Rumor has it that the Scheller College of Business at Tech is easier, more joyful and generally kinder than the rest of campus. But, as with most things in life, this rumor is dependent upon the observer. As a Scheller student myself, although my thoughts may be biased, I feel that I gained perspective while struggling as an engineering student for my first year and a half at Tech.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the disparities between the College of Business and the College of Engineering is the emphasis on different strengths. Engineers must know how to calculate, analyze and manipulate the hard data in front of them. Business majors should not only have these critical thinking skills, but also must hone their communication in the forms of networking and public speaking.

Business majors, additionally, still take tests but at a lesser rate than engineers. Instead, we focus on working in groups to present projects that often take precedence over a multiple-choice exam done in silence. Are projects easier than tests? The two are hard to compare equally. A project can force one person in a group of six to complete the work if the rest of the group does not pull their weight, and most Scheller professors in upper-level classes tend to stand by the idea that because this happens in the real world, there will be no excuses or arrangements made to help the group — instead, the group must figure out how to make it work.

With respect to communication and public speaking skills, there are quite a few engineers with minimal social skills who contribute to the idea that Tech is a place full of nerds who are better suited in front of a computer than an audience — not a good place to be if you are trying to begin a startup or pitch an idea to investors. Scheller takes the time to prepare business students for these moments through “cold calls” in class and ample public speaking opportunities that would leave many students in the engineering school hyperventilating. On the other hand, I would be the first to tell you that I cannot seem to ever grasp calculus despite taking it multiple times, and that I struggled to pass my CS 1371 class even after using “freshman forgiveness” to retake it. These two things are crucial to an engineer’s education, but it was not that I was “dumb” or did not belong at Tech, I just was not in the right school of education.

I would like to argue that neither school is necessarily harder than the other, but that these views are based on the inner workings of an individual. I found business classes to be easier not because there was less work, but because I finally understood what was going on and how it was applicable to my life. If you are an engineering major reading this and thinking, “This girl is crazy,” I challenge you to stand up in front of a full lecture hall of students and introduce yourself beyond an elevator pitch without forewarning, present for ten minutes without slides or make networking a part of your daily routine. As the old saying goes, “To each his/[her]/[their] own.”

The Jackets have a historied success when it comes to the Major League Baseball draft process with notable names such as Jason Varitek, Mark Teixeira and most recently Joey Bart making it into the big leagues. The total number of players drafted while at Tech as of July 2018 is listed at 169 on ramblinwreck.com, while ten of those players were drafted out of Tech in the first round. Furthermore, the Jackets have a tendency to sign players who were high school draftees who chose to attend Tech over going straight into the MLB, bolstering the prestige of the program and trumpeting the recruiting abilities of head coach Danny Hall.

The 2019 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft was arguably less exciting than that of 2018, in which Joey Bart was picked second overall and went out of Tech with a bang. However, the Jackets had a total of seven players selected for the opportunity to pursue professional baseball this year compared to only two players during last year’s draft.

Tristin English, a redshirt junior, was picked up first out of the Tech squad during the third round. At pick 93, English was chosen by the Arizona Diamondbacks after having a phenomenal postseason. The pitcher made waves on All-American, All-ACC, and similar listings throughout his time at Tech. He was only the third Tech player to be named to the All-ACC First Team roster three times, alongside former stars Jason Varitek and Eric Patterson. During the 2019 season, English was the first player at Tech since 2001 to hit for the cycle, which requires a batter to hit a single, double, triple and a home run all in the same game. He has quite the pitching prowess as exemplified by two hitless innings leading up to the ACC Championship Game, along with a team-leading 71 RBI and a .313 batting average this past year. 

The next pick from the Jackets was Kyle McCann who was selected as pick 134 during the fourth round by Oakland Athletics. During the 2019 season, McCann recorded the second highest number of home runs in the Atlantic Coast Conference at a total of 23. Although McCann was only named to the All-ACC Third Team during his 2018 season, his most recent season was full of accomplishments that blew that listing out of the water. The catcher was named as a finalist for the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year award and broke Mark Teixeira’s single-season Tech record for most intentional walks, according to ramblinwreck.com. McCann will join former Tech catcher Joey Bart in the Bay Area in a reunion that is sure to be nostalgic for the two Tech catchers. 

Junior pitcher Connor Thomas was drafted next during the fifth round at pick 155 by the St. Louis Cardinals. He had 103 strikeouts during the 2019 season which ranked him fourth in the ACC. With a variety of accolades under his belt, such as ACC Pitcher of the Week and All-ACC First Team, Thomas was a definite help to the Jackets during their grind through the
championship season.

Atlanta native Xzavion Curry was selected by the Cleveland Indians in round seven as pick 220. His season ended early due to a shoulder injury, but he was the expected starter going into the 2019 season and opened with a record setting number of wins in three straight Opening Day appearances for the Jackets. Curry joins Thomas with multiple ACC Pitcher of the Week awards. The Indians picked a good one in Curry, assuming his shoulder heals and he is able to reach his
maximum potential. 

After the top ten rounds were hashed out, three Tech players were selected in the following days. Chase Murray, a junior outfielder who battled injuries throughout his time at Tech, was drafted in round 13 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Junior pitcher Amos Willingham was picked up by the Washington Nationals in round 17, while sophomore infielder Luke Waddell was selected during round 32 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both Willingham and Waddell could show some serious improvement over the next year or two, as Willingham transferred from a community college this past year and Waddell still has time to mature as a player for Tech. 

Depending on how the players like their respective teams, Tech fans can expect to see significant turnover across the starting lineup next year. Led by Hall, the Jackets have depth that should continue to lead them to postseason appearances that hopefully turn out better than their departure from the NCAA tournament this year.

After taking a quick glance at any Tech football social media account, it is evident that there is fresh energy in the air. New traditions, different plays and unfamiliar voices mark the first few days of spring practice as Coach Collins carves out the path that he sees fit for his team. In the wake of Coach Johnson’s well-known offensive and defensive formations from which there was rarely deviation, Collins is shaking things up for the players as a the 2019-2020 season sparkles on the horizon. 

The Jackets kicked off their first practice on March 26 with energy and high expectations from their coach. In a video posted on the Tech Athletics website highlighting the beginning of the spring season, Collins says, “I am going to challenge you because I expect every person in this organization to be elite.” The short video contains the normal hype and chill-inducing elements that are expected of Tech media productions, but the excitement that the team shows is undeniable. 

In a press conference posted online, offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude stated that the team would remain “balanced” in changing from Coach Johnson’s triple-option offensive formation to Collins’ new plans. He mentioned the idea of “playing to the strengths of the quarterbacks and the offensive line”, while capitalizing on the fact that the Jackets have very “athletic” quarterbacks to utilize, such as redshirt junior Lucas Johnson, redshirt sophomore Tobias Oliver and redshirt freshman James Graham. 

Patenaude believes that the three scholarship quarterbacks expected to vie for the starting position are good at throwing the ball, something that each of them have been hindered from showcasing at a high level under Coach Johnson. On the second day of practice, the coach said, “We look like a spread team,” while attributing that fact to the team’s dedication to learning new plays in the offseason. 

Lucas Johnson, making a comeback after a season on the sidelines due to a leg injury sustained during last year’s first preseason scrimmage, is the favorite for the Jackets’ starting position going into the fall, though Oliver and Graham are expected to be in the running for the position too.

Leading up to the season, the coaching staff went through positions that had been understaffed in previous years. This included the movement of redshirt senior Tyler Cooksey to the tight end position from special teams. Cooksey and others who have moved to similar positions will see a higher frequency of running action than the players have seen in recent years, a nod to the transition away from the triple-option formation that Coach Johnson favored.  Patenaude and Collins are also big on “cross-training”, or creating versatile players that can serve the team offensively and defensively.

Tech will sorely miss Parker Braun and Andrew Marshall, valuable members of the offensive line in previous seasons, and their absence leaves a hole for senior offensive linemen Jahaziel Lee, Brad Morgan and Kenny Cooper. A fourth versatile offensive lineman that will add valuable experience is Vanderbilt transfer Jared Southers. In addition to the seniors, the depth of the underclassmen linemen such as redshirt sophomore Zach Quinney and redshirt freshman Zakk McKeehan should be sufficient in years to come. 

On the other side of the ball, Tech’s D-line is expected to be led by junior defensive lineman Antwan Owens and redshirt senior defensive lineman Brentavious Glanton – solid starters who combined for 54 tackles last year.

Tech’s first spring game under Collins is scheduled for April 26, though Tech’s calendar is fairly clear until the Jackets open up the 2019 regular season at on August 29. This game will be a Herculean challenge, but will be a testament to the work that the team and Collins’ coaching staff continue to put in leading up to August. 

Geoff Collins came to Tech in December as a tornado of recruiting power and strategy. February 6 signified the completion of another recruiting cycle for the Jackets, but marked Collins’ first go-round in Atlanta. The former head coach of Temple brought in 23 signees, some of whom had initially committed to other schools before the efforts of Collins and his staff won their favor. Tech signed 18 players during the December period, then added five more in February. The signees included a flurry of three-star recruits with a few standouts such as four-star running back Jamious Griffin and defensive back Wesley Walker. Here is a recap of exactly who the Jackets have convinced to don the white and gold.

Offensive Skill Players

Quarterback Demetrius Knight was ranked the No. 31 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports and was the first Division I football player from his school, Strong Rock Christian. Incoming quarterback Jordan Yates made waves at Milton High School in nearby Alpharetta by leading his school to its first state title in school history this past year, after which he saw Rivals bump him up to a four-star prospect. Yates accumulated 6,452 yards of total offense and scored 65 touchdowns in his final two seasons. He also lettered in basketball and track, which reveals a versatile side that could serve the Jackets well. Running back Devin Ellison hails from St. John’s, Fla. and holds the school rushing record with 3,345 yards in his high school career. Tony Amerson was signed for the same position and came out of high school with multiple school records, including 5,082 career rushing yards that helped him reach No. 39 among players in the state of Alabama. 

Running back Jamious Griffin was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and was arguably the biggest name that Collins brought to the Flats. He initially committed to North Carolina State, but continued to take trips to schools such as Auburn and Miami leading up to National Signing Day in February. Rated the No. 25 running back in the 2019 class and the No. 369 player in the country according to 247Sports, Griffin had his eyes on the Wolfpack, Tigers, Hurricanes and a few others during the final stretch of the recruiting cycle.

However, on decision day the four-star prospect chose to join older brother Quon Griffin, who is a defensive lineman for the Jackets. The recruit rushed for 2,424 yards and 36 touchdowns in his senior season with Rome High School, lending his outstanding stats to his offseason work ethic, according to AJC.com. This class of running backs follows in the footsteps of players such as Clinton Lynch and Qua Searcy, who graduated this past winter.

Front Seven

Griffin was not the only recruit to make Tech a family affair. Lineman Jamal Camp signed to join his older brother wide receiver Jalen Camp over offers from Tennessee, Tulane and James Madison. Another defensive lineman, D’Quan Douse, comes from Calvary Day School in Savannah, Ga. where he was a three-time all-region selection. The third defensive lineman is Sylvain Yondjouen, a Belgian athlete who played under the same international coach — Brandon Collier — who has connected Tech with potential recruits in the past. Mike Lockhart is an intriguing late bloomer; he was tabbed as the No. 17 player in Alabama by Rivals even though he did not begin playing football until his senior season. Rounding out the front seven prospects, linebackers Cornelius Evans and Chicho Bennett have good size at six-foot-four; each stands at about 220 pounds and can certainly benefit from a Division I strength and conditioning program; their frames could use more weight.

Secondary

Defensive back Jordan Huff was previously committed to Michigan State before recommitting to Tech. He was ranked the No. 41 athlete in the country and also received offers from Tennessee, Louisville and Pittsburgh. Huff plans to be an early enrollee, allowing him to get a head start on academics before the season gets into full swing. Jeremiah Smith comes to Tech alongside Huff as a defensive back and was the first player to commit to the 2019 class. He received offers from a number of schools, including Coach Collins’ former home: Temple. A third defensive back was added in Wesley Walker, who was rated a four-star prospect by ESPN. He received offers from Notre Dame, Virginia, LSU and Mississippi State before accepting a spot with the Jackets. The fourth defensive back in the class of 2019 is Kenan Johnson, who initially committed to North Carolina, but switched to Tech immediately following an official visit to Atlanta. 

Pass-catchers

Like Johnson, tight end Dylan Deveney just needed a visit to Atlanta to flip his commitment from Rutgers to Tech. Wide receiver Zach Owens recorded 31 touchdowns in his final three season with his school and was ranked No. 91 among players in Georgia, as well as No. 111 among wide receivers nationwide. Kalani Norris joins Owens as an incoming wide receiver from Miami. He was named an All-Dade County honoree on the way to becoming a state champion in the largest Florida classification: 8A. Wide receiver Ahmarean Brown had an offer from Alabama among other schools and was ranked the No. 85 wide receiver in the nation coming out of Jefferson High School in Tampa before signing to Tech.

Additionally, wide receiver Nazir Burnett was ranked as the No. 24 player in Pennsylvania by 247Sports and recorded 45 touchdown receptions and 3,663 receiving yards in his final three years of high school. 

Former Miami wide receiver Marquez Ezzard transferred in to become one of the new Jackets. Ezzard was a four-star prospect just a year ago but seldom saw the field in Coral Gables. At Tech, he will have more chances, particularly given that the Jackets figure to pass more this season than they have in nearly a decade. The same logic applies for UConn grad transfer tight end, Tyler Davis, who smartly saw an opportunity to staff a long-unused position at Tech and jumped at the chance.

The Jackets have a stacked incoming class with talent and much needed size. Collins and the fresh coaching staff will have no problem selecting players for their needs and may end up struggling to choose between players for the starting lineup. With new offensive and defensive schemes in place, the Jackets can use all the players they can get. National Signing Day was a good start for Collins at the Flats.

The Georgia Tech Barbell Club states on OrgSync that it is “a supportive community of dedicated fitness enthusiasts focused on supporting athletes of all skill levels and barbell related disciplines,” and president Matthew Lattime agrees wholeheartedly. After a few minutes of talking with him, it is clear that the club is meant to be all-inclusive to the Tech community, even aiming to reach those with little fitness experience. The key to their success? “Having a community behind you that supports you,” he says.

Lattime is a BME student at Tech that took up powerlifting in high school, but did not necessarily come to Tech with the conscious intention of continuing his sport. As an out-of-state student at FASET, he experienced the organization fair that can be a whirlwind for incoming students. After realizing the Campus Recreation Center might not fit his fitness needs and desires, he stumbled upon the Barbell Club through JacketPages and reached out to the president of the club at the time to express his interest in joining the organization.

Although Lattime had prior experience with the sport, many new members come in at a novice level with the intention of increasing their strength. He explained that this allows for bonding among the new members, as everyone learns the ins and outs together, furthering the sense of community that the club treasures. On the other hand, some students come in just as Lattime did, with experience under their belts, ready to the hit the ground running — or lifting. The organization has implemented a mentorship program that provides any new member with a partner in crime to learn the ropes or share ideas with. “The club fluctuates in terms of membership,” Lattime says. “There are lots of members in the fall, but it peters off in the spring.”

For students who stick around, the organization offers various competition opportunities throughout the year and across the nation. The most common types of meets are USA Powerlifting-sanctioned meets, with some particularly talented athletes making their way to USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals at the end of the school year. Additionally, Tech hosts its own “mock” meet, which provides the athletes with an opportunity to rehearse and showcase their abilities in a low pressure environment. The meet is not sanctioned and does not officially count for anything, but it allows the athlete to get a realistic feel for what competition day will be like. 

Lattime lit up when asked about his proudest moment as a member of the organization. He excitedly spoke about the sanctioned meet that the Barbell Club was able to put together earlier this school year. The executive members began planning for the meet in early to mid-summer of last year in order to secure the needs for a sanctioned meet — proper equipment, registration and administrative fees, referees and referee certification and drug testing. Lattime explained that while only about ten percent of the athletes are subject to drug testing, it is an important element of the sanctioned meet. The Jackets competed at this meet, named the Southeast Collegiate Clash, against athletes from Auburn, the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University. The meet was a milestone moment for the Tech program, which showed itself capable of playing host for a real meet.

The organization strives to hone the discipline of each of the athletes while providing a community that shares and supports the athletes’ goals. Coaches such as James Townsend, a USA Powerlifting Coach of the Year, come to give pointers on technique and programming a few times a week. The Barbell Club also offers advice on everything from weightlifting to nutrition throughout the year. “We want members to be the best [people] they can be and have coaching hours, seminars and physical therapists to injuries,” Lattime says of the organization’s recent efforts.

Although the Barbell Club was started with the intention of creating a powerlifting-focused program, Lattime expects the group to encompass more general members and invites those with more “niche” interests to bring their skills and thoughts to the table. He also hopes to see the group begin to give back to the community on a larger scale by fully committing to a charity or service group. “We want to engage general members more,” he notes when discussing the importance of fostering these various interests.

These aims contribute to the idea that the club is meant to promote more than physical strength; it will help create and add to well-rounded and thoughtful members. The group lists its yearly goals online. They include “[growing] our community by emphasizing fitness and nutrition on campus”, “[hosting] a philanthropy event to raise money for a local charity” and “[financing] athletes to numerous local, national, and international competitions.” At its current rate of growth, it ought to surprise no one if Barbell Club meets all of those objectives by the end of this year.

Earlier in the season, it seemed like Tech’s women’s basketball team was headed into a strong season. It was helmed by freshman guard Elizabeth Balogun and the returning leadership of junior guard Francesca Pan and forward Martine Fortune. Head Coach Machelle Joseph notched her 300th career win with the Jackets, and Balogun had established herself as ACC Rookie of the Week before the conference competitions had even begun. Since then, Balogun has been awarded the title of ACC Rookie or Freshman of the Week two more times. She is accompanied by her peer, freshman forward Elizabeth Dixon, who was named ACC Co-Rookie of the Week following games against Duke and Louisville. But the wins that rolled in through a relatively easy non-conference schedule have dried up as of late.

After a tough loss against the elite Notre Dame team to start the semester, the Jackets rebounded by pushing past Duke with a 70-64 win. However, the team fell to Louisville in a showing that resulted in a final score 61-44, a lopsided deficit for the Jackets. Following the loss to the Cardinals, the team lost again, this time against the Clemson Tigers. In this defeat, the Jackets narrowed their losing margin to a 10-point difference in a final score of 71-61. 

After the back-to-back losses on the road, the Jackets returned home to McCamish to conquer No. 14 Syracuse in a morale-boosting final score of 65-55, a game in which the Jackets bottled up the Orange’s electric Tiana Mangakahia. The outcome must have been particularly sweet for Coach Joseph and her team, given that Managakahia came just short of the Carrier Dome’s single-game scoring record when Tech played Syracuse on the road last season. However, the taste of victory did not last long as the women lost to the NC State Wolfpack, who maintained their undefeated streak for the season. Last, but not least, the Jackets narrowly missed a win over the UNC Tar Heels, losing 91-90 in a heartbreaking push to the finish for both teams.

Most recently, Tech traveled to South Bend, Ind. to compete against No. 5 Notre Dame. After a first half that resulted in a 41-point deficit for the Jackets, Tech was able to score an additional 37 points. However, Notre Dame put up another 36 points to defeat the Jackets 90-50 in a loss that revealed the apparent youth and inexperience of the Tech team, which Coach Joseph acknowledged after the game. Dixon led the team with a mere 12 points, while sophomore forward Lorela Cubaj put up seven rebounds. The team shot a paltry 21.7 percent from the field, while Notre Dame found itself at a much better 55.9 percent. The Fighting Irish hit two-thirds of their threes en route to an easy win.

Amid these recent losses, there appear to be some perfectly understandable results and some that should worry Joseph and her team if their hope is an NCAA Tournament bid. Losing to the likes of Louisville and Notre Dame is understandable; both are powerhouse programs, led by star players who project as excellent professional prospects. But dropping winnable games to the likes of North Carolina and Clemson, not to mention facing a 41-point deficit against any team, shows that the Jackets have a long way to go.

Throughout the aforementioned games, Balogun has continued to stay strong and position herself for accolades with career-high statistics such as 35 points in the game against UNC and 31 points in the match up against NC State. Yet, it has become clear that a single outstanding freshman cannot carry the team to victory through scoring points alone. Even as three Jackets posted double-figure rebounds during the Clemson game, aspects of the game such as a 12-for-20 mark at the free throw line, as opposed to Clemson’s 19-for-26 showing, are where the Jackets are falling short this season: correctable but potentially fatal flaws.

The Jackets have seven more conference games against Pitt, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Virginia, Miami and Florida State before entering into the beginning rounds of the ACC Championships. While the team has typically shot above 40 percent, games like the match up against the Wolfpack in which the Jackets shot 34.4 percent will hinder a chance at playing in the NCAA tournament. The team has shown resilience in rebounding from early deficits, but an end-to-end win would do wonders for the team’s confidence. The Pittsburgh Panthers were ranked No. 113  in the nation as of February 2, while Virginia Tech, Miami and Florida State were all ranked in the top 100, with the latter two considered Top 25 squads. In comparison, the Jackets were ranked No. 41 in the nation as of Feb. 4. 

Although teams such as Wake Forest and Virginia are not as highly ranked, the Jackets will need to bring the consistent drive that they showed they are capable of during the wins against a top-15 team like Syracuse earlier in the season. With each team in the conference, even those that are well out of contention, focused on building its resume in hopes of momentum for the next season or a spot in the postseason this one, no game will be a quick and easy win for Tech. That is particularly true because of the fundamental errors that have plagued Tech in some recent games; shooting free throws at a poor rate will sink them against almost any team.

The upcoming games against Pitt, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Florida State will offer the Jackets a home court advantage. Whether they successfully leverage that advantage will go a long way to determining where Tech is playing when tournament season rolls around in a month.

While the campus has been quiet, the Tech women’s basketball team has been grinding away in preparation for the upcoming ACC competition that awaits them over the next few weeks. Led by freshman guard Elizabeth Balogun, who was named ACC Rookie of the Week twice earlier this season, the Jackets finished their non-conference season in the fall with wins over Appalachian State, Georgia State, Western Carolina and more. The team wrapped up the calendar year with a significant 81-40 win over Wofford, along with the West Palm Beach Invitational in which the Jackets won 84-73 over Seton Hall, but fell to Dayton, 85-66.

Most notable of the non-conference wins was an upset over No. 14 Georgia, marking two consecutive victories in McCamish Pavilion over the school down the road. Early in the season, junior guard Francesca Pan recorded her one thousandth career point during a game against Idaho State, while head coach MaChelle Joseph achieved her 300th career win with Tech. With a top-10 recruiting class and a group of experienced upperclassmen, Joseph has an extremely talented team that will pursue a spot in the NCAA tournament, a feat the program has not secured since 2014.

The first game of the ACC schedule resulted in a win for the Jackets over Boston College, bringing the team’s overall record to 11-3 at the time. The women held onto the early lead created by consecutive scores by Pan and sophomore forward Lorela Cubaj, resulting in a final score of 81-76. The game was highlighted by 55 rebounds and 17 out of 24 completed free throws, along with Balogun’s first collegiate double-double, a team-leading 18 points and 17 rebounds. The Eagles struggled to catch back up to the Jackets while adjusting to their new head coach and seven true freshmen.

The Tech women hosted No. 2 Notre Dame, the defending national champion, as their first ACC competition of the season at home on Sunday. The Fighting Irish lead the series of games against the Jackets, 10-0. Last season, Pan, sophomore guard Kierra Fletcher and junior guard Chanin Scott all scored double-figures in South Bend, but Notre Dame broke away after a second-half tie to secure a win over the Jackets.

Similar to last year, the Jackets posted double-figure scoring numbers led by Balogun with 14 points, freshman forward Elizabeth Dixon with 12 points and Pan with 10 points. Yet again, the Jackets lost after a torrid start that yielded an initial margin of 8-2. The Fighting Irish gained momentum and led 39-22 at halftime, thanks to an absolutely dismal second quarter by the Jackets. While the Jackets attempted to catch back up in the second half, their efforts were too little and too late. Despite this, the teams were nearly identical when it came to rebounding numbers, with Notre Dame leading only by a single rebound, 34-33. Tech shot 36.1 percent, while Notre Dame shot 54.8 percent, a statistic that alone show where the Fighting Irish gained an edge.

Tech faces the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday, a game that will provide hefty competition alongside a home court advantage for the Jackets. Last year, the Jackets came up short against the Blue Devils with a final score of 77-59. Yet, the team put up a fight from the beginning as they led by four at the end of the first quarter, which was then surpassed by Duke by halftime to place the Jackets at an eight point deficit. The Blue Devils are coming off of a 63-51 loss to No. 9 North Carolina State and a 73-51 loss to No. 3 Louisville. The North Carolina State game allowed the Blue Devils to taste hints of victory as they came back from sizable deficits multiple times throughout the game, but did so to no avail. The Louisville game was led by the Cardinals from the beginning, something that the Blue Devils will attempt to stay away from as they enter into competition with the Jackets this week.

If the Jackets can continue the success they saw during their non-conference schedule, the NCAA tournament could be in sight for a team that has not made an appearance in five years. The Duke women will most likely be fighting the Jackets for a spot in the NCAA tournament come later this season and will certainly be clawing for their first win of this season’s conference competition.

The ACC schedule has the Jackets playing Louisville and Clemson on the road following the Duke game, along with home games against Syracuse, North Carolina State and North Carolina to close out the month of January. February brings another competition against Notre Dame, this time at South Bend, before hosting three more opponents and traveling to another four. Playing basketball in the ACC, men’s or women’s, is a steep challenge. And it may take more time for Tech’s young core of players to gel. But at this rate, the Jackets will be a worthy contender for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

McCamish Pavilion was lit up with energy on Friday night as the men’s and women’s basketball teams unveiled the long-awaited Adidas uniforms in conjunction with SCPC’s annual fall concert.

The night opened with the acknowledgment of this season’s players in their old Russell uniforms. The players walked out to hype songs that they had selected, and then proceeded to mess around on the court with the coaches and other students in a brief shoot out.

The atmosphere shifted as the lights dropped and the announcer’s voice rumbled over the speakers. The Adidas uniforms were then shown in pairs, as one woman and one man from each team came out in. The uniforms were created in three colors — navy, white and gold. Shortly after the unveiling, one of the local radio station spokesmen went around to interview students about their favorite uniform. It seemed that the all-around pick was the navy version, reflecting the excitement regarding the release of the navy football uniforms earlier this semester.

The teams retreated into the locker rooms while the DJ on stage kept the crowd going in anticipation for the duo Rae Sremmurd, the headliner of the concert. The Atlanta duo drew a large crowd of students and nearby residents alike, with hit songs under their belt such as “No Flex Zone” and “Black Beatles”.

After an energetic performance filled with photo-ops, contributions from Coach Josh Pastner and an amount of profanity that may have had President G. P. “Bud” Peterson cringing in some corner of the stadium, Rae Sremmurd wrapped up. Students flooded out of McCamish with a renewed energy and appreciation for Adidas’ creative team.

The night did not end there as social media flooded with comments and praise for the uniforms, as well as for the performers themselves.

The Tech softball team finished their fall lineup last Friday which included competition against Southern Union, Anderson University, Reinhardt University, Chattanooga, Chipola College and West Georgia, along with some unplanned rescheduling and competition changes. All of the games were played at Tech’s Mewborn Field except the matchup against Chattanooga and an unplanned game against Georgia Military College, offering a home field advantage to the Jackets. 

At the beginning of the semester, the team added three transfers, all of whom won conference championships in the past two years at their respective universities. Junior Morgan Bruce hails from Ole Miss, where she was a first-team SEC All-Freshman selection and had an 11-5 record over two seasons with the Rebels as a talented right-handed pitcher. Tricia Awald came from nearby Kennesaw State after wrapping up her freshman season with the Owls as Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year. Amber Johns joins the Jackets for her junior year after playing for her first two seasons at North Georgia. Johns achieved National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFC) first-team All-American accolades and was among the top 10 finalists for NFCA Player of the Year. 

It is unusual for a team to sign transfer players of any note, let alone players who were stars at their previous programs. For the Jackets to bring Bruce, Awald and Johns into the fold is nothing short of a coup; all three have the potential to be instant contributors to the program’s success.

The depth contributed by these three transfers, along with a team that has historically been triumphant until a few recent down seasons, bodes well for the Jackets going into the 2018-2019 season that officially picks up with conference competition in the spring. 

Both the Reinhardt and Chipola games were rescheduled for Sunday games from their original Friday scheduling due to inclement weather. Furthermore, the Chipola game was eventually cancelled due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Michael. The Jackets ended up playing Georgia Military College in Panthersville, Ga. on a Sunday instead.

The first game of the season against Southern Union finished with the Jackets on top, 17-2. The team followed up the next week with another win over Reinhardt, 19-1, providing a nice boost going into fall break; winning two games by a combined 33 runs is nothing if not good for morale.

The rest of the fall season went smoothly, although staying out of the weather that occurred in Atlanta and the surrounding southeast was no easy feat. The lower level of competition that the Jackets had the opportunity to compete against allowed for great stats from a surface-level viewpoint, but the players and coaches know that the games are not directly translatable to the competition that they will face in the spring. As Head Coach Aileen Morales no doubt noted in her first year as the program’s head coach, conference teams are another beast altogether. Nevertheless, there is a confidence boost that comes with beating opponents by wide margins, even when those opponents are not necessary nationally contending programs.

Players that led the squad during the fall season included outfielder Cameron Stanford, who posted the highest batting average at .292, on-base percentage at 4.19 and slugging percentage at .549. Another key contributor with Katie Krzus, who led the team both in power and scoring at 9 homers and 33 RBIs. Krzus is joined by Kaylee Ellebracht as one of two seniors on the roster, while the majority of the team is made up of underclassmen. With three transfers, five freshmen and a total of 16 underclassmen, Morales will have to fight to balance the batting time among those who may not have gotten as much time last year and those who are completely new to the collegiate scene. 

The fall games gave the coaches a chance to switch people around within a low pressure environment, but there is still a significant amount to figure out before the official season starts. The schedule has not been released, it is still unclear who the toughest opponents will be, and players who were on fire in the fall may find themselves in cold slumps in the spring, and vice versa. But a team can do nothing better in the fall than beat the teams on its schedule. Tech has done exactly that.

Following notable conference victories over Pitt and Florida State, Tech’s swimming and diving squad turned right back around during fall break to prepare for competition again conference rivals Miami and Notre Dame. The meet resulted in sophomore Caio Pumputis being recognized as ACC Swimmer of the Week amidst 13 first place finishes by himself and other teammates. Junior Emily Ilgenfritz was tabbed the female performer of the meet. Meanwhile, sophomore Christian Ferraro posted the fastest time in the country this season in the 200 butterfly among the NCAA. Although the season is just getting started, multiple members of the team have achieved the qualifications for the NCAA national competition in March. This Friday, the Jackets will race Miami, SCAD and FGCU at 3 p.m. before facing Notre Dame and Miami at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The University of Miami competed at the SMU Classic this past weekend in Dallas, Texas and secured a fifth place finish among brutal competition. The meet opened with the 200-yard medley relay, where the women finished fifth in 1:43.70. In comparison, the Tech women placed third at their past meet in the same event with a time of 1:43.00. Although 0.70 seconds does not appear to be significant, in swimming it can comprise the difference between first and ninth place in some events. The Hurricanes do not have a men’s swim team but do have three divers that did not travel to Dallas with the women. Those three divers will have heavy competition at Tech against NCAA qualifier and senior Matt Casillas, along with the rest of the diving teams represented.

Highlights from the SMU Classic included freshman Maria Artigas Fernandez’s performance in the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.92) and freshman Zorry Mason in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:18.33). Senior Roxanne Yu tied for a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.11, while junior Manon Viguier took fourth in the 100-yard freestyle in 49.85 seconds. The meet ended with the 200-yard freestyle relay in which the Hurricanes captured fifth place yet again with a time of 1:34.07. The SMU Classic was a quick meet, featuring competition from teams with Olympic-caliber athletes, such as the University of Louisville, University of Southern California, and University of Virginia.

The SCAD Bees came away from the 2017-2018 season with a national championship under their belt on the women’s side, as well as 25 recognized CSCAA Scholar All-Americans, the largest number of athletes to achieve this in the NAIA last year. Last week, freshman Kaylen Hou was named Bee of the Week at SCAD, a title that is awarded to the athlete of each gender with the most notable performance of the week. The Bees competed against the Georgia Southern Eagles last Friday, losing 181-81. Hou set the 100-yard IM school record with a time of 1:01.62, but she will not find herself chasing a new best time this weekend, as the event is not typically performed at dual meets. The Bees will bring their best to the Tech pool, but there is a nearly uncontestable chance that the Jackets will win handily.

Another conference rival, Notre Dame, finished up their last meet with the women taking away wins over Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana, while the men’s team lost to the same teams. The women’s performances were highlighted by seven first-place finishes from junior Abbie Dolan (100 and 200-yard freestyles), sophomore Lindsay Stone (1000-yard freestyle), freshman Luciana Thomas (200-yard butterfly) and freshman Bayley Stewart (200-yard backstroke). The men were led by sophomore Zach Yeadon, who claimed first-place in both the 500 and 1000-yard freestyles. The Irish are quite a young team this year, but it will allow the team significant growth over the next few years. The times by those freshmen and sophomores leading the Irish are a bit faster than what the Jackets have seen this year thus far, so there will be good competition for first place in each race.

SCAD competitors find themselves up against another set of Eagles after their meet against Georgia Southern. The FGCU Eagles solely consist of a women’s team, of which two members swept the CCSA Swimmer and Diver of the Week awards during last week’s TYR Classic against FIU, TCU, George Washington, Grand Canyon, Army, FAU and Old Dominion. Senior Gracie Redding and sophomore Megan Wakefield captured these awards for the second and third times of their respective careers. The team won the TYR Classic, led by Redding, who participated in both the 400-yard medley relay and 200-yard medley relay along with her own individual events. Wakefield secured a score of 234.80 for second place on the 3-meter dive, while sophomore Petra Halmai scored for the Eagles in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:19.18.

The Jackets will continue to chase NCAA qualifying standards while aiming for first-place finishes and an overall victory during this two day whirlwind of competition that lies ahead; the opponents are strong, but the Jackets are prepared.