WRAL Sports Fan

Colleges

Georgia Tech first to win at ACC baseball tournament

May 23, 2012

Greensboro, N.C. — The 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship got underway Wednesday in Greensboro with three games on the schedule including No. 1 seed Florida State getting things started and No. 2 North Carolina and No. 3 North Carolina State taking the field later.

In Game 1, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (33-24) became just the third No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 with a 5-4 victory over the Seminoles.

Jake Davies' pair of two-run homers accounted for 80 percent of the Jackets' scoring, and Georgia Tech led 5-0 in the fifth inning before allowing Florida State back in the game.

Georgia Tech has a day to rest before they meet Virginia Friday at 11 a.m. The Seminoles (43-13), the nation’s No. 1 team, face Clemson Friday at 3 p.m.

Triangle teams take field Wednesday night

NC State will trot junior Ethan Ogburn out to the mound for the 3 p.m. contest against No. 6 Miami (34-19, 16-14 ACC). Ogburn is 4-3 on the year with a 3.04 ERA. NC State (38-15, 19-11 ACC) took one of three in their regular-season series finale against FSU last weekend and are saving the ACC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year, Carlos Rodon, for later in the week.

Wolfpack outfielder Ryan Matthews enters the tournament as one of the nation’s hottest players holding a 21-game hitting streak and blasting six home runs in the last seven games. He was named the NCAA player of the week last week.

Freshman Trea Turner, the nation's leader in stolen bases with 54, needs just nine more to set the ACC record.

UNC will play in the 7 p.m. night-cap against No. 7 Wake Forest (32-22, 13-17 ACC). They will open the tournament with sophomore Shane Taylor on the hill. Taylor has started just two games on the year, but is coming off an 8-inning, one-hit outing in an emergency start against Duke. Of Taylor’s 51 career appearances, 48 have come out of the bullpen. On the season, he is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA.

The Tar Heels (42-13, 22-8 ACC) enter Wednesday riding a 13-game winning streak, their longest since 2002. They also boast the third best ERA in the nation at 2.62 and have allowed just four earned runs in their last two series'.

UNC got some help back in their lineup late in the year with the return of Colin Moran from a hand injury. He missed 21 games with the injury, but has returned to hit in 11 of 12 games including eight consecutive.

2012 ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDINGS
May 23-27 at NewBridge Bank Park (Greensboro, N.C.)
POOL A - No. 1 Florida State, No. 4 Virginia, No. 5 Clemson, 8. Georgia Tech
POOL B - No. 2 North Carolina, No. 3 NC State, No. 6 Miami, No. 7 Wake Forest
2012 TOURAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 23
Georgia Tech 5, Florida State 4
NC State 3, Miami 2
7 p.m. - North Carolina 6, Wake Forest 0
Thursday, May 24
11 a.m. - Virginia vs. Clemson
3 p.m. - North Carolina vs. Miami
7 p.m. - NC State vs. Wake Forest
Friday, May 25
11 a.m. - Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
3 p.m. - Florida State vs. Clemson
7 p.m. - Miami vs. Wake Forest
Saturday, May 26
11 a.m. - Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
3 p.m. - Florida State vs. Virginia
7 p.m. - North Carolina vs. NC State
Sunday, May 27
Noon - Championship Game