ATHENS, Ga. — The annual rivalry baseball series between Georgia and Georgia Tech begins on Friday in Atlanta.
The four-game series will be played in three venues over the weekend, with Saturday's action at Georgia's Foley Field and the finale at Coolray Field on Sunday.
The first pitch Friday will be at 6:02 on ACC Network Extra, with Saturday’s action at a sold-out Foley Field at 2:02 p.m. on SEC Network+.
There is no television for Sunday’s 3 p.m. game at Coolray Field, which is titled the 21st annual Spring Baseball Classic that benefits Children’s Health Care of Atlanta (CHOA). All proceeds from the event benefit the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of CHOA.
The Bulldogs are off to an 8-1 start in the Wes Johnson era, while the Yellow Jackets are 7-1. Neither team is ranked in the top 25.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia and Tech have battled since 1898, with the Bulldogs owning a 218-169-2 advantage in the series. Georgia claimed both meetings on campus last season (7-2 in Athens, 16-6 in Atlanta), while Tech won the neutral site contest at Coolray Field 4-1 to avoid getting swept.
WINDSHIELDS BEWARE
Georgia has blasted an NCAA-leading 27 home runs with a .706 slugging percentage as part of its 8-1 start. Nine Bulldogs have at least one home run, with the team lead belonging to Charlie Condon with seven. Last year, he led the team and set an SEC Freshman Record with 25 home runs in 56 games.
CONDON LEADING THE OFFENSE
Consensus All-America Charlie Condon (.639-7-13) is the reigning SEC Player of the Week. A redshirt sophomore on the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, he is projected to be a 1st-round pick in 2024. He carries multiple gloves as he plays third base (5 starts), first base (1 start), and the outfield (3 starts in LF). He has had multiple hits in all nine games this year. This past Wednesday against Michigan State, he tied a school record by smashing home runs in his first three at-bats (CF, then LF, then RF) before being intentionally walked. Currently, he ranks second nationally with an SEC-best .639 batting average, ranks first with a 1.417 SLG% and third in OB% at .696. His exit velocity is routinely more than 100 mph and as high as 118.
*In week one, junior infielder Slate Alford earned SEC Co-Player of the Week honors. He posted an SEC-best 15 total bases, three home runs, and nine RBI in a sweep of Asheville. Currently, he is batting .325-3-10 from the leadoff spot. Alford and Condon have reached base in all nine games.
SERIES ROTATION
Graduate left-hander Charlie Goldstein (2-0, 2.00 ERA) has been the ace of the Georgia pitching staff. In nine innings this season, he has 14 strikeouts and four walks, limiting opponents to a .133 average. During the first part of the season, the Bulldogs have taken a staff approach on the mound, with Goldstein going a team-best five innings this past Friday in a 15-5 win over Northern Kentucky. He will start game one of the Tech series, followed by graduate RHP Christian Mracana (1-0, 1.23 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore RHP Leighton Finley (1-0, 5.14 ERA) on Sunday. Tech will counter with junior LHP Camron Hill (1-0, 1.50 ERA), junior RHP Aeden Finateri (2-0, 0.82 ERA) and junior RHP Logan McGuire (0-0, 6.75 ERA).
Rutherford Street Closure: Please note this season that one hour before game time, Rutherford Street, next to Foley Field, will be closed to vehicle traffic until 30 minutes post-game.
