On Georgia Tech’s team picture day a few weeks ago, coach Danny Hall had his freshmen remain in the Russ Chandler Stadium bleachers after the entire team had its photo taken. When the first-year players re-assembled with their coach, it was not a tight close-up.
Tech will open the season Friday with 14 freshmen on its 34-player roster, the most for the Yellow Jackets since the 2011 team, which was stuffed with 17 freshmen. At least two this season likely will start. Others will contribute.
“It is a little daunting, because I just think, even the best players or the greatest players that we’ve had here, some of them have had major struggles when they were freshmen,” said Hall, entering his 21st season at Tech.
The Jackets have been estimated accordingly. For the first time since Hall arrived, the Jackets will begin the season unranked.
“I think we’re right where we need to be, honestly,” Hall said. “I think those rankings are pretty accurate in what people, at least on paper, think we are.”
Beginning with this weekend’s four-team Battle in Midtown tournament, freshman outfielders Ryan Peurifoy and Keenan Innis could be in the starting lineup. Pitcher Zac Ryan looks like a possible midweek starter and could shift into a weekend role before the end of the season. Ben Parr is another first-year pitcher who could contribute early.
“I think he’s going to be really special,” pitcher Dusty Isaacs said of Ryan, from Valparaiso, Ind. “He’s got a great pitcher’s frame, got a great arm. He knows what he’s doing out there.”
Pitching depth could be the team’s strength. The Jackets return pitchers who started 47 of their 64 games last season, though none of the returnees was particularly consistent. Jonathan King, Cole Pitts and Josh Heddinger will begin the season as Tech’s top three starters. The Jackets will have to fill the void left by Buck Farmer, Tech’s three-time All-ACC starter.
King said he feels 100 percent after taking time off in the fall to rest a back injury. As a freshman last season, he was 6-5 with a 4.04 ERA, but had a strong finish.
“I feel like I learned a lot last year that I didn’t know before the season,” King said. “I feel a lot more prepared, a lot more experienced.”
Tech likely will have to rely on pitching and defense. Hall lost five productive hitters to graduation and the draft — catcher Zane Evans, third baseman Sam Dove and outfielders Daniel Palka, Brandon Thomas and Kyle Wren. They were the engine behind an offense that finished last season ranked 20th nationally in batting average (.304) and sixth in home runs (58).
As a team, Tech started 21-5 and was ranked inside the top 20 before inconsistent play and a difficult schedule sent them to a 37-27 finish, with the season ending in an NCAA regional loss to No. 2-seed Vanderbilt.
Tech’s returnees accounted for 21 of the home runs and hit a combined .276.
“I hope that offensively, we can kind of find our way,” Hall said. “There’s no way we’ll have the power that we’ve had the last couple years, but I’m hoping that we can do other things to score runs.”
Innis has drawn comparisons with Wren, a fleet outfielder who got on base and stole bases.
The fate of the season — how well Tech can compete in the ACC, where three teams are in the Baseball America top 10 and six are in the top 25, and whether the Jackets can make their 19th NCAA appearance under Hall — could hinge on how much the freshmen can contribute. For what it’s worth, the class was ranked No. 9 by online scouting service Perfect Game.
“I feel like if we’re going to go anywhere, we need them to contribute and step up,” shortstop Mott Hyde said.
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