Powerhouse at the Plate - Georgia Tech Comes to Boshamer Stadium for Top 3 Matchup with UNC

For the first time since 2008, Boshamer Stadium will be home to a top three matchup as No. 3 North Carolina hosts No. 2 Georgia Tech this weekend in one of the most highly anticipated ACC regular season series in recent history. 

On paper this is a yin and yang battle, the best offense versus the best pitching staff. It’s like the unstoppable force and the immovable object.

Here’s a rundown on Georgia Tech, key matchups to watch and everything in between.

Cooking with Fire

The Yellow Jacket team is beyond cooking with grease; they are cooking with flame accelerant. When looking up “which offensive stats Georgia Tech leads the nation in” there were almost no gaps. Tech ranks first in runs per game (11.23), batting average (.359), OBP (.477), SLG (.630), OPS (1.107), isolated power (.271) and weighted on base average (.460). Those are just some of the more advanced metrics and of course, don’t forget their top marks in hits, runs and overall scoring. 

The numbers are downright scary.

Catcher Vahn Lackey and centerfielder Drew Burress are the headliners of the dynamic offense, but those are just a few of the names that can make pitching pay. What also sets Georgia Tech apart is their plate discipline and ability to hit with two strikes. The Yellow Jackets are second in the nation in walks and have a fantastic two strike approach. Look no further than last weekend’s FSU series: GT logged 16 two-strike hits. 

The Star Power

Vahn Lackey 

Georgia Tech is sometimes referred to as “Catcher U” and it’s easy to see why with alumni the likes of Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart and Kevin Parada, and their current battery looks to join those ranks. Vahn Lackey has shot up the draft boards, as the junior is slashing 398/.519/.789 with a team leading 101 total bases, 45 RBIs and 12 homers. Not only that but a month ago Lackey played eight different positions in one game. He has plus athleticism and a canon behind the plate with pop times under 1.80. 

Drew Burress

The consensus first team All-American is back at it for the third year. What is it? Being a menace to baseballs. He broke onto the scene two years ago, being named Freshman of the Year and hasn’t let his foot off the gas since. Last year, the firecracker was the only player from a Power 4 conference with at least 60 RBI (62), 20 doubles (23), 50 walks (53), 15 HR (19) and 70 runs (77). He may be on the smaller side, but he is mighty, with seven homers and more walks (31) than strikeouts (26) on the season, his third straight year accomplishing the feat. 

Under the Radar Players to Know

2B Jarren Advincula 
.422/.494/.599…64 H*, 12K, 5 HR, 1.000 FLD%

Hitters hit, and Advincula embodies that saying. The junior transfer from Cal slashed .334/.407/.483 in his career with the Golden Bears and has only improved since moving across the country. Between his freshman and sophomore season he took home the Cape Cod League batting title with a. 392 average, and at the midpoint of the grueling summer, it was as high as .415—with a wood bat. He has an old school down low batting stance that really helps him get into his lower half with outstanding bat-to-ball skills. He’s a perfect leadoff batter and has only unlocked more power since transferring, slugging .612 with six homers and 64 hits (good enough for second in the nation). 

SS Carson Kerce 
.402/.494/.599…20 2B, 25 XBH*, 4 HR

A name that may be overshadowed a bit by some of the flashier Yellow Jackets, Kerce has been a huge part of GT’s success this season. Kerce has been in Atlanta for three years and has steadily improved every year. The everyday shortstop last year hit .312 with a .886 OPS and is now turning in a massive jump in all numbers. He’s slashing .402/.494/.599 with a team leading 25 extra base hits and 4 homers. Kerce leads the entire country in doubles (21) and proved gap-to-gap power. UNC will need to watch out for Kerce’s proclivity for two baggers, especially since the Tar Heels’ arms have surrendered 24 extra base hits in the last 5 games. 

Other Names to Know
OF Will Baker .373/.497/.655
RF Alex Hernandez .368/.490/.544
3B Ryan Zuckerman .339/.455/.717
1B Kent Schmidt .299/.475/.483
LF Parker Brosius .267/.467/.66

Pitching

The Yellow Jackets offense overshadows pitching talk, but do not make that mistake when talking GT. Here is just a quick look at the numbers for their three projected weekend starters:

Tate McKee (Fri)…3.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, .215 avg, 43.2 IP, 45 K
Porter Buursema (Sat)…3.44 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .190 avg, 18.1 IP, 27 K
Jackson Blakely (Sun)…2.34 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .229 avg, 34.2 IP, 38 K

In the pen, the big name is righthander Mason Patel. The former teammate of Colin Hynek and Michael Maginnis shone bright in his second year at Georgia Tech. Last season Patel recorded a 3.34 ERA in 23 appearances with five saves. He mostly utilizes a slider and a changeup to both lefties and righties.

The Way Through 

On paper, GT seems like the clear frontrunner. They have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. UNC, on the other hand, ranks anywhere from No. 36 (OBP) to No. 87 (Isolated Power) in advanced offensive metrics. Where the Tar Heels have the edge, pitching, is not as far a divide as the offensive outlook. Carolina records the best ERA in the conference (3.64) but the Yellow Jackets are fourth in the league (4.23).

For the Tar Heels to come out victorious, the pitching will have to be pristine—the cleanest it’s been all season—and the “never say die offense” will need to shoulder the load together.  

The series begins on Friday in Chapel Hill. First pitch is 6 p.m.