Tigers & Yellow Jackets to Battle in Top-10 Matchup This Weekend

May 2, 2002

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Clemson, SC –

Top-ranked Clemson (38-6, 12-3 ACC) will travel to Atlanta to take on #9 Georgia Tech (36-9, 10-7 ACC) in a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium starting Saturday at 7:00 PM. Game two Sunday will start at 1:00 PM and will be televised by Fox Sports Net South. The series finale Monday will start at 7:00 PM. All three games will be broadcast on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Properties and can be heard live via the internet at www.clemsontigers.com. Live stats will also be available on Clemson’s website.

Clemson leads the all-time series 82-81-3 dating back to 1902 thanks to two wins in three games last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Two years ago in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets won two of three games, with the Tigers winning game three in thrilling fashion by a 13-12 score. Head Coach Jack Leggett is 17-12 against Georgia Tech as the Tiger skipper, including a 5-7 record at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Georgia Tech, led by ninth-year Head Coach Danny Hall, is coming off a week without playing a game due to final exams as well. The Yellow Jackets sport a 24-1 record at home, with their only loss coming against Virginia last weekend. They are hitting .320 with 96 stolen bases and a .961 fielding percentage. Eric Patterson leads the team with a .389 batting average to go along with 29 stolen bases. Freshman Jeremy Slayden leads the team with 13 homers and 42 RBIs.

Sophomore lefty Kyle Bakker (9-2, 2.94 ERA), who stands 6-9, will start on the mound in game one for the Yellow Jackets. Bakker, no relation to North Carolina pitcher Garry Bakker, has 85 strikeouts against only 16 walks in 2002. Game three will see sophomore righty Brian Burks (8-3, 3.06 ERA) start on the mound. Burks has struck out 55 against only 14 walks, as Georgia Tech has an outstanding 3.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio along with a 3.63 team ERA. Clemson (3.56 ERA) and Georgia Tech rank first and second, respectively, in the ACC in ERA. The Yellow Jackets have yet to decide on a starter for game two on Sunday.

Clemson is hitting .333 as a team, led by Khalil Greene at .460. He needs just 16 hits to tie the ACC record for career hits. He also is one hit behind former Yellow Jacket star Jason Varitek for third place. Greene has also committed just eight errors, good for a .964 fielding percentage, an outstanding mark for a shortstop. That has led Clemson to a .973 team fielding percentage, one of the best figures in the country. Jeff Baker, who missed the Wake Forest series due to a strained quad, is listed as probable to play in the Georgia Tech series.

Clemson will send out senior righty Steve Reba (9-1, 3.10 ERA) in game one Saturday. Reba has a 29-8 career record and pitched Clemson’s only individual shutout last year in Clemson’s 3-0 win against Georgia Tech on April 20. Reba is also 13-0 in his last 16 starts. Junior righthander Matt Henrie (9-1, 2.03 ERA) leads the ACC in ERA and will take the mound in game two Sunday. Henrie’s only appearance against Georgia Tech came in 1999 as a freshman, a 1.0 scoreless inning relief outing. Leggett has yet to decide on a starter for game three Monday.