The Yellow Jackets had a perfect 5-0 opening weekend at their home event and was impressive in all facets of the game. The offense hit .421 as a team and looked like a squad that could not only work base-to-base in producing runs, but can play quick strike and the long ball having 10 homers through five games. Junior Kennedy Cowden stood out in a team full of offensive standouts hitting .545 on the weekend with a whopping 14 RBI and 3 home runs. The youngster, freshmen Emma Kauf, led the team hitting .692 and an equally impressive 4 doubles and 7 RBI. Even more impressive than the offense is the pitching staff.
Tech pitchers left the weekend with a 0.50 ERA and held opposing hitters to a meager .115 average. The staff was lead by what could be one of the best young pitchers in the country, Blake Neleman. The freshmen was 3-0 herself against the Buzz Classic Field with a 0.40 ERA and 29 strikeouts. New Georgia Tech pitching coach Marty McDaniel has his fingerprints all over this potential stud. The longtime Tennessee pitching coach seems to finally be doing (and being allowed) to do what he does best, making young pitchers into potential All-Americans. The Lady Vols loss seems to be the Yellow Jackets and Head Coach Aileen Morales’s gain and could prove to be a huge a factor on the programs upswing nationally.
Although the competition opening weekend can’t be a good long-term measurement on how a full season will go; the preseason pick of a ninth place finish in the ACC could prove to be a underwhelming prediction if this team continues to develop.