Back-to-back ACC regular-season titles for No. 3 Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech clinched its second consecutive ACC title in fitting fashion Friday night.
At No. 23 Boston College, the No. 3 Yellow Jackets mashed the Eagles 14-1 to secure the conference regular-season championship with one game to spare.
A record-setting season continued at Boston College’s Harrington Athletics Village in Brighton, Massachusetts. The Jackets improved to 44-9 overall and 24-5 in the ACC, the former Tech’s best record after 53 games in school history (by one game over the 1993 team) and the latter the best achieved in the team’s ACC history.
It’s Tech’s second time finishing first in the ACC’s regular season and first since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The Jackets earned their 11th ACC regular-season title.
Coach James Ramsey, in his first season after succeeding Danny Hall, became the first coach to win the ACC regular-season title in his first season since 1994 (Clemson, Jack Leggett) and the first to win an ACC title in his first season as a head coach at any school since 1958 (Clemson, Bill Wilhelm).
“These guys are winners and this is the first of several championships that this team has set out to win,” Ramsey told media after the game in Brighton.
Holding a 3-1 lead through six innings, the Jackets poured on 11 runs in the final three innings, including a three-run seventh in which they only needed two singles to complement three walks, a wild pitch and a hit batsman. Every player in the lineup reached base as the Jackets banged out 15 hits and drew 10 walks.
It was standard production for the offense that, through Thursday, led Division I in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and runs per game.
Pitcher Carson Ballard allowed a lone run and two hits over his six-inning start to earn the win and improve to 6-0.
“What a night,” Ramsey said. “I think it all goes down to this team’s mantra kind of from day one. We set the vision of this thing, try to leave no doubt.”
Tech is scheduled to complete the series and the regular season Saturday at Boston College and then will prepare for the ACC Tournament this coming week in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Jackets are well-positioned to earn a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Tournament in their pursuit of their first College World Series since 2006.
About the Author
