Jackets Shut Out Peacocks On Opening Day

Georgia Tech kicks off the 2020 college baseball season with an Opening Day shutout of Saint Peter's.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Pet.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
#19 GT	0	2	1	1	0	0	2	0	X	6	8	0

Breaking in a new season of college baseball on The Flats, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets got things off on the right foot with a 6-0 Opening Day shutout against Saint Peter's. Their first ever matchup with the Peacocks began the annual Atlanta Challenge, which will also see Tech taking on the Cincinnati Bearcats & St. John's Red Storm.

With losing key contributors such as Tristin English, Kyle McCann and Nick Wilhite, the Opening Day lineup featured a heavy freshman presence. Drew Compton took over at first base, Jake Holland did so behind the backstop, and Andrew Jenkins slid into the DH position with Michael Guldberg heading to left field.

It was also a freshman that got the scoring started. In his first collegiate at-bat, first baseman Drew Compton launched a home run that struck the right field pole in the second inning. In total, 5 Jackets drove in runs against the Peacocks. Second baseman Austin Wilhite had an RBI single, right fielder Baron Radcliff smacked an RBI triple, third baseman Jackson Webb had a pair of sacrifice flies and center field Colin Hall struck a sacrifice fly as well.

Not only did the starting lineup have a clear freshman presence, but the mound did as well. RHP Zach Maxwell, the 84th ranked recruit in the Class of 2019, received the start and was just the third Yellow Jacket freshman to start on Opening Day since 1967.

The freshman battery didn't have the smoothest start to today's contest. Between Maxwell walking 2 batters, allowing his only hit of the game and Holland giving up 2 passed balls in the first inning alone, they quickly worked themselves into a bases loaded, 2 out jam. But the flame-throwing righty quickly settled in, and he finished his collegiate debut with 5 strikeouts, 4 walks and 1 hit over 4.0 innings of work and 73 total pitches.

Once it became a bullpen game, freshmen continued to take the mound and dominate. Dalton Smith and Brody Westbrooks combined for 7 strikeouts, no walks and 1 hit over the next 4.0 innings. Closing out Opening Day was Ben King, as he tossed scoreless ninth inning. Smith came away with the win, moving to 1-0.

Next up for the Jackets, they'll continue with the Atlanta Challenge and host the Cincinnati Bearcats tomorrow at 2:00pm. It will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on WREK 91.1 FM.

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