Author Archives | Rohan Raman

The Dodgers Made the Right Call

In a sport defined by making the call, a tough one had to be made at Dodgers Stadium. Only this one had nothing to do with the game.

As part of the Major League Baseball (MLB)’s broader Pride Month campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to their June 16 Pride Night celebration.The Sisters are an “order of queer and  trans nuns who have devoted [themselves] to those on the edges, promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.” To accomplish their goal, they “use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit.”

It’s the “humor and irreverent wit” that has drawn criticism from the Archbishop of San Francisco, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Florida senator Marco Rubio and Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw. These individuals chastised the Sisters for mocking the Catholic faith and created enough of an outcry to cause the Dodgers to withdraw their invitation on May 18. However, the Dodgers later reversed their decision on May 22 and re-invited the Sisters.

Given the Sisters’ impact on the LGBTQ+ community, I think it is the correct call. I acknowledge that the protesting parties have a right to disagree. It’s true that the Sisters satirize the traditionally reserved costumes and names of Catholic nuns. In 1998, they “exorcised” the Pope in Union Square just as his helicopter was about to land at the Golden State Bridge. For Pride celebrations in 2003, they displayed one of their members, Pope Dementia, in a cage with the mock purpose of “reaching out and fondling our young acolyte.” Seeing nuns and the Pope presented in this way can easily be interpreted by Catholics as disrespecting holy figures in their faith. Furthermore, their motto of “go and sin some more” is a twist on Christ’s statement to “go and sin no more” and they engage in pub crawls as a reference to the processional route of the Stations of the Cross, a popular form of devotion for Catholics.

However, dismissing them as just a comedy or satire group diminishes their long history of service towards the LGBTQ+ community. During the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the Sisters hosted early fundraisers for AIDS patients. They created “Play Fair,” an instrumental safe sex resource for gay men that advocated condom usage. One of their members, Bobbi Campbell, became an outspoken advocate for AIDS education and prevention through an appearance on the cover of Newsweek. He co-founded People with AIDS San Francisco to bring more attention to AIDS patients and held AIDS Candlelight Vigil to honor those who succumbed to the disease. Their efforts starkly contrast with the Vatican publicly denouncing homosexuality as an “objective disorder” in 1986 and powerful Catholic figures like New York Archbishop John O’Connor opposing the distribution of condoms. While it is true Catholic hospitals took in AIDS patients, the institution actively worked to stop the spread of a major preventive tool for the disease. It seems fair for the Sisters to criticize this hypocrisy.

The Sisters have also used their notoriety to speak out against anti-feminists like Phyllis Schlafly (through mock public exorcism) and to raise money for the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. They’ve consistently organized campaigns drawing attention to violence against
LGBTQIA+ individuals and events – such as their anniversary parades on Castro Street in San Francisco and youth dances – that empower LGBTQIA+ youth.

The context of the game and the Sisters’ response to the protests also support their presence. The San Francisco Giants, whom the Dodgers play in their Pride Night game, are from the home city of the Sisters and a frontline in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. As a result, the Sisters have an especially large footprint in California, hence the reason for them being honored by the Dodgers. The significance of that honor, despite the Dodgers’ disinvitation and re-invitation, hasn’t been lost on the Sisters either. They’ve chosen to focus on how Kershaw hasn’t boycotted the game to show his opposition and acknowledge his beliefs.

If the Sisters are going to draw attention to themselves and the causes they support through humor, they must be prepared for people to get offended.  Not everyone sees a joke the same way. Fortunately, it seems they are aware of that. It would have been easy for them to deny the re-invitation, but they chose to see the Dodgers’ gesture as what it is — an attempt to draw attention to the issues that the LGBTQIA+ community faces and the work being done to combat it.

Changing a Twitter logo is simple and often performative, but forcing a conversation sparks real change. 

On a night where the focus is on supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, it would have been hypocritical to shun a group at the center of that support. Even if you disagree with their methods, you cannot deny the Sisters of Indulgence’s results.

I’m glad the Dodgers haven’t.

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Pitching struggles continue for Tech against UNC

Coming off of a comfortable home win versus Georgia Southern, Tech faced a much tougher opponent in a three-game series against ACC rival No. 13 North Carolina last weekend. Unfortunately, the issues Tech has against ranked opponents cropped up once again — untimely pitching meltdowns and unproductive stretches of plate appearances.  

On the season, UNC’s pitching has been solid, holding an earned-run average of 4.21 while conceding an opponent batting average of 0.237. They hit well too, making contact at a respectable team batting average of 0.288 and getting on base. However, the Tar Heels have really distinguished themselves by getting on-base and slamming home runs. Their on-base percentage of 0.413 ranks fourth in the ACC while their 57 homers ranks third in the ACC (for comparison, Tech ranks sixth at 48). Taking a series win was always going to be a challenge, but it is one Tech needed to meet in order to fulfill its ACC contender aspirations. 

Tech started the first game in a good spot. Junior pitcher Dawson Brown retired three batters, closing out the top of the first with a nice slider and keeping a clean frame. The second passed in similarly uneventful fashion until Tech scored the first run of the game. Redshirt freshman shortstop Kristian Campbell sent junior infielder John Giesler — working at designated hitter — home to give Tech the 1-0 lead and a chance to build momentum in the fourth inning.

Instead of their good fortune continuing, North Carolina reversed their luck in a blazing hot offensive inning. They scored five runs on four hits, forcing Brown to leave the mound after conceding a RBI double. Coach Danny Hall turned to freshman pitcher Demitri Diamant to close out the inning. Even though the damage continued with a RBI single, Diamant was able to cap the score at 6-1. UNC added another run at the top of the fifth to make it 7-1, but once again, Tech had a chance to respond and failed to capitalize. They opened up the bottom of the fifth with a walk, but then hit into a double play and struck out at the plate. 

The top of the sixth again looked dangerous as Diamant faced a bases-loaded situation with only one out. Fortunately, he forced the strikeout and the defense covered him on the groundout in order to end the inning. However, Tech’s offense continued to struggle, save a single by junior centerfielder Jake DeLeo. 

Junior pitcher Dalton Smith relieved Diamant in the seventh inning and looked fantastic. In his three innings of action, he struck out seven batters while holding the Tar Heels to three hits. Yet, across three innings, the only hit Tech recorded was a double from redshirt sophomore pitcher Jackson Finley. They lost 8-1 largely due to poor offensive output and a pitching meltdown in the fourth inning. 

Due to weather, games on Friday and Saturday turned into a Friday doubleheader that Tech was able to split. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Jackets again got off to a hot start offensively. Campbell and senior infielder Angelo Dispigna both hit doubles, putting Tech up 1-0 hit doubles, putting Tech up 1-0 in the first. However, in a repeat of Friday, the pitching struggled. This time, it was starter Luke Schmolke who gave up six runs in the first three innings. It definitely seemed like Schmolke had issues with his command, frequently conceding walks. UNC did not have any big hits but kept runners moving through consistent contact on three RBI singles. Schmolke was relieved by sophomore pitcher Aeden Finateri in the fourth, but Finateri did not fare much better. In his inning, he allowed two runs and two hits, which pushed UNC’s lead to seven runs. It did not help that Tech’s offense could not keep pace whatsoever, going scoreless across six innings. The pitching would have looked markedly worse if not for junior pitcher Josiah Siegel. Lasting four innings, he only gave up four hits but recorded the first strikeout of the afternoon in the fifth. He followed it up with two more to record the first clean inning of the game for Tech. 

Even if it did not affect the game’s outcome, Tech’s batting did spark to life in the last two innings. Dispigna, Finley and senior catcher Jack Rubenstein all hit singles to put two runs on the board. DeLeo then hit a 2-RBI double to make it 8-5. However, North Carolina hit a dagger 2-RBI home run that effectively ended any chance of a comeback, putting them up 10-5. A late run by Tech did nothing to change the outcome as North Carolina clinched the series win.

Fighting to avoid the sweep in game two, Tech started Finley on the mound to limit the UNC offense early. That plan quickly went awry with a leadoff single, stolen base and RBI single. Finley was able to close the inning, but gave up a second run in the second inning before being relieved by redshirt sophomore Ben King. Tech’s hitting did not look much better through two innings. Thankfully, in a rare complete inning, King was able to blank the Tar Heels’ offense in a quick 1-2-3 appearance and the offense responded in a big way. Junior outfielder Stephen Reid hit a huge three-run blast to put Tech in the lead, 3-2. Giesler scored another runner and freshman infielder Nico Senese added an RBI single to put North Carolina in the biggest hole of the series. Five-run innings like this are a tantalizing display of Tech’s offensive potential, which makes it all the more frustrating when they go cold for long stretches. The Tech offense kept the Tar Heels at bay in spite of so-so pitching. Junior pitcher Jackson Vaughan gave up an RBI double, but he was able to get the necessary outs to turn it over to a blazing hot offense. Giesler, Senese, junior infielder Jadyn Jackson, freshman catcher Tyler Minnick and Campbell all recorded hits and added another three runs to Tech’s total. With a five-run cushion, the pitching cruised in the sixth and seventh. The combo of Vaughan and sophomore pitcher Camron Hill did not give up a hit in the sixth while sophomore closer Terry Busse surrendered a meaningless run in the seventh. 

Even though the series outcome was sealed, Tech held off the sweep in a commanding win. They will have to take that level of play into an away series against Virginia Tech this weekend. 

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Baseball drops series against Boston College

At a basic level, baseball games are won by teams scoring more runs than they allow. The first part of that equation comes naturally to Tech, but as their series against Boston College showed, consistency in the second part has been a struggle.

Tech ranks second in the ACC in team batting average (.314) and hits (323), while also ranking third in on-base percentage (0.422) and total bases (537). Even if they are not quite as good at generating power (sixth in slugging percentage) or home runs (seventh), the batting order generally makes good contact.

Unfortunately, their pitching is in the exact opposite situation. Sophomore relief pitcher Terry Busse leads the ACC in games saved as one of the division’s best high-leverage arms, but the general quality of Tech’s pitching has been unreliable. They rank second-to-last in the ACC in earned-run average (6.78) and opponent batting average (.294), allow the most hits (302) and give up the most home runs (47). The numbers paint a picture of a hopeless pitching rotation that is devoid of talent. However, it would be more accurate to suggest that the pitching is simply inconsistent.

Even though Boston College came into the series ranked at No. 13 in the country, Tech still had a chance at the upset. Their pitching is fine, supported by the fact that they rank top-five in the
ACC in earned run average and middle of the pack in virtually every other pitching metric. They rank close to the bottom of every meaningful batting category in the ACC. Still, Tech has picked up some big wins, so the Jackets definitely qualify as an above-average opponent.

In their first game on Friday, Tech’s young pitchers came to play. Both true freshmen and righties, pitchers Luke Schmolke and Demetri Diamat were critical in the 5-4 win. Schmolke got the start and looked sensational through his five innings. He only gave up two hits and collected four strikeouts while receiving good support from the field. On the offensive side, junior third baseman Drew Compton hit a single and double in both of his first two at-bats to score four runs on the day. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Jackson Finley also collected a double. By the end of the first inning, Tech pulled out to a 3-0 lead and they never relinquished it. Courtesy of Compton, they added another two runs in the third inning while Schmolke was able to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. Unfortunately, after Schmolke left the game, redshirt sophomore reliever Ben King and sophomore reliever Camron Hill both struggled and gave up multiple runs to make it 5-4. Tech bats unfortunately tailed off in the late stages of the game, which made for a pretty tense ending. Thankfully, Diamat got two big strikeouts and ended the eighth inning while Busse took over the bottom of the ninth and ended it in a Tech victory.

Tech’s offensive cold streak from the end of the first game carried over to the second. Despite the pitching holding up throughout most of the game, the offense just could not get anything going against BC graduate starting pitcher Chris Flynn. In the six innings he pitched, he held Tech to a single run while forcing six strikeouts. It was not all bad — redshirt freshman shortstop Kristian Campbell had a nice day, going three for three and getting a walk. Senior left fielder Angelo Dispigna also went two for two and got two walks. However, Compton leaving the second inning with an injury proved to be an omen for the offense. Thankfully, a double from sophomore infielder Nick Romano to get Finley home in the sixth inning kept Tech from going scoreless. On the mound, both Finley and sophomore pitcher Aeden Finareti had good outings. Even though Finley gave up three runs, they all came on two pitches. Finareti looked good in the last three innings — he did not allow any runs and gave the offense a chance to cut into the BC lead. They just were unable to capitalize in an empty 3-1 loss.

With the series tied at 1-1, Tech’s pitching struggled in their third and final game to seal a disappointing end to the series. Sophomore pitcher — and usual reliever — Cody Carwile got the start due to injuries in the rotation. Compton also did not play in this one, but the offense had no issues scoring runs. Campbell kept his contact streak from the last game going in the first with a walk, followed by a single from junior outfielder Stephen Reid and a huge three-run blast by Dispigna. Unfortunately, Carwile gave up a three-run homer to BC junior infielder Patrick Roche. The 3-3 tie held until the bottom of the third, where BC hit Carwile again for another two runs and Tech coach Danny Hall substituted him for junior reliever Jackson Vaughan. 

Vaughan was able to end in the inning and turn it over to the offense — junior first baseman John Giesler sent a solo home run deep to make it 5-4, Boston College. Vaughan closed out the fourth inning again with a huge strikeout, but he gave up a double in the fifth. Senior reliever Joseph Mannelly came in, but King quickly replaced him in a bases-loaded situation that he calmly froze to take the game to the sixth inning. However, the pitching churned through relievers in the seventh and eight innings to offset a ridiculous hot streak by BC as they scored 19 runs in the last two innings. When the dust settled, the Eagles won handily at 24-12.

Tech’s offense and pitching are rarely on point simultaneously against these tougher opponents and it’s something they will need to iron out over the months of April and May. The Jackets returned home to beat the Georgia Southern Eagles 13-7 on Tuesday, April 4 and will host UNC for a three-game home series beginning Thursday, April 6.

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Prospects to professionals: inside Tech’s Pro Day

Selecting a quality NFL player from the pool of prospects in April’s NFL draft is hardly an exact science, but the three “P’s” — production, personality and projection – form the backbone of the assessment teams use for every draft-eligible player. All 259 newly-minted NFL players are chosen because one team decided that the player’s marks in all three categories line up with the needs of its roster in a way that can justify a multimillion dollar investment.

But how do teams get an idea of the three P’s? Part of it comes from watching tape, comparing college production and the results from the NFL Combine, where many of these draft-eligible prospects work out for teams and speak to their executives.

However, a big part of the remaining pre-draft work is done at Pro Days. Pro Days happen at university campuses and are increasingly important for teams and players.

For teams, it is a much more personal setting. The hectic nature of the combine is replaced by team personnel putting these prospects through specific testing criteria and getting a sense of their personality. From the player perspective, a good Pro Day performance can ease the sting of a bad combine performance or answer questions about an injury.

At Tech’s Pro Day, seven Yellow Jackets gave teams a better look at who they are. On offense, receivers redshirt senior EJ Jenkins and senior Malachi Carter, as well as speedy senior running back Hassan Hall, did their athletic testing and positional drills. Offensive lineman — and program mainstay — redshirt senior William Lay III also worked out for teams.

Jenkins particularly stood out due to his potential as a tight end at the next level. Measuring in at 6 feet 6 inches tall and 245 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds – an impressive time for someone of his size – while also putting up a solid 10 feet two inch broad jump and 32-inch vertical.

“Wherever a team wants to put me, I’m going to give it my all.” said Jenkins, who has received invites for workouts with the Baltimore Ravens and local Atlanta Falcons. “I have the frame and length to get down in there, show my will and drive to work on the tight end stuff.”

Hall, billed for his speed, did not disappoint with a sub-4.5 40-yard dash. He also showed off his strength with 18 reps on the bench press and exploded out of his stance with a 37-inch vertical and 10 feet 10 inch broad jump.

NFL teams were also extremely interested in some of the standouts on Tech’s defense. Redshirt senior edge rusher Keion White, widely projected to be a top-50 pick with first round upside, and senior linebacker Charlie Thomas both built off their solid showings at the NFL combine. Slated to run the 40-yard dash and move through positional drills, White burned through his run at around 4.7 seconds. That is an impressive time for someone with his 6-feet 5-inch, 285-pound frame, but unfortunately, he tweaked his hamstring on his second attempt and did not do any more work to avoid further injury. 

Considering he recorded a solid 34-inch vertical and put up the second highest number — 30 — of bench press reps, White has answered a lot of questions about his athleticism.

Like Jenkins, there has been interest in White’s versatility. Regarding his position at the next level, White says “I’ve literally heard anywhere from defensive tackle to outside linebacker … I can do it all. It makes me more available and makes more teams want me.”

Excitement over that malleable ability has resulted in quite a bit of first-round buzz. However, it does not faze White. 

“I wish I could go back to being under the radar,” said White. “But honestly, I don’t pay too much attention to the mock draft stuff. I’m more interested in what the guys who were here today thought.”

Teammate Thomas already ran a fast 40-yard dash time of 4.52 seconds at the NFL Combine, so he did not repeat the drill at Pro Day. Instead, he showed off his fluidity and quickness on the field in the positional drills. He looked especially smooth dropping back into coverage, which is critical seeing as how a team might try him at safety. Moving well will also translate into a potential role on special teams, which is a possibility for Thomas as a rookie.

“I just wanted to show that I could move well in and out of breaks, do a lot of different things and not just look like an old-school linebacker,” Thomas said, who is keenly aware of the importance of his movement. Redshirt senior linebacker Ace Eley, despite not being invited to the combine, turned in a solid showing at Pro Day. He matched the much taller Jenkins with a vertical of 32 inches and led the bench press of 225 pounds with 20 reps. His hard-hitting tackling ability and playmaking should land him a spot on an NFL roster, but that role might come on special teams. That is not a problem for Eley.

“I just wanted a chance to compete,” Eley said, referring to his lack of a combine invite. “Any way I can get on the field, I’m good with.” 

It is an exciting time for the program, seeing as how there might be a Jacket drafted in the first round since 2010’s drafts of defensive end Derrick Morgan and the late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Beyond that, the draft hopefuls themselves are impressive individuals. Regardless of how successful their professional careers are, they all display the same mindset and toughness that players need to have. 

As they transition into this next phase of their football career, Pro Day served as a fitting send-off for their time at Tech and a beginning to their new potential careers in football.

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Women’s club lacrosse seeking playoffs

Following last year’s run to the 2022 Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League (SWLL) playoffs, the Jackets’ women’s lacrosse team is battling it out at the top of the SWLL East division.

Their current record of 4-3 places them at third in the division of seven, right behind Clemson and UGA at 4-2 and 6-2 respectively. In comparison to last year’s record of 6-4, the winning percentage is roughly equal. However, their in-division record has drastically improved. Even when accounting for a division that has increased in size, a progression from 1-2 to 3-2 for the in-division record speaks to a team that has adjusted to the change nicely.

Opening up their season at FSU and UGA, they were blown out in consecutive games, 4-14 and 2-21. 

“The UGA game was our toughest … they came into it a lot more physically and mentally prepared,” said sophomore attacker Alex Pounds. “However, if we played them later in the season, I think the results would have been more favorable for us.” It is easy to see why Pounds believes that — getting blown out by a rival could have easily derailed the season. Instead, they went on a four-game winning streak. 

In their home game against Tennessee, the Jackets battled with the Vols in a full four-quarter effort. Sophomore attacker/midfielder Iris Golden was superb, notching three solo goals. However, it was truly a team effort that put the Jackets over the top. Five other Jackets also scored goals of their own and freshman goaltender Mirella Kades had 12 saves to keep Tennessee at bay and secure the 8-6 victory. They then drew the University of Alabama at Birmingham in a SWLL West vs. East battle, but the Blazers proved to have no answers for the Tech offense or defense and got crushed 14-1. Freshman attacker Anita Di Bari, who scored in the Tennessee game, kept her scoring streak alive with another two goals while her fellow attacker Pounds scored three of her own. Freshman midfielder/defender Alexa Bowman Olay also added two scores to augment a dominant offensive output from Tech. In total, nine players scored against UAB while the Blazers only got off one shot on goal against Kades and did not fare much better against sophomore Sophia Refeca either.

Winning against Tennessee and UAB in front of a home crowd carried over to their away matchups with Kennesaw State and Emory, where they dominated in similar fashion. The defense was not quite as sharp in the Kennesaw game, letting up seven goals, but the offensive output continued to the tune of midfield duo freshman Ansley Hails and Golden scoring six goals apiece. With two players outscoring the entire opposing team, Tech proved their dominance to extend their winning streak to three.

Emory had no answers either, as they were drubbed 16-3 in essentially a repeat of the UAB game. Hails, Pounds and Golden combined for seven points while nine others added goals of their own. The team has been able to generate offense from multiple sources throughout the year and it has really shown up in their wins.

They then drew a tough divisional matchup against Clemson but still battled to the end. Clemson’s offensive attack is a big reason for their No. 2 ranking in the division and it showed up in this one to the tune of eighteen points. However, Tech was still able to add ten of its own as the duo of Hails and Golden continued to shine with seven points. Unfortunately, the offense did not have the ball enough. In their wins, they were able to rack up around twenty ground balls and control the time of possession. Against Clemson, they only recorded nine. Surprisingly, Clemson actually only had two ground balls, but they converted their shots at a really impressive clip.

Taking a look at the numbers, Golden and Hails are the two leaders in scoring, neck-and-neck at seventeen and sixteen respectively. Freshman midfielder Ifeoluwa Akinsanya has been critical for the Jacket’s time of possession this year, ranking second on the team in ground balls while also adding four goals. She has also racked up sixteen draw controls, helping Tech control the ball after scores and build momentum. Refeca and Kades are also a solid duo in the net, yielding comparable save percentages of around 70%. Kades has definitely seen more shots (19 to Refeca’s three), but the team has either one to rely upon.

To close out their season, the Jackets take on Emory in an April Fools’ matchup. While the Eagles have not won a game all year, they will be eager to steal a win if Tech underestimates them. Since one game is all that separates Clemson from Tech, they cannot afford to falter against a lesser opponent and lose ground in the race for the postseason.

“It’s really heartwarming to see how many friendships blossom beyond the field,” said Pounds. “I think that speaks to the community. Our girls, along with Coach Braun, are so passionate about the game and supporting each other.” 

The support and the chemistry they have built throughout the ups and downs of the season should power them forward as they close out their regular season.

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Tech basketball falls in ACC Tournament

The season hasn’t gone perfectly to plan for either of Tech’s basketball programs. However, both were able to capture wins at the ACC Tournament in their respective divisions.

The women’s tournament extended from March 1 to March 5, providing a chance for Tech to show their skill beyond their record. Even though they ended the year on a four-game skid and entered the game as the No. 14 seed, the tournament wiped their record and provided a chance to make some noise against all-too-familiar ACC rivals. The Jackets looked to do exactly that in a revenge bout against the No. 11 Boston College Eagles.

In the regular season, Boston College (BC) beat Tech in a December matchup that did not look particularly close. Four of the Eagles ended the game with double-digit scoring. They looked similarly dominant in the tournament, keeping a nine-point lead over Tech at halftime and extending the lead to 17 in the third quarter. Tech started to come back thanks to the efforts of Bianca Jackson in the fourth — she scored 11 of her 19 points to fuel a Jacket comeback and cut the lead to within three. However, BC sophomore guard Andrea Daley hit her teammate sophomore guard Maria Gakdeng on a cut to the rim and Gakdeng scored the layup to make it a five point lead with 28 seconds on the clock. Tech then intentionally fouled, but BC was able to hit their free throws and close out the disappointing sweep.

The Jackets fared a bit better on the men’s circuit. Drawing Florida State in the first round, this was another good matchup. The Seminoles only finished one spot above Tech in the rankings and closed the year on a three-game losing streak. Similar to the women’s squad, the men’s team came into this one looking to exact revenge for a disappointing regular season loss. Tech actually raced out to an early 6-2 lead, looking fast and decisive. However, FSU followed it up with an 8-0 run and took a lead that they did not relinquish for much of the game. Tech’s offense went cold for large parts of the first half, but somehow remained competitive and only down 10 points at the half. The three-pointers that have been crucial to Tech’s success just weren’t going in despite 14 attempts. FSU maintained a healthy lead for most of the third, but there was a difference in Tech’s second-half play. The defense started to look more cohesive, fueled in large part by senior forward Ja’von Franklin’s rebounding. He actually ended the game with a career high 19 rebounds and the Jackets needed every one. It kept them in the game until seven minutes into the second half, where the score hovered at 53-47. Thankfully, the run Tech so desperately needed finally came with senior guard Lance Terry shooting an and-one that made the game a two-point deficit. Sophomore guard Deebo Coleman then tied it and they were able to stave off some FSU scoring to remain in it with seconds left. FSU had a brutal miss from the arc, but Franklin was able to capitalize as he got fouled on his putback attempt. He then hit the game-winning free throw to send Tech to the second round.

In round two, the Jackets drew a tough slate with a talented Pittsburgh team. The Panthers finished sixth in the conference and swept the Jackets in the regular season. However, their last matchup with Pitt had been competitive, so there was reason to expect that the Jackets would not make it easy for the Panthers. Tech started out well once again, trading triples with the Panthers and staying within one point before a scoring barrage brought the Pittsburgh lead up to seven. However, the Jackets responded well and switched into a zone defense that gave the Panthers some problems. Unfortunately, the Panthers were able to respond — although they were held scoreless for four minutes — and opened up a 13-point lead before halftime. 

In what was likely their last half of the season, the Jackets gave it their all. They made it 50-49 after some bad turnovers by Pitt and incredibly hot shooting, going eight for 12 to start the second half. Sophomore guard Miles Kelly then converted on a huge layup to punctuate a 21-6 run – and a two-point lead for Tech. Franklin again looked dominant against the opposing frontcourt, but the lead still seesawed between the two teams. 

Ultimately, the Panthers were able to shake off their offensive woes and built a seven-point lead with six minutes left. Senior guard Kyle Sturdivant and Coleman stopped the run with five points of their own, but Pitt opened the lead once again. The back-and-forth nature of the game eventually started to swing in favor of the Panthers, largely due to the efforts of Pitt graduate guard Jamarius Burton. Still, the Jackets battled until the end and even pulled within four with 22 seconds. Yet, their full court press came up short and Pitt won the game at the free throw line, ending the Jackets’ season.

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Every baseball fan should know the Negro Leagues

Editor’s Note: The language used to describe many of the organizations and events contained in this article reflects the rhetoric of its time. It is not the intent of the author, editor or the Technique to be insensitive or offensive, but merely to accurately describe the history contained in this piece.

Across every major league baseball park in America, there is one retired number that always hangs in the rafters, honoring the legacy of one of the most famous athletes in American history.

42, worn by Jackie Robinson.

For decades, the MLB has broadcasted Robinson’s story in the name of racial equality. However, the league recently acknowledged its role in the ideological and physical destruction of the Negro League (NL) — the league that recruited and developed Robinson.

The first African American player on a professional baseball team was actually Bud Fowler in 1872. He was so talented that despite racial and social beliefs during his time, he played on all-white teams. However, he had to move around the country to play in different organized leagues due to racial tensions and poor team finances.

Enter Rube Foster, a Black pitcher who traveled across the country to play in spite of rules barring him from the professional level. He negotiated a deal for the Chicago American Giants to play at South Side Park as the first professional Black baseball team. The Giants were joined by new teams seven years later as Foster and his fellow owners organized the Negro National League (NNL) in 1920. By 1921, they were drawing crowds of 200,000 spectators.

Even though the NNL could not survive the Great Depression, the league was revitalized in 1933 as the Negro American League (NAL) with a new concept: the East-West All-Star Game. Throughout the thirties and forties, spectators showed up in hordes to watch some of the best baseball players in the nation.

Robinson was far from the only star — he was not even the consensus best player. Pitcher Satchel Paige’s dominance on the mound and catcher Josh Gibson’s powerful bat rivaled Robinson’s speed as a baserunner and shortstop. Center fielder “Cool Papa” Bell, center fielder Oscar Charleston, outfielder Monte Irvin, pitcher Martín Dihigo, first baseman Buck Leonard — all of these players made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Despite their inclusion in the Hall of Fame, the accomplishments of the players and teams in the NAL were not always recognized. In the late 1960s, the Special Baseball Records Committee excluded recognition of the Negro Leagues as major league caliber. Yet, in 1942, the crowds at NAL games numbered in the millions. In December 2020, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the seven Negro Leagues would be receiving Major League Status — 100 years after the first Black baseball league was founded.

Baseball-Reference, the largest baseball statistics page, added data from the NL into their records in 2021. Fowler was only named to the Hall of Fame in 2022. Furthermore, FanGraphs, a modernized version of Baseball Reference with in-depth statistics, added data on Feb. 14 of this year. In a sport as statistics-driven as baseball, the omission of these numbers denied these players of another metric to display their greatness.

An example of this is Paige. In his youth, his fastball was a powerful rocket that could be launched from nearly any angle. He worked a hesitation into his delivery that drove batters crazy as they attempted to guess when he would release it. 

In an act of competitive pettiness, he struck out a batter who claimed Paige had no curveball, using only curveballs. At the age of 42, he finally made his MLB debut. He pitched three complete MLB games without a relief pitcher, garnered a 2.48 earned-run-average (ERA) and won a World Series. In short, his technique and approach to pitching belonged in a different era.

Yet, up until 2021, he only had a career win above replacement (WAR) of 7.3. With the new data, his career WAR is estimated at 47.6 on Baseball Reference and 43.6 on FanGraphs. This ranks him in the top 100 pitchers ever.

The appearance of Paige and Robinson in the MLB marked the end of the NL. Two of the NL’s most marketable stars left the league for the opportunities and recognition afforded by the MLB’s bigger budget, larger audience and greater recognizability. NL owners began to sell their teams in 1948 and the league officially folded in 1960, seeing their crowds dwindle and their players decline in quality as more and more left for “the majors.” Yet, if the NL had been able to develop within the MLB, the talent of Black baseball players would have been officially and culturally recognized from the very beginnings of professional baseball.

Ultimately, it is good that this longstanding and purposeful oversight is being corrected. However, it is important to remember the calculated effort made to remove these players’ statistics from baseball discourse. The MLB made the decision to keep the NL separate, poached their best players once they saw their talent, watched the wild popularity of the league fade and took decades to honor the statistical performances of some of the best baseball players ever purely because they came from the NL.

Today, the MLB makes retro jerseys of NL teams and fans can play with those teams in the MLB’s official video game, MLB: The Show. They attempt to portray the league as integral to baseball history when they worked so hard to separate it from that same history.

It is up to baseball fans to remember the talent and perseverance of members of the seven Negro Leagues, and it is up to the leagues today to honor their legacy and contributions to the sport. 

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The Hawks’ future could be in College Park

In an NBA where the current MVP favorite is a former second round pick, player development has become more important than ever before. Current big names like Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert weren’t just handed their spots upon arriving to the league – they had to earn them in the NBA’s development league, the G League. For the local Atlanta Hawks, hitting on their draft picks is more important than ever. After trading first-round assets for guard Dejounte Murray and second rounders for forward Saddiq Bey, they will need to build talent using non-premium picks. Their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, presents a critical opportunity to develop said talent in a competitive environment.

In the eyes of Skyhawks head coach Steve Gansey, the team’s focus is both on the season and instilling NBA habits in his players. “NBA scouts want to see toughness, impact on the game beyond scoring, guarding well, good body language and an understanding of coverages.” said the second-year coach. “However, these guys are also here for a reason beyond just a call-up – they’re trying to show what they can do in playoff situations.”.

How has their season gone? To answer that question, The Technique attended the Skyhawks’ Feb. 8 home face-off against the Westchester Knicks.

College Park beat the Knicks by 12 two days earlier to get to a .500 record of 8-8, but it wasn’t a flawless performance. Team turnovers and poor finishing, leading to getting outscored in the fourth quarter, could have proved costly for the Skyhawks. Gansey noted these areas during a presser as a point of emphasis coming into the back-to-back rematch. “We’ve struggled with back-to-backs all year, so we need to bring the toughness, respect the opponent and come together.”.

Though there’s room for improvement, being fourth in three-pt FG%, fifth in defensive rating per game and ninth in rebounds per game is a mark of the talent the squad possesses. Offensively, Gansey said they’re aiming to attempt “thirty threes a game” off of high-quality looks. Shooting guard Langston Galloway, a former NBA rotation piece, has been critical to their success beyond the arc while point guard Brandon Williams orchestrates the offense. Williams has also played games for the Portland Trail Blazers and brings a lethal combo of shooting and passing.

Defensively, their success stems from everybody knowing their role and playing well within the structure. Of course, it’s easier to do that when big man Giorgi Bezhanishvalli is dominating the paint. In the previous start against Westchester, only his fourth consecutive one of the season, Bezhanishvalli’s career performance of 30 points and 12 rebounds was instrumental in the Skyhawks win.

The first quarter of the Westchester rematch decisively belonged to the Skyhawks, as the team hit five threes in the first quarter on 46% shooting from three and 55% shooting from the field. Williams started off hot with 10 points and three assists while the team was able to hold the Knicks to only 32% shooting from the field and force three turnovers. They were able to carry the intensity on both sides of the ball into the second quarter, where the Skyhawks went out to a 23 point lead at half due to their usually excellent three-point conversion rate (nearly 50% as a team) and edged the Knicks out on second-chance opportunities by grabbing seven more rebounds. Three other Skyhawks – Galloway, shooting guard Armoni Brooks and forward/guard Tyrese Martin – also ended the half in double digits.

Unfortunately, the team didn’t look quite as sharp coming out of half. The turnovers they’d been trying to avoid cropped up again, with Westchester forcing several turnovers. Furthermore, their success from deep started to slip, coinciding with the previously-cold Knicks heating up. Forward DaQuan Jeffries, a former Skyhawk, proved to be a problem defensively for College Park as he forced three steals and played great defense in the third quarter. As a team, the Knicks held the Skyhawks to only 19 points in the quarter and cut the lead to 11.

The fourth quarter served as redemption for the home squad, powered by clutch scoring from Williams and Brooks. Multiple times, Williams broke the defender down by getting around him with his speed and driving straight to the rim for the contested layup. Brooks hit two big threes and stayed hot from the field, efficiently providing clutch offense as they held the Knicks at bay and closed the game out, 121 to 107. Even though he came off the bench, Brooks ended the game with 28 points on an incredible 11 of 16 from the field and five threes. Williams ended with 24 points of his own, but also set his teammates up by dishing out 10 assists. Galloway helped with floor spacing, hitting on seven of his nine shots from the field and chipping in with four threes that always seemed to come at demoralizing moments for Westchester. On defense, rookie forward Donovan Williams helped keep the Knicks off the glass with eight defensive rebounds and Bezhanishvalli served as an intimidating presence inside. An underrated part of the win was bench forward Malik Ellison, who tied Williams in rebounds.

Now over the .500 mark at 9-8, the Skyhawks are excited to have two consecutive wins under their belt that display what they are capable of. In his postgame presser, Brandon Williams expressed as much, saying that “it’s nice to see that our off-court chemistry has spilled into the game and we’re trusting our instincts.”. That confidence has rubbed off on the rookie Donovan Williams as well, who feels he’s been able to adjust to the ramp-up from his time at UNLV. “At the end of the day, it’s just basketball,” said Williams “and I’m a lot more comfortable playing my game and making the right cuts to help the team out.”.

Despite their performance, there is still room for improvement on their pregame goals. Not getting to their spots in the third quarter and self-inflicted turnovers plagued them again, which could be costly down the road. Still, the Skyhawks are aware of the challenge – and plan on showing their growth against a league-leading Long Island Nets team. For the former Net, Donovan Williams, it’s a great opportunity to play against guys that he knows well and still has good relationships with.

The mental toughness, competitiveness and growth that these players show are tantamount to their futures not just in the NBA, but as professional players of the game. It’s inspiring to see and Hawks fans should be on the watch for their next favorite rotation player to emerge from College Park.

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The Hawks’ future could be in College Park

In an NBA where the current MVP favorite is a former second round pick, player development has become more important than ever before. Current big names like Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert weren’t just handed their spots upon arriving to the league – they had to earn them in the NBA’s development league, the G League. For the local Atlanta Hawks, hitting on their draft picks is more important than ever. After trading first-round assets for guard Dejounte Murray and second rounders for forward Saddiq Bey, they will need to build talent using non-premium picks. Their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, presents a critical opportunity to develop said talent in a competitive environment.

In the eyes of Skyhawks head coach Steve Gansey, the team’s focus is both on the season and instilling NBA habits in his players. “NBA scouts want to see toughness, impact on the game beyond scoring, guarding well, good body language and an understanding of coverages.” said the second-year coach. “However, these guys are also here for a reason beyond just a call-up – they’re trying to show what they can do in playoff situations.”.

How has their season gone? To answer that question, The Technique attended the Skyhawks’ Feb. 8 home face-off against the Westchester Knicks.

College Park beat the Knicks by 12 two days earlier to get to a .500 record of 8-8, but it wasn’t a flawless performance. Team turnovers and poor finishing, leading to getting outscored in the fourth quarter, could have proved costly for the Skyhawks. Gansey noted these areas during a presser as a point of emphasis coming into the back-to-back rematch. “We’ve struggled with back-to-backs all year, so we need to bring the toughness, respect the opponent and come together.”.

Though there’s room for improvement, being fourth in three-pt FG%, fifth in defensive rating per game and ninth in rebounds per game is a mark of the talent the squad possesses. Offensively, Gansey said they’re aiming to attempt “thirty threes a game” off of high-quality looks. Shooting guard Langston Galloway, a former NBA rotation piece, has been critical to their success beyond the arc while point guard Brandon Williams orchestrates the offense. Williams has also played games for the Portland Trail Blazers and brings a lethal combo of shooting and passing.

Defensively, their success stems from everybody knowing their role and playing well within the structure. Of course, it’s easier to do that when big man Giorgi Bezhanishvalli is dominating the paint. In the previous start against Westchester, only his fourth consecutive one of the season, Bezhanishvalli’s career performance of 30 points and 12 rebounds was instrumental in the Skyhawks win.

The first quarter of the Westchester rematch decisively belonged to the Skyhawks, as the team hit five threes in the first quarter on 46% shooting from three and 55% shooting from the field. Williams started off hot with 10 points and three assists while the team was able to hold the Knicks to only 32% shooting from the field and force three turnovers. They were able to carry the intensity on both sides of the ball into the second quarter, where the Skyhawks went out to a 23 point lead at half due to their usually excellent three-point conversion rate (nearly 50% as a team) and edged the Knicks out on second-chance opportunities by grabbing seven more rebounds. Three other Skyhawks – Galloway, shooting guard Armoni Brooks and forward/guard Tyrese Martin – also ended the half in double digits.

Unfortunately, the team didn’t look quite as sharp coming out of half. The turnovers they’d been trying to avoid cropped up again, with Westchester forcing several turnovers. Furthermore, their success from deep started to slip, coinciding with the previously-cold Knicks heating up. Forward DaQuan Jeffries, a former Skyhawk, proved to be a problem defensively for College Park as he forced three steals and played great defense in the third quarter. As a team, the Knicks held the Skyhawks to only 19 points in the quarter and cut the lead to 11.

The fourth quarter served as redemption for the home squad, powered by clutch scoring from Williams and Brooks. Multiple times, Williams broke the defender down by getting around him with his speed and driving straight to the rim for the contested layup. Brooks hit two big threes and stayed hot from the field, efficiently providing clutch offense as they held the Knicks at bay and closed the game out, 121 to 107. Even though he came off the bench, Brooks ended the game with 28 points on an incredible 11 of 16 from the field and five threes. Williams ended with 24 points of his own, but also set his teammates up by dishing out 10 assists. Galloway helped with floor spacing, hitting on seven of his nine shots from the field and chipping in with four threes that always seemed to come at demoralizing moments for Westchester. On defense, rookie forward Donovan Williams helped keep the Knicks off the glass with eight defensive rebounds and Bezhanishvalli served as an intimidating presence inside. An underrated part of the win was bench forward Malik Ellison, who tied Williams in rebounds.

Now over the .500 mark at 9-8, the Skyhawks are excited to have two consecutive wins under their belt that display what they are capable of. In his postgame presser, Brandon Williams expressed as much, saying that “it’s nice to see that our off-court chemistry has spilled into the game and we’re trusting our instincts.”. That confidence has rubbed off on the rookie Donovan Williams as well, who feels he’s been able to adjust to the ramp-up from his time at UNLV. “At the end of the day, it’s just basketball,” said Williams “and I’m a lot more comfortable playing my game and making the right cuts to help the team out.”.

Despite their performance, there is still room for improvement on their pregame goals. Not getting to their spots in the third quarter and self-inflicted turnovers plagued them again, which could be costly down the road. Still, the Skyhawks are aware of the challenge – and plan on showing their growth against a league-leading Long Island Nets team. For the former Net, Donovan Williams, it’s a great opportunity to play against guys that he knows well and still has good relationships with.

The mental toughness, competitiveness and growth that these players show are tantamount to their futures not just in the NBA, but as professional players of the game. It’s inspiring to see and Hawks fans should be on the watch for their next favorite rotation player to emerge from College Park.

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Jackets swim and dive close out regular season

In their final appearance at home, Tech’s swim and dive team sent their eleven graduating seniors out on a high note in front of a home audience in McAuley Aquatic Center. 

Swimming went up against Carson Newman University on Friday and Gardner-Webb University on Saturday. On Friday, the men’s team won 183-77 with particular dominance in the men’s 1000m, 200m back, 100m breast and 500m freestyle. Sophomore Mert Kilavuz and freshman Charles Perks finished top two in both 1000m and 500m freestyle. The women’s team swept the top three in the 100m and 200m breast, as well as the 200m fly and 50m free. 

Tech also represented at the top of the dive boards — senior Carmen Woodruff finished fifth in the 1 meter and junior Anna Bradescu held fourth in both the 1m and 3m dives. Especially against ACC rivals Miami and Florida State, it was a productive precursor to Saturday’s encore. Before Saturday’s events, the outgoing seniors were recognized for their contributions to the program poolside. Woodruff represented the dive team while the swim team bid farewell to McKenzie Campbell, Abby Cohen, Atticus Cohen, Kyrsten Davis, Imane El Barodi, Daniel Kertesz, Ruben Lechuga, Duda Seifer, Jonathan Shaheen and Brooke Switzer. 

Even though both teams said goodbye to valued members, they put together great performances to send them off in style. Some of these performances qualified for the Zone meets, which represent the next step in the Jackets’ swim and dive postseason. 

Woodruff repeated her top-five finish from Friday in the platform dive, while Bradescu qualified for the Zone B diving meet with a first-place score of 275 in the same event. Freshman Elijah Klier also qualified for Zones for the men’s team. 

For the swim team, nothing changed from Friday’s results. Kilavuz went back-to-back with his second win in the 1000m free, closely followed by freshman  Sean Santos in second and junior Caleb Blischke in third. 

200m free belonged to both the women and men, with Jackets occupying the top three in both events. Freshman Deniz Ertan and junior Rei Kuramoto narrowly finished first and second respectively, separated by 1.2 seconds in the women’s event. The women’s team also cleaned up in the 50 and 100 free. Sophomore Zora Ripková captured third place in the 50m free, but dominated in the 100m to claim first place. The breaststroke performances echoed the high-caliber performances in freestyle. 

Barodi capped off her last senior home meet with a second-place finish in the 100m breast, only falling behind sophomore teammate Clarissa Sabin by 0.13 seconds. 

Saturday’s events provided some time for members of the swim team to reflect on their season. For junior Claudia Butterfield, the high point of the season was the meet against UGA, where the Jackets were able to race and compete with a highly-ranked opponent despite it being early in the season. 

“My goal was to help build a culture where people are able to have fun, succeed and push each other and I think we were able to do that,” said Butterfield, who won the 200 yard breast. 

She continued that “everyone’s being 100% and it’s been fun to see the freshman grow and sophomores step into leadership roles.” 

It’s also been a season of growth, as sophomore David Gapinski can attest to. Going up against tough SEC swimmers at the same Georgia Invitational, he anchored the 200m freestyle leg and didn’t flinch or back down from the challenge it posed in the events. 

“Even though I was a risk to be put on, I was able to show up for my team,” Gapinski said. 

He showed up again on Saturday in the 50 yard freestyle with a first-place finish. 

Both swimmers are excited for the championship season coming up, but they know culture and grit are going to be essential if a talented Jackets swim and dive squad hope to capitalize on their potential and grab some hardware. The ACC Championships start Feb. 14 and only time will tell if the Jackets are able to dominate in the same manner they were able to last weekend.

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