For the third consecutive year, Georgia Tech's season ended in the same dispiriting fashion.
Sunday night, the Yellow Jackets watched another team celebrate its NCAA regional victory on their field. This time, Mississippi State pummeled the Jackets 7-3 to give them their second loss in the double-elimination tournament at Russ Chandler Stadium. A season-high five errors and spotty pitching ushered the Jackets, who had photos of Southern Miss and Alabama celebrating in 2009 and 2010 on their field posted in the dugout, out of the postseason.
"I don't care where your season ends," Tech coach Danny Hall said. "When your season ends, it's disappointing and it hurts."
The Jackets, who tied a school record for ACC wins and entered the tournament ranked 12th by Baseball America magazine, have a .689 winning percentage in the last four seasons but have failed to get out of the regional round in each. They've been the region's No. 1 seed the past three years.
Mississippi State (36-24) will move on to an NCAA super regional series against Florida.
After beating Austin Peay earlier in the day in 93-degree heat, the Jackets (42-21) lacked snap and, more importantly, pitching against the Bulldogs.
Hall chose to use Buck Farmer, his No. 3 starter, in an elimination game against the Governors (estimated RPI: 113) rather than try to save him for Mississippi State (estimated RPI: 23).
"I'd do that all over again," Hall said.
The first step worked, inasmuch as Farmer plowed through the Governors Sunday afternoon. Sporting a new buzz cut to stay cool in the heat, Farmer held Austin Peay to five hits and produced his second complete game of the season. Tech banged 18 hits and tagged four home runs in the 12-2 win.
"I'll be honest," Austin Peay coach Gary McClure said. "I thought he was the best pitcher that I've seen in this [regional]."
However, it left Tech to start freshman DeAndre Smelter against the Bulldogs in the evening game. Smelter took the mound with the season on the line with 13 appearances and 15 innings to his credit, all in relief and mostly against non-conference opponents.
Smelter, one of 17 freshmen on the roster, allowed six runs on six hits and lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Ten of the 16 batters he faced reached base. Atrocious fielding accelerated the Mississippi State onslaught. The Jackets' five errors were their most in a game since 2009. Only one of the Bulldogs' seven runs was earned.
"We made some miscues and made [Smelter and reliever Dusty Isaacs]have to make some pitches that they couldn’t quite execute," Hall said.
Meanwhile, Tech could manage six only base hits, three in a last-gasp ninth inning.
That Tech fell short on pitching was ironic; the Jackets boasted one of the top starting rotations in the country. However, Tech suffered a doubly punitive loss Friday to Austin Peay, when ace Mark Pope left the game early with an oblique strain. Midweek starter Matthew Grimes replaced him in the 2-1 loss. Had Pope been able to continue, Grimes (7-4, 4.15 ERA) would have been available to pitch Sunday.
