He was done and everyone but you knew. You finally make a change after they scored what 4-5 runs, the Woods kid struck out the next two batters he faced(Miami’s two best hitters). We need to find a quality leader DRad before you leave for USC.LOL
By what eva
May 25, 2008 12:13 AM | Link to this
Regardless if it was shared or not, the football title of 1990 is still a NCCA title. Its in the NCAA record books. So here we go again….we have (2) titles. In fact, in the modern era, we have the same amount of titles in football as the almighty Dawgs. So go stick that in your dog house and lick it for a while.
By Billy
May 25, 2008 12:36 AM | Link to this
Actually, what eva, the football titles aren’t “official” NCAA titles. I’m a GT grad, but those are the facts. The womens’ tennis victory is the only “official” title. And in fact, there are 3 football titles (and maybe another depending on what you think about 1952).
By Who cares?
May 25, 2008 2:48 AM | Link to this
Well………
By Kevin
May 25, 2008 6:05 AM | Link to this
what excuse u tech people the playoff foremat stinks funny never did when u won it….Now u hate face it GT choke…and i hope the people who pick will say.Sorry yech u stay home watch Georgia bulldogs in Ncaa baseball playoffs..n super regionals…Remember who to blame u nice coach danny hall
By Danny Hall
May 25, 2008 6:10 AM | Link to this
hey i dannny hall u like bad coachin u ain’t seen anythin yet.
By nahjay davnpooh
May 25, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this
i think it’s more than obvious that the whole team is doing heroin.
By ronald
May 25, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this
you know it get tideson seeing the Jackets each and every year do the same lose in the tournamen you wornder about them do they have heart of they just stimk when it come time to show what they made of so far it seem like they are made of rats mess they never gave the State of Geogia and the the City of Atlanta nothing to be excitied about