Taking on Tech on Tuesday

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team looks to extend their 12-game win streak on Tuesday when they head to Atlanta to face in-state opponent Georgia Tech. Earlier in the season, the Yellow Jackets traveled to Macon and lost to the Bears 5-4 in the bottom on the ninth after pinch hitter David Burke knocked in the game-winning RBI. This will be the final matchup between Mercer and Georgia Tech this year.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Teams: Mercer (31-5, 6-0 SoCon) at Georgia Tech (23-14, 9-9 SoCon)
Location: Atlanta, Ga. | Mac Nease Baseball Park
Date: Tuesday, April 19 | 6 p.m. | Live Stats
Watch: ACC Network Extra

Projected Starters:

LHP Tanner Hall vs. RHP Aeden Finateri

Batting Practice

Mercer is off to a 6-0 start in SoCon play – sweeping The Citadel and UNCG.
In midweek matchups, the Bears are 7-1 overall and 1-0 away from OrthoGeorgia Park.
Tuesday's matchup between Georgia Tech and Mercer is the second this year. The Bears beat the Yellow Jackets earlier in the year at OthroGeorgia Park 5-4.
Graduate student Tanner Hall is looking to make his seventh start of the year against Georgia Tech on Tuesday. In Hall's last start, he went 3.2 innings with three Ks against Florida A&M on April 12, 2022
Junior Angelo DiSpigna was named SoCon Player of the Week on Monday. In four games last week, DiSpigna had a .529 batting average (9-for-17) with 3 home runs, 9 RBI and scored 6 runs as the Bears went 4-0 last week and are on a 12-game win streak. DiSpigna is the first Bear to win SoCon Player of the Week this year.
Sophomore Colby Thomas is showing a lot of power with his bat on the year for the Bears. Thomas leads the conference and is second in the country with 16 home runs while also leading the conference in two-baggers with 14 and RBI with 44. Thomas is second in the country in total bases with 117.
Junior reliever Jackson Kelley is off to an incredible season. In 35.2 innings of relief this year, Kelley has only allowed one earned run, has struck out 58 and owns a 0.25 ERA.
Mercer was picked to finish second in the 2022 Preseason SoCon Coaches and Media Polls. The Bears were picked behind Wofford in both polls.
Under the direction of Coach Craig Gibson, the Bears are 9-16 against Georgia Tech. Six of the nine wins for Mercer have come when playing in Atlanta at Mac Nease Baseball Park. Mercer's last win in Atlanta against Tech was on March 21, 2018 by a final score of 6-2.
Mercer is one of just three NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games in each of the past 10 full seasons, joining LSU and Vanderbilt.

Series History

Series: Georgia Tech leads 71-26
First Meeting: 1955 - Georgia Tech 5, Mercer 4
Last Meeting: 2022 – Mercer 5, Georgia Tech 4
Streak: W1

Scouting Georgia Tech
Following a 2-1 weekend against ACC foe North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets turn their attention to the Bears of Mercer. Georgia Tech is 23-14 overall and 9-9 in league play. Against in-state opponents, Georgia Tech is 4-5 and most recently lost to 9-5 to Georgia State at Mac Nease Baseball Park on Tuesday, April 12.

Georgia Tech's sophomore catcher Kevin Parada was named to the 45-man midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List this season. Parada is one of 10athletes that are making their second appearance on the midseason watch list

Parada is hitting .380 with while leading the nation in home runs with 18 and RBI with 59. Sophomore infielder Andrew Jenkins is hitting .403 for the Jackets with 60 hits on the year with 11 doubles and 10 longballs. The Jackets have five batting over .300 and have a team batting average of .323.

On the mound, Georgia Tech has a 6.16 team ERA. Freshman Aeden Finateri is looking at getting his third start of the year against the Bears. He owns a 6.35 ERA in 22.2 frames and batters are hitting .347 against him.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.

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Players Mentioned

David Burke

Angelo DiSpigna

Tanner Hall

Jackson Kelley

Colby Thomas

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