Tech wrapped up its athletic director (AD) search in less than a month with the hiring of former University of Alabama Executive Deputy AD J Batt. After firing Head Football Coach Geoff Collins and Athletic Director Todd Stansbury on Sept. 26, Batt’s hiring was announced on Oct. 14, with his first day in the new role set for Oct. 24. Batt takes over from Frank Neville, who handled AD duties in an interim role.

Batt handled a range of duties at Alabama, including chief revenue officer and chief operating officer roles for the Tide. He was also the main executive overseeing the men’s basketball team, which has three NCAA Tournament appearances since Batt’s tenure began in 2017 and an SEC title and Sweet 16 appearance in 2021.

Fundraising and revenue generation are two of Batt’s strengths and are skills that will benefit Tech greatly during his tenure. Tech Athletics’ financial woes are no secret, and with a large buyout looming for Collins following his firing, Batt will need to remedy those woes quickly. Projects totaling a reported $125 million, including the Edge Center’s renovation, are set to begin soon.

Batt’s quick hiring comes in part from Tech President Ángel Cabrera’s desire for a candidate to have a significant portion of the football season remaining to analyze potential head coach hires. Names like Coastal Carolina Head Coach Jamey Chadwell and Alabama Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien have been floated as options, and O’Brien’s shared connection with Batt may be of note in the coming months.

Batt is no stranger to the ACC, having played soccer at UNC and serving as Maryland’s associate AD before their move to the Big Ten. 

He has more limited football experience than other front-runners for the role, but his time at Alabama, arguably the nation’s premiere program, should give him insight as to what makes a good coach and program.

Tech has had competitive-to-elite women’s basketball, volleyball, golf, softball and baseball programs among others in recent years, setting Batt up for success in sports outside of football. Tech’s position in a multi-sport recruiting hotbed in Atlanta and Georgia as a whole further benefits the program. However, righting the ship financially and improving a football program that is far from its peak will be a challenge.

The head coaching search has a long list of attached names, including O’Brien and Chadwell. Chadwell is the coach at a Coastal Carolina program that has turned into a perennial Sun Belt contender, and he has led the team to 11 wins two years in a row. 

O’Brien is Alabama’s offensive coordinator and was Penn State’s head coach for two years before leading the NFL’s Houston Texans to four division titles in six full seasons as a head coach.

Other names include Jackson State’s Deion Sanders, a former Atlanta Falcons legend who may be looking for a jump to the FBS level, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz who has the Green Wave ranked amid a fourth bowl-bound season in five years and current interim head coach Brent Key who has started 2-1 with a win over then-ranked Pittsburgh.

Batt will sort through these names and many more while working Tech Athletics out of a multi-million dollar deficit. His experience as a high-level fundraiser and exposure to the zenith of college football will help with these goals. 

After fewer than four seasons at the Institute, Geoff Collins has been fired as the head football coach for Tech, with Athletic Director Todd Stansbury being dismissed as well on Monday morning. The move comes with the Jackets sitting at 1–3 (0–1 ACC), with back-to-back multiscore losses. Collins becomes only the fourth Tech coach to be fired and the second to be fired mid-season. His 10–28 record at the Institute is the lowest by a full-time coach in Jacket history.

Collins was hired from Temple University, where he spent two seasons prior to joining Tech. He led the Owls to a 15–10 record, including a mark of 11–5 in the American Athletic Conference. He earned a Gasparilla Bowl win during his first season at Temple, and led the team to an Independence Bowl berth, though he resigned for the Tech job before the game. He was brought in to modernize the offense and build the school’s brand and culture, but struggled to do so.

Collins saw reasonable success recruiting, securing a top-50 class every year of his tenure. His best class was in the top-30 nationally, and he had three transfer classes ranked at No. 22 or higher. The recruiting efforts rarely transferred into on-field success though, as the Jackets won three games in each of Collins’ three full seasons. 

Following the Paul Johnson era, Collins faced an uphill battle in modernizing the offense. After a decade of the almost entirely run-based triple-option offense, Collins intended to implement a pro-style offense, which is a balanced, pass-first attack that relies on strong quarterback play. The first season saw expected turbulence, but two 45-point losses to Virginia Tech and Georgia coupled with a loss to FCS Citadel led to a 3–9 campaign, a few steps down from the 7–6 season in the final year under Johnson.

In 2020, during a COVID-affected season, the Jackets took a step sideways. They once again picked up three wins, improving their ACC win total from two to three, but fell at home to Clemson 73–7, resulting in a new ACC margin-of-victory record on Homecoming Weekend. While the win total was stagnant, Tech had a number of freshman playing significant time, including then-freshmen quarterback Jeff Sims and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Collins’ last full season had higher expectations, having had two full years to build the program. The season began poorly though, with a last-minute loss to NIU, a game where the Jackets were favored by three scores at kickoff. Tech rebounded over the next few games, sitting at 3–3 halfway through the year, with wins over FCS Kennesaw State, Duke and a win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium over No. 21 UNC. Following the Duke win however, Tech collapsed, losing six straight, including the last two by a combined score of 100–0 to Notre Dame and rival Georgia, placing Collins on the hot seat heading into 2022.

Stansbury stood by Collins after the 2021 season, confirming the coach’s return for a fourth year and expressing his support. Collins needed to prove that Jacket football had taken a step forward even with this support, and had to do so against what was rated among the nation’s five hardest schedules before the season.

Tech opened against a tough Clemson team, ranked fourth in the country coming into the game. The Jackets hung with the Tigers for three quarters, but special teams woes and penalties lead to a 31-point loss. Tech amassed 86 penalty yards to Clemson’s 10, and had two punts blocked that led to Tiger touchdowns in the loss. Penalties and special teams issues were nothing new to Collins’ time on the Flats, and he promised to “work relentlessly to get that cleaned up.”

Tech rebounded five days later with an 18-point win over FCS Western Carolina in a game that did little to quiet the growing discontent with the program. Ole Miss came to Atlanta the following week and set the table for Collins’ firing with a 42–0 thrashing of Tech. The Jackets’ first drive ended with another blocked punt, and Ole Miss totaled over 2.5 times as many yards as Tech, including a 316–53 differential on the ground.

Traveling to Orlando for the first road game of the year against UCF, Collins was coaching for his job. The defense swarmed and the offense moved the ball for much of the game, but special teams cost Tech 13 points in the first half alone. Two missed field goals and a blocked punt — the fourth in four games — that was returned for a touchdown gave the Knights a 13–7 lead. Another eight-penalty game by the Jackets helped seal a three-score UCF win and Collins’ demise.

This final season came with a new offensive coordinator, Chip Long, as Collins attempted to retool. The same issues from previous seasons cropped up despite his efforts. The offense still often struggled to score, averaging 11.3 points per game, and discipline was an issue in several facets of the game.

Collins’ efforts to build the brand found moderate success. He attempted to connect the team to Atlanta, with “404” branding found regularly in team media, and his #404theculture hashtag tried to connect that brand to the team’s culture. He also had fake money passed out at games in his early seasons, encouraging fans to get extra loud during third and fourth downs on both sides of the ball. 

Stansbury’s seat got hot in large part due to his support of Collins. Stansbury was hired in 2016 from Oregon State and hired Collins two years later. He was a loud supporter of Collins even after three disappointing seasons. Stansbury gave Collins a seven-year deal, notably long for a coach of Collins’ stature. The deal also guaranteed Collins his money, leaving the Institute on the hook for a further $10.5 million to buy out the final three years of the contract.

Stansbury is now the first Tech AD to be fired. Tech’s Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, Frank Neville, will be taking over interim duties as athletic director. 

The official decision to make both moves was communicated at an all-staff GTAA meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 after news was reported the day before about Collins’ dismissal and the potential for Stansbury to follow. The moves leave Tech football and athletics as a whole at a turning point, with a series of new coaches set to start work on the Flats in 2023. 

Offensive Line and Assistant Head Coach Brent Key is expected to take over as interim while the search for a new head coach and athletic director begins. Tech Athletics has a unique challenge ahead in trying to attract new hires with funds that were reportedly in the negative even before the buyouts hit.

Tech hung with Clemson for three quarters, only facing a one-score deficit with two minutes left in the third quarter, but the Tigers proved their top-four ranking in the final frame, pulling away for a 41–10 win. Clemson was favored by 24 points entering the matchup, a game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium that had over 47,000 fans in attendance which featured a sea of orange. The game was part of the Chick-fil-A kickoff series and was the final game of the opening week of the 2022 season.

Clemson won the toss and deferred, kicking the ball to Tech for a touchback. The Jackets looked to strike early, throwing deep on the first play of the game, but sophomore quarterback Jeff Sims left the throw short as the Tigers’ defensive back intercepted the pass on the first play from scrimmage. The teams traded punts before a Clemson drive reached Tech’s 22-yard line. A DJ Uiagalelei fumble and a recovery by redshirt senior linebacker Ayinde Eley shut down the momentum and gave Tech the ball.

The Jackets earned a pair of first downs on the ensuing drive, but penalties brought up a third and 27 situation, leading to the first of five consecutive punts by the two teams combined after Tech failed to convert. After the fourth straight three-and-out by the two teams, sophomore punter David Shanahan had his punt blocked, resulting in Clemson possession on Tech’s five-yard line.

After the Jackets’ near goal-line stand by the Jackets, Clemson’s Will Shipley scored from a yard out on fourth down to put the Tigers up 7–0 five minutes into the second quarter. Tech responded with a 42-yard drive which ended with a 50-yard field goal attempt by redshirt freshman kicker Jude Kelley that ended just to the right of the mark. 

The Tigers responded with a second touchdown drive, capped with a six-yard pass from Uiagalelei to Beaux Collins, before Tech mounted another 40-plus yard drive that ended with a field goal attempt. This time, Kelley’s 45-yard attempt was good from the left hash, setting a new career long and getting the Jackets on the board. The first half ended with a 14–3 Tiger lead after a short Clemson drive ended the half.

The Jackets came out of the halftime strong, forcing a punt and driving straight down the field for a touchdown after a short Tiger punt. A series of quick passes got the Jackets to the red zone before a pass to redshirt senior wideout E.J. Jenkins from Sims brought the score to 14–10.

Clemson responded with a long drive, getting to the red zone after a targeting call resulted in the ejection of senior linebacker Charlie Thomas. Thomas was Tech’s leader in tackles at that point and finished the game second among all players with nine tackles, despite missing over a quarter of action. The defense limited Clemson to a field goal, but those three points were the start of 27 unanswered points.

The Tigers scored on four of the next five drives, totaling three touchdowns and a field goal, while Tech’s offense stagnated. The Jackets only managed one more first down, and Clemson’s 17-point fourth quarter stretched a once manageable deficit into a blowout. 

Tech suffered from untimely mistakes that Clemson — by and large — took advantage of. A pair of blocked punts and a missed field goal were a trio of special teams mishaps that were immediately followed by Tiger touchdowns. The Jacket offensive line jumped at Clemson shifts multiple times as well, contributing to the 86 total penalty yards for the Institute, far outstripping the 10 total penalty yards for Clemson. 

Tech also failed to create explosive plays on offense, recording only one play over 20 yards and averaging 2.4 yards per rush and 4.6 yards per pass attempt. Long third downs became unmanageable as a result, contributing to the Jackets’ two-for-16 mark on third down conversions. A pair of fourth down conversions kept drives alive, but Clemson’s defense was able to consistently get off the field on third down and end drives early.

Despite the loss, the Jackets were not without bright spots to open the season. The pass rush was effective, hurrying Uiagalelei on a number of passes and sacking him three times. Redshirt senior defensive lineman Keion White led the charge up front, recording two sacks and five tackles as the Jackets ended with five tackles for loss. 

White and Eley spoke on the defense’s effort postgame, with White saying, “I feel like our defense is the nucleus of the team. … as a defense I feel we stayed together because of our leadership, and I think going forward that will be a big part of who we are as a team.”

Eley echoed the sentiment, saying, “We were confident … We had faith in our plan and our confidence. We just got the short end of the stick tonight, and will go back tomorrow, watch the film, correct what needs to be corrected and come back next week.”

Sims had a respectable game despite the early interception as well. While he only passed for 164 yards, he completed nearly two thirds of his pass attempts and tossed the touchdown pass to Jenkins. 

Jenkins voiced his support for Sims, saying, “Jeff is a soldier. I like Jeff a lot. … I’ve seen Jeff grow a lot especially since I’ve been here. I’m just proud of him. I’m glad he’s my quarterback.”

Tech has a short turnaround before their true home opener this weekend against Western Carolina. The Catamounts beat Charleston Southern 52–38 and will bring a tough passing attack to Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Jackets will hope to get back on track with a win over an FCS foe and even their record when toe meets leather at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.

With college sports starting up again in a matter of days, knowing when and where Tech’s teams play is important for anyone who wants to support the Institute’s student athletes. Home to 17 varsity teams, Tech hosts athletic events from August until as late as June. Teams typically play in the fall, winter or spring season, though some teams compete all year. 

Fall sports start as early as mid-August, with the main fall teams being football, volleyball and cross country. Football’s home venue is Bobby Dodd Stadium in the southeast corner of campus, a 55,000 capacity stadium that the Jackets have occupied since 1913. Students can buy season tickets to sit in one of the sections along the endzones and enjoy Tech football games all season long. Season tickets this year also include a game in Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium on Sept. 5.

Volleyball plays in O’Keefe Gymnasium toward the northeast end of campus, near the corner of Techwood Drive and 6th Street. An NCAA Elite Eight team last year, they return the majority of their best players, host two weekend tournaments and boast a schedule packed with the nation’s top teams. Games are free with a Buzzcard and sell out quickly, so arriving early is a must.

Cross country competes all across the country, and typically races in-state at least once. Both men’s and women’s cross country finished in the top 13 at the NCAA South Regional, led by the women’s ninth place finish. Each team had multiple top 50 individual finishers as well, including the now-graduated Nicole Fegans’ 11th overall finish.

Winter sports include men’s and women’s basketball, both of which play at McCamish Pavilion on the north end of campus along Fowler Street. The winter season starts in November and typically wraps up in March. The women’s team has earned two straight NCAA tournament berths and was a Sweet 16 team in 2021. Men’s basketball earned an ACC Championship in 2021 and an automatic NCAA tournament spot as a result. Home games are free with a Buzzcard and often offer giveaways to early fans.

Spring sports consist of baseball and softball, and start in February with play continuing into June. Baseball plays at Russ Chandler Stadium on the corner of Fowler Street and Ferst Drive and is a consistent contender at the conference and national level. Several Tech players were selected in the recent MLB Draft, and the team hopes to reach a fourth straight postseason this year.

Softball reached the NCAA tournament this past season for the first time in a decade and returns a majority of the players who helped to get them there. They play their home games at Shirley Clements Mewborn field at Fowler Street and 8th Street. Both baseball and softball home games are free with a Buzzcard, and weekend series offer three games of action when the teams are at home.

Golf, men’s and women’s swim and dive, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field all compete across more than one season. Golf is a consistent national contender, making the NCAA championship final round the last two years and boasting numerous conference championships. While golf does not have a dedicated home match, they are set to play a pair of tournaments in Georgia this year.

Swim and dive competes in the McAuley Aquatic Center in the CRC on the west side of campus, the former 1996 Atlanta Olympics venue that hosted the ACC and NCAA championships last season. Both the men’s and women’s teams sent athletes to the NCAA championships, and three swimmers earned All-American honors. Tech typically hosts multiple meets at the Olympic venue, and both teams boast underclassmen capable of breaking records for years to come.

Tennis plays their home matches at Ken Byers Tennis Complex, an indoor/outdoor venue with a dozen competition courts along Fowler Street. Tech hosts multiple tournaments throughout the year and sends singles and doubles competitors to the NCAA tournament with regularity. Both teams were at least ACC quarterfinalists, and the women’s team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.

Track and field has an indoor season from roughly December to February and an outdoor season from March through May. Tech typically hosts an event at their home track early in the outdoor season. Teams from all across the country come to compete, and the meet offers a chance to see some of the best college athletes.

With a wide range of sports on campus at several different venues, Jacket athletics has a lot to offer its students. Several of the teams are national contenders on a yearly basis, and with most of the home games being free to students, supporting Tech athletics is an easy way to spend an evening.

Atlanta United have yet to put a run together after a quick start to the season that saw them hold a record of 3-1-1 (wins-draws-losses) through five games. Road struggles have pushed the team down the standings as United have only secured one win away from Mercedes Benz Stadium, a 1–0 victory over DC United on April 2.

Since the hot start, their record has fallen to 5-4-6 as they now sit on the outside of the playoff picture as of June 29. Despite the road struggles and lack of wins over the past couple of months, Atlanta boasts a positive goal differential and has games in hand over some of the teams higher in the standings.

After two games in New York, the team returns to Atlanta for a three-game homestand. They will need to secure points in the weeks ahead to remain viable in the playoff hunt, but with 19 games still remaining on the schedule there is plenty of time to improve. Boosting the team in recent games is the return of Josef Martinez, Atlanta’s star striker and 2018 League MVP.

He is tied for the team lead in combined goals and assists despite only appearing in eight matches. Luis Araujo has been United’s biggest contributor after joining the team from Ligue 1’s Lille last season. He is tied for the team lead in goals, combined goals and assists, nearly besting his 2021 totals in just 10 matches. Dom Dwyer is a veteran contributor who has seen a resurgence in 2022.

After not scoring any goals in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he netted his first early in 2022 and has scored three times in only 234 minutes through his first ten appearances. Only Ronaldo Cisneros and Araujo have outscored Dwyer, as the 31-year-old far outpaces the rest of the team in goals per 90 minutes.

The defensive corps is led by Miles Robinson, George Campbell, Andrew Gutman and Alan Franco, with Gutman and Franco leading the team in tackles and pressures. Brooks Lennon and homegrown talent Caleb Wiley have played minutes on the back line while also contributing on the scoresheet, with Lennon recording two goals and two assists and Wiley netting a goal at only 17 years old. Brad Guzan and Robby Shuttleworth led Atlanta goaltending, each recording seven appearances, until June 19, when Rocco Rios Novo stepped in net for United. Guzan and Shuttleworth allowed nine goals apiece across their minutes, with Guzan leading Atlanta to a 3-2-2 record in seven starts. Shuttleworth fell victim to an anemic offense during some of his appearances, leading to a 1-2-3 mark for him.

Rios Novo was promoted from Atlanta United 2 to give the team a younger option in net, a 20 year old compared to Guzan and Shuttleworth being 37 and 35 respectively.

Rios Novo is 1-0-1 in his first two starts with a clean sheet and only two goals against, lending hope that the goalkeeper position will have stability for a time.

Atlanta is only a few years removed from an MLS Cup win, and while the team makeup is widely different, some of the core pieces remain.

Young talent and veteran pieces combine for a team capable of creating chances, and if United can clean up its play away from home, they can make noise on the back end of the season playing some of the best in the league.

Tech baseball reversed a recent slide with their first ACC series win since their sweep of Virginia Tech by taking two of three games from Florida State from April 8–10. Wins on Friday night and Sunday afternoon gave the Jackets the series over the No. 13 Seminoles. Tech scored six or more runs in all three games.

The first game saw the top of Tech’s order dominate at the plate, helping plate six runs in the first three innings. Sophomore infielders Chandler Simpson and Andrew Jenkins as well as sophomore catcher Kevin Parada combined to go nine of 14, highlighted by Jenkins’ 5–5 game and Parada’s two home runs. Sophomore infielders Jadyn Jackson and Tim Borden II also had multi-hit games as the Jackets peppered 16 hits to drive in their seven runs.

Junior pitcher Chance Huff kept Tech steady on the mound for the first six innings, only allowing three hits and an unearned run. After two innings by freshman pitcher Aeden Finateri that netted two unearned runs for FSU, sophomore pitcher Zach Maxwell came in with the bases loaded and struck out three straight Seminoles on only 12 pitches to earn the save and give Tech the 7–3 win. Jacket pitchers totaled 15 strikeouts on the night, helping to strand 11 FSU baserunners.

A back-and-forth game two saw the Seminoles pull away in late innings, tying the series with a 9–6 win. Simpson and Parada were again dominant, recording three hits each and scoring all six of Tech’s runs between them. Parada hit his third home run of the series and both players hit triples. Jenkins drove in three runs to lead the Institute in RBIs.

Runs came in ones and twos until the fifth inning, when the Jackets led 4–3, but FSU pulled ahead 6–4 after the sixth. Tech tacked on two to tie the game in the seventh, but three Seminole runs in the final two frames handed them the win.Tech used six pitchers on the day, with redshirt senior John Medich receiving the loss after allowing one earned run in his inning of work. Jacket pitchers issued only one total walk and struck out 12, but a dozen FSU hits proved too much to overcome. 

Tech shut out the Seminoles to clinch the series in game three, winning 10–0 after stranding all 14 FSU baserunners. Parada and Jackson provided the Jackets’ two multi-hit games, while Simpson and Jenkins scored three runs apiece. Sophomore outfielder Tres Gonzalez and sophomore infielder Drew Compton each drove in a trio of runs as Tech scored ten runs on nine hits.

Sophomore pitcher Marquis Grissom Jr. handled the bulk of the work for the Institute, going 5.2 shutout innings before redshirt junior pitcher Joseph Mannelly struck out the only batter he faced to get the Jackets through six empty frames. Medich and Maxwell each steered Tech through a shutout inning, before senior pitcher Cole McNamee capped the win off with a flawless ninth. 

Softball beat Boston College on the road, taking the first two games before dropping the third. Neither of the two wins ended in the standard seven innings, as the first featured four extra frames and the second ended after five as the Jackets mercy-ruled the Eagles.

Game one was a pitchers’ duel, with only four total runs scored in the 11 innings of play. Junior pitcher Blake Neleman handled the first nine innings for Tech, striking out ten and only allowing one earned run on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. Junior pitcher Chandler Dennis finished the game and earned the win, guiding the team through two scoreless innings as Tech tallied two runs in the 11th for the 3–1 win.

Junior catcher Emma Kauf and freshman infielder Grace Connelly had Tech’s two multi-hit performances and Kauf scored the team’s final run. Sophomore designated player Sarah Beth Allen recorded the game-winning hit with her two-RBI single, while sophomore infielder Jin Sileo drove in the Jackets’ sole run before extra innings. 

After a close opening game, Tech dominated game two, piling on 11 runs by the end of the third inning and cruising to a 14–2 win. Dennis pitched a complete game, only allowing five hits in her five innings of work as she received more than enough run support to pick up her second win in as many days.

At the plate, every Tech starter recorded a hit and scored a run as seven different players reached base twice or more. Kauf and freshman outfielder Ella Edgmon each drove in three runs and Allen picked up a pair of RBIs as well. The Jackets’ hot bats gave the team rest after the marathon the night before and clinched the series win.

Tech could not complete the sweep, seemingly using all their hits in game two. The team’s only hit of the day was a double by Kauf as the Boston College defense played a mistake free game. Freshman pitcher Sophia Voyles allowed two runs in 2.1 innings of work and received the loss. Neleman cleaned up in the late innings, only allowing one run through three innings, but the Eagles secured the 4–0 win.

Softball hosted Kennesaw State in a victorious weekday tilt before heading to South Bend, Ind. for a series against No. 25 Notre Dame. Tech won game one against the Irish on the road, eventually losing games two and three in extra innings and moving the team’s record to 25–11 after the weekend of play.

Tech beat KSU on the back of a two-run, four-hit day from junior pitcher Chandler Dennis coupled with a scoreless two innings of relief work by junior pitcher Blake Neleman, earning her the save. Junior utility player Emma Kauf and freshman outfielder Auburn Dupree each recorded two hits and a run. Dupree drove in two runs as the Institute held off one-run innings by the Owls in the third and fifth by matching them in the bottom of those frames and adding a three-run fourth inning. Tech secured the 5–2 win to improve to 19–2 in non-conference games.

Following the home win, the Jackets extended their win streak to nine games in the opening game of the Notre Dame series. Neleman allowed six earned runs through the first three frames as Tech fell into a 7–4 hole. Dennis and senior pitcher Lexi Ray would combine for four innings of one-run work the rest of the game, and the Jackets overcame the deficit with a four-run seventh inning. A clean bottom of the frame preserved a 9–8 lead and a win for Tech.

Sophomore infielder Jin Sileo had a remarkable day at the plate, drawing two walks and recording a hit on each of her other at-bats. She scored twice, including the eventual game-winning run. Sophomore infielder Mallorie Black had Tech’s other multi-hit day, driving in a pair of runs on her two hits. The Jackets drew nine walks in the game, including three in the final frame, getting baserunners on a day where they had more runs than hits.

Game two saw Tech fall in an extra-innings shootout after allowing a six-run lead to slip away in late innings. A seven-run fourth inning helped Tech to an 11–5 lead after five frames, but a pair of three run Irish innings in the sixth and seventh sent the game to extras. Tech scored to take the lead in the top of the ninth, but Notre Dame walked it off in the bottom of the inning to take the 13–12 win in game two.

The Jackets used five pitchers, going deep into the bullpen to try and outlast the Irish. Four Tech errors coupled with eight walks allowed Notre Dame baserunners even when their bats were cold and eventually proved to be the difference in the game. Black, Kauf and Dupree each had multi-hit games to lead Tech offensively.

The final game of the series was another high-scoring, extra-innings tilt. Notre Dame once again came back in late innings to tie the game, scoring one run each in the fourth through seventh innings after falling behind 11–8 through the first two frames. Tech would not score again until the top of the seventh, and after the Jackets scored one run in the top of the eighth, the Irish walked it off 15–13 with a three-run bomb.

Tech again cycled through several pitchers in the loss, sending four different players to the circle in game three. Ray received the loss, but all four pitchers gave up at least one run as Notre Dame totaled 15 on the game. Kauf, senior outfielder Kennedy Cowden and sophomore designated player Sarah Beth Allen led Tech in hits with two each, and Kauf and Cowden were joined by Sileo and Dupree who drove in two runs each as the team scored a dozen or more runs again. 

The Jackets’ conference record moved to 6–9, placing them squarely in the middle of the pack. Tech faces Boston College, who sports the second-worst record in the conference, on the road for their next ACC series, giving the Institute a chance to get to .500 in conference play. The series will be in Chestnut Hill, Mass. from April 8–10.

Tech baseball played a hotly contested week of in-state games, playing four games in four different venues against Georgia State and Georgia. The Jackets won the first three of four, picking up a weekday win over the Panthers and a series win over then No. 5 ranked Bulldogs.

Tech made the quick drive to Decatur for the Tuesday, March 1 game against Georgia State, coming away with a win in a low-scoring game. After two scoreless innings, the Jackets broke the tie with a three-run third inning, featuring a two-run homer by sophomore catcher Kevin Parada and a sacrifice-fly RBI by sophomore infielder John Giesler. Georgia State got on the board in the fourth inning, but a seventh inning walk drawn by Parada gave Tech an insurance run as the Jackets secured the 4-2 win.

The Jackets used five pitchers on the day, with none throwing more than 40 pitches. Sophomore Marquis Grissom Jr. started and earned the win with his two scoreless innings, with redshirt senior John Medich handling the next three innings. Sophomore Dawson Brown handled the last 1.2 innings of work, earning the save and striking out three Georgia State batters. 

Tech opened their weekend series with Georgia next, hosting the opener of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate on Friday, March 4. Sophomore shortstop Chandler Simpson started the game off with a single as Tech nearly batted through the order in the first inning, scoring three runs and igniting the sold out student section. The lead ballooned to 8-1 after the seventh before Georgia’s six-run eighth inning narrowed the margin, but a three-run eighth for Tech set the final margin at 11-7. Sophomore infielders Andrew Jenkins and Tim Borden II led the team with three RBIs each as every starter recorded a hit.

Junior pitcher Chance Huff worked his best game of the season so far, pitching seven innings with six strikeouts and only one earned run. After taking three pitchers to clear the eighth inning Bulldog rally, Medich took the mound for the ninth and retired the side in order.

With a chance to clinch the series the next day, Tech blanked the Bulldogs behind 13 total strikeouts by Jacket pitchers. Sophomore Zach Maxwell earned seven of those strikeouts in his three-inning start, before freshman Cody Carwile’s three innings of work with only one total baserunner earned him the win. Freshman Aeden Finateri finished the job, striking out five over the final three innings and completing the shutout.

At the plate, Simpson led the team with three hits while Borden and sophomore infielder Drew Compton each had multiple RBIs. Compton and sophomore outfielder Tres Gonzalez recorded RBI singles in the third to open the scoring before Borden and Jenkins each recorded an RBI in the seventh. Tech scored three more runs in the ninth to pad their lead, taking game two 7–0 and clinching the series win.

Tech looked to complete a series sweep in game three. Georgia jumped out to an early lead, leading the Jackets 3–0 after three innings. Sophomore outfielder Stephen Reid got Tech on the board with a solo home run in the fourth inning before a Bulldog home run restored the three run lead. Tech returned the deficit to two after a Parada RBI single made the game 4–2. Georgia began to pull away in the seventh, piling on six runs. Tech responded with a run in the bottom of the frame, but two more Bulldog runs in the ninth gave them a 12–3 lead, staving off a Tech sweep.

Tech cycled through seven pitchers in the game, with Grissom receiving the loss on his record. Jacket pitchers only tossed five strikeouts, well below the season average of around a dozen per game so far. The bats were similarly quiet, with Parada and Reid recording the only multi-
hit performances. 

Despite the loss, Tech recorded a 3–1 week and a series win over nationally-ranked archrival Georgia. The Jackets finished the week ranked No. 9 by the Collegiate Baseball poll. Next up for the team, after the Tuesday, March 8 game at Mercer, Tech welcomes Virginia Tech to Atlanta for the beginning of ACC play from March 9–11. The Hokies come into the game with a 10–1 record.

Tech softball played six games in five days from Feb. 22–27, winning all six to move their season record to 14-2. Weekday wins over Furman and Georgia State plus sweeps of Penn State and East Tennessee State over the weekend gave the Jackets a boost as they approach conference play.

Tech started the week with a win over Furman on Feb. 22, beating the Paladins 5-0 as junior pitcher Chandler Dennis recorded a complete game shutout and allowed only two baserunners. Junior catcher Emma Kauf scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the third on an RBI by sophomore catcher Sarah Beth Allen, and the Jackets added four more runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. Head coach Aileen Morales picked up her 100th win as Tech’s coach with the victory.

Tech beat crosstown rival Georgia State in a 9-1 mercy rule win the next night. Junior pitcher Blake Neleman allowed only one run in her five innings of work, collecting the complete game win. Tech scored nine runs despite only four hits due to four Panther errors and seven drawn walks.

The Jackets hosted Penn State for the first day of the I-75 Tournament at Mewborn Field on Feb. 25. Game one of the doubleheader saw no runs by either team through the first six innings, with Dennis dominating the circle for Tech during that stretch. Senior Ariella Jackson’s pinch-hit home run broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh, walking the Jackets off with a 2-0 win.

Game two saw another pitcher’s duel early, with the score tied 1-1 through five frames. A five-run sixth inning for Tech proved to be enough as the Jackets escaped with the 6-4 win. Sophomore shortstop Jin Sileo drove in a pair of the sixth inning runs, and Neleman picked up her eighth win of the season as Tech moved to 12-2.

Tech opened the Feb. 26 doubleheader against ETSU with a 10-0 win. Senior Lexi Ray and freshman Kinsey Norton combined for the shutout in the circle, while junior designated player Caroline Davis went 3-3 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored. A seven run third inning provided the bulk of the runs as the game ended in five innings due to the mercy rule, Tech’s first mercy rule win of the weekend.

The Jackets completed a mercy rule sweep of the day against ETSU with a 13-1 win on the heels of the early afternoon victory. Freshman Sophia Voyles handled the bulk of the pitching work, allowing only three baserunners and no runs through four innings. An 8-0 lead after two innings ballooned to a 13-run difference after four, and the lone ETSU run in the top of the fifth was not enough to prevent the run rule from taking effect. Senior infielder Bailee Zietler led Tech at the plate, going 2-2 with an RBI, a walk and
three runs.

The final matchup of the tournament was scheduled to take place on Sunday, Feb. 27, but rainy conditions forced the cancellation of what was originally set to be a doubleheader with Jacksonville State. Following the Wednesday, March 2 game at Kennesaw State, Tech enters ACC play with a home series against Duke on March 4-6. The Jackets will enter the conference slate with their best start since 2010, when they won 20 of their first 22 games.