Georgia-Georgia Tech benefit game for CHOA moved to Coolray Field for 2020

Georgia Tech catcher Kyle McCann tags out Georgia base runner Cam Shepherd as he tries to score from third on a ground ball during the Spring Classic game at SunTrust Park on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.  Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Georgia Tech catcher Kyle McCann tags out Georgia base runner Cam Shepherd as he tries to score from third on a ground ball during the Spring Classic game at SunTrust Park on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

The annual Georgia-Georgia Tech baseball game played each year to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is moving from SunTrust Park for the 2020 season.

Because of the condition of the field at SunTrust Park after the Visa Big Air ski and snowboard event at the park Dec. 20-21, the Tech-Georgia game is moving to Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, home of the Gwinnett Stripers.

This season Tech and Georgia are playing a three-game weekend series against each other, not having their three games spread over the course of the season. The games are scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 28-March 1. They will meet at 5 p.m. Friday at Foley Field in Athens and at 2 p.m. Feb. 29 at Russ Chandler Stadium at Tech. The Sunday finale begins at 2 p.m. March 1 at Coolray Field.

A Braves representative said that the team already planned to replace the sod in the offseason and that the team knew that the timing of the sod replacement would occur close to the date of the Tech-Georgia game, so the Braves exercised caution and moved the game to Lawrenceville. The Braves representative said that no unexpected damage to the field caused the change of venue.

The 2020 game will mark the 18th consecutive year that the teams have met at a neutral site, with proceeds going to CHOA. The past 17 years the games were played at either Turner Field or SunTrust Park.

Tech and Georgia each opens its regular season at home Feb. 14 -- Tech at 4 p.m. against Saint Peter’s and Georgia at 5 p.m. against Richmond.

The Braves’ home opener is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. April 3 against the Marlins, after playing the first seven games on the road, four at Arizona and three at San Diego.