Breaking down Georgia Tech baseball’s win over UIC by the numbers

Georgia Tech baseball opened the Atlanta Regional with a bang.

The Yellow Jackets’ record-breaking offense picked up where it left off, posting several crooked numbers on the scoreboard in Friday’s 22-5 win over Illinois Chicago.

Here is a breakdown by the numbers of Tech’s dominant win to open NCAA Tournament.

Jackets continue prolific scoring

The best offense in the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution era of college baseball continued to inflict damage upon opponents. Tech scored 15 or more runs in a game for the 10th time this season.

“I just love this group,” Tech coach James Ramsey said. “They are, as humans and as baseball players, such a special group, and they respond so well. When you give them something, they take it and run with it.”

It also stretched its scoring advantage over opponents in the third inning to 98 runs. The third wasn’t where the Jackets did the most damage, though.

Tech hitters knocked in five runs in the third before bringing home an astounding nine runs in the fourth, powered by three of the team’s six home runs in the game.

Hernandez hits three homers, drives in nine

Alex Hernandez opened the NCAA Tournament with a career day. The sophomore and Georgia native crushed three home runs and tied the program record of nine RBIs driven in.

Hernandez said it felt good to be “finally feeling good” after dealing with what he described as “soft issue” injuries.

His first home run of the afternoon leveled the score at 2. His second — a grand slam to deep right-center that climbed halfway up a light pole — put the game out of reach.

Lackey goes big fly in big way

Vahn Lackey launched his 19th home run of the season, which traveled 456 feet and brought in two runs for the Jackets.

It also landed just shy of the 15-yard line on Tech football’s practice field beyond the fence.