When Georgia Tech’s baseball team met as a team for the last time following the Yellow Jackets’ elimination in their NCAA regional, coach Danny Hall saw disappointment across his players’ faces.
To him, that was an encouraging sign for a team that was laden with freshmen and won the ACC championship after a 14-16 record in conference play.
“That means that they’re not satisfied with where we’re at,” Hall said. “That’s the way I look at it. What can we do to improve to where we host a regional and we win a regional? We’ve kind of been stuck on not winning them, so if you’re standing still, people are going to fly by you.”
Beyond having been eliminated at the regional round in the past seven NCAA tournaments after reaching the 2006 College World Series, Tech has had a .583 winning percentage in the past three seasons after Hall’s teams won at a .690 rate in his first 18 seasons. Further, the Jackets lost three key underclassman players to the draft, may lose a fourth and also lost two integral seniors. However, supported by a strong sophomore class and a promising freshman class, Tech has a chance to take a significant step forward.
In the draft, Tech lost three underclassmen — sophomore pitcher Sam Clay and junior pitchers Matthew Grimes and Josh Heddinger — and may still lose center fielder Daniel Spingola. Clay had a team-best 1.26 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average. Combined, Heddinger (3.94 ERA) and Grimes (4.39) made 26 of Tech’s 64 starts and accounted for 25 percent of the team’s innings pitched.
Clay, a fourth-round pick, signed with the Minnesota Twins. Heddinger (14th round) signed with the Detroit Tigers. Grimes (18th round) signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Spingola, a walk-on, broke out as a junior, leading the team in batting average (.319), slugging percentage (.451), runs (45) and stolen bases (15). He was drafted in the 24th round by the Chicago Cubs.
Seniors from the 2014 team include closer Dusty Isaacs (1.92 ERA, seven saves, drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round) and second baseman Mott Hyde (.282, drafted by the Houston Astros in the 26th).
Despite the heavy pitching losses, Hall has two proven starters in Devin Stanton (5-3, 2.24 ERA) and Ben Parr (5-4, 2.62). The two starters expected to lead the staff last season, Cole Pitts and Jonathan King, could come back from season-ending arm injuries.
Further, if Spingola comes back, 85 percent of the team’s starts (not including pitchers) will return, as will 85 percent of the team’s hits. Tech typically started four or five freshmen in its lineup and, though finishing with a sub-.500 record in ACC play, was strong enough to win its second conference championship in three seasons.
One freshman who could play immediately is Kel Johnson, a power-hitting outfielder from Palmetto. The MLB.com website touted him as “one of the best high-school power hitters in the draft class, capable of driving the ball to all fields.”
Johnson was ranked the No. 268 draft prospect by Baseball America, but was not selected because he made clear to scouts his strong intention to play at Tech. Johnson has been set on attending Tech since his sophomore year.
“My degree and my education and my college at experience at Georgia Tech and just wearing the Yellow Jacket jersey, wearing that No. 25 on my back, means a lot to me,” Johnson said.
Johnson could contribute most significantly with his power stroke. Hall projected him as a mid-lineup hitter beginning as a freshman.
This season, the Jackets ranked 157th in the country with .33 home runs per game and 109th in slugging percentage (.374). Tech was in the top 40 in home runs per game and slugging percentage in the three previous seasons.
“I’m hoping to be the guy,” Johnson said. “That’s my tool.”
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