Georgia Tech returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after going 33-25. The Jackets won six ACC series including a sweep of NC State and upsets of Virginia and Duke. They reached the Athens Regional final and were giving #7 overall seed Georgia a run for their money to force a deciding game, but fell short 8-6 in extra innings. The Ramblin’ Wreck led the ACC in On Base Percentage and center fielder Drew Burress was the consensus National Freshman of the Year.
Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall enters his 32nd season at the helm. His hitting coach and recruiting coordinator James Ramsey has brought in another Top 5 recruiting class that has Tech poised to make noise again this season. The Jackets do lose two thirds of their weekend rotation and some key offensive pieces, but development on the pitching side could see an improved record in 2025.
Catchers (Starter Rank: 12, Group Rank: 12)
Ranking Vahn Lackey down towards the bottom of the ACC for starting catcher seems a bit unfair given how advanced he was defensively as a freshman. Lackey played in 36 games last year, slashing .214/.330/.381 over 84 at bats. The sophomore backstop has a mature approach at the plate that should help him take a step forward in 2025. His elite arm will help Georgia Tech control the running game.
Transfer Nathan Waugh played in all 38 of Cornell’s games last season, but only 17 of those were at catcher. He’s likely to serve as the primary DH after hitting .283 with 16 extra base hits last season. He brings veteran experience to a very young roster and his 6’5”, 230 pound frame could see an increase in his power numbers.
True freshman Drew Rogers could also force his way for playing time at either the catching position or as the DH. Rogers was ranked as the #3 catcher in the country and the 23rd best prospect by Perfect Game. The Arizona native isn’t too far from Lackey defensively and possesses a lot of juice in his bat. Tech struck gold with a freshman named Drew last year, why not again?
Infield (Starter Rank: 5, Group Rank: 10)
Georgia Tech went out and recruited an impact transfer in Kyle Lodise to take over their shortstop position. Lodise, the cousin of FSU shortstop Alex Lodise, dominated for Augusta in D-II, hitting .369 with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs, and 24 stolen bases in 2024. The Brunswick, Georgia native has advanced feel for the strike zone and drew 16 more walks than strikeouts last year. Lodise appears to be the perfect candidate to bat lead-off in front of superstar Drew Burress.
Sophomore Carson Kerce is the favorite to be Lodise’s double play partner. Kerce gained a lot of experience as a freshman mostly playing third, where he hit .282 with seven extra base hits in 50 games. The right-handed infielder is coming off an impressive summer in the Appy League where he hit .322 with nine doubles and three triples for the Johnson City Doughboys. Kerce will bat towards the bottom of the order and is a prime candidate for a big sophomore season.
Sixth year grad student John Giesler returns and could start at first or third. Despite missing 17 games for the Jackets last year, the veteran led the team with 17 doubles while also hitting 10 home runs. As productive as Giesler has been with his bat, his leadership ability is even more important. “He is Georgia Tech baseball,” Associate Head Coach James Ramsey told me in a December interview. “He has a PhD in the Georgia Tech hitting philosophy.”
With Giesler slotting in at third base, Georgia Southern transfer Kent Schmidt looks set to take the reins at first. The sophomore slashed .321/.432/.425 while walking 40 times and leading the Eagles in doubles with 16. Schmidt only hit two homes all of last season, but appears to have developed his power a bit over the offseason. In Georgia Tech’s fall scrimmage against Jacksonville State, the 6’0”, 220 pound infielder launched two no-doubters. “The best part about him is that he’s a hitter,” Ramsey told me. “He’s not a slug guy. He will slug for us, but he uses the backside of the field. He crushes left-handed pitching. He grinds at bats.”
The depth behind the starting core is very young. Sophomore Bretty Denby is joined by highly touted freshmen Connor Shouse, Alex Hernandez, William Baker, and Ethan Murray. Shouse and Hernandez are both two-way players that can pitch, play third base, and be athletic enough to get playing time in the outfield as well.
Following their fall scrimmage against Jacksonville State, head coach Danny Hall stated, “We’re going to have to lean on some of these freshmen to carry the load for us. We’re not shy about playing freshmen.”
Outfield (Starter Rank: 9, Group Rank: 13)
The Yellow Jackets return the reigning National Freshman of the Year Drew Burress, who could very well be the best player in the country. Burress is coming off an incredible first season in Atlanta that saw him hit .381 with 15 doubles, three triples, and 25 home runs. Most impressive was his 58 walks versus just 37 strikeouts. When I interviewed him in the fall and asked about how he handles such monumental expectations, Burress said, “I always set those expectations for myself. I expect to be the best. And if I’m not the best, then it’s a failure.” It is that mentality and motivation that makes me believe that this program is destined for Omaha sometime over the next two seasons while Drew is on campus.
Joining Burress in the outfield is returning junior Parker Brosius, who slashed .298/.442/.430 over 114 at-bats for the Ramblin’ Wreck last year. Like several others in this lineup, Brosius walked more than he struck out and has a patient approach at the plate. He should also play a key role in the Georgia Tech running game after going a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases in 2024.
Sophomore Tyler Neises is the favorite in left despite getting only seven at-bats as a freshman in 2024. He enjoyed a great summer in the Northwoods League playing first base for the Fond du Lac Dockspiders. Neises played in 55 games over the summer and hit .321 with 10 doubles and two home runs. That success carried over into the fall where he worked to play the outfield and provide value with his bat.
“Left-handed power is not something that is easy to acquire or develop, and his swing is perfectly tailored for our ballpark,” Coach Ramsey said of Neises. “Tyler has also worked hard on playing the outfield and becoming more versatile defensively.”
With Schmidt being the only other lefty projected in the starting lineup, a Neises breakout season is imperative for Georgia Tech. Highly touted freshmen Shouse and Hernandez could potentially see time in the outfield as well as fellow freshmen Caleb Daniel and Josh Evans.
Projected Lineup
Rotation (Rank: 11)
Georgia Tech’s 2024 season turned around once they figured out the weekend rotation midway through the year. Aeden Finateri, Cam Jones, and Tate McKee started every game down the stretch as the Jackets finished strong and made the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, Jones has graduated and Finateri has transferred to Alabama, leaving McKee as the lone holdover from last season.
McKee showed glimmers of brilliance throughout his freshman year and is poised to enjoy a breakout season in 2025. The sophomore right-hander went 4-5 with a 7.28 ERA and 61 strikeouts, but the numbers don’t do him justice. In each of his outings against Pittsburgh, Miami, and Duke, McKee struck out nine hitters.
“I hate to place individual expectations on players,” Georgia Tech pitching coach Matt Taylor told me in an interview last month. “But we know that [McKee] needs to be the guy if we want to get to Omaha.”
Likely joining McKee in the weekend rotation is redshirt sophomores Carson Ballard and Riley Stanford. Ballard is a right-hander who quietly enjoyed success last year in several roles, going 2-2 with a 4.41 ERA over 34.2 innings pitched that included six starts. He possesses a mid-90s fastball and slider with bite that could see him blossom as a weekend starter in 2025.
Stanford is listed as a two-way player, but it’s undetermined how much time he’ll see in the field. Pitching coach Matt Taylor is big on the 6’4”, 226 pound native of Gainesville, Georgia. “I think he’s ready to make that next jump.” Like Ballard, Stanford mixes a mid-90s fastball with a mid-to-high 80s slider and can be effective as a starter or reliever.
Other candidates for the rotation include Mason Patel, who made five starts for the Jackets last year and can provide length out of the bullpen, and Georgia Southern transfer Porter Buursema. Buursema is a transfer from Georgia Southern that flashes major upside on the mound. Freshmen Connor Chicoli and Ryan Johnson could be options as midweek starters.
Bullpen (Rank: 10)
Georgia Tech’s rotation looks just about set, but the bullpen roles are wide open with just three other returners on the rest of the staff in Brett Barfield, Caden Gaudette, and Jackson Sobel. Of the three, only Barfield has pitched more than 10 innings. He and Sobel will be two left-handed options out the ‘pen.
The Yellow Jackets bolstered their staff with talented transfers and some elite recruits. Lefty Kayden Campbell and right-handed Caden Spivey transfer from other ACC schools. Campbell comes over from Louisville after a disappointing sophomore year but the former Team USA pitcher has legit late inning stuff if he can harness it. Like Campbell, former Notre Dame pitcher Spivey had a promising freshman campaign before taking a step back in year two. Better command and execution could turn him into a key relief option.
Sam Swygart is a graduate from The Citadel that pitched 67.1 innings last season and can fit a variety of roles. Brady Jones, a junior from Georgia State, has a mid 90’s fastball but struggles with control as evidenced by his 30 walks in 39.1 innings last season. Jaylen Paden is another transfer from Georgia Southern that is back after recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
Beyond those arms, the Yellow Jackets will have to rely on freshmen. Two who stood out to me in the fall were right-handers Connor Chicoli and Ryan Johnson. Both impressed during that JSU scrimmage. The duo combined to throw six innings and walk zero hitters. Chicoli in particular pounded the zone with 29 of his 35 pitches being strikes. Tech has a slew of freshmen who could contribute right out of the gate.
“We’re very excited about our whole pitching staff,” said Coach Hall after that Jacksonville State scrimmage. “We feel like we have more arms than we’ve had in quite a while. Matt Taylor and Jason Richman have done a great job not just in recruiting but developing some of these guys. I couldn’t be more pleased with the freshmen that threw in the game today. It feels like those guys are going to give us a lot of quality depth.”
Projected Staff
Outlook
Everyone expects Georgia Tech to score runs. And they will. They have a clear offensive identity and approach that involves working the count and being aggressive on their terms. Kent Schmidt, Kyle Lodise, Parker Brosius, and Drew Burress all walked more than they struck out in 2024. Their depth relies on key freshmen stepping up and they’re a little short on left-handed hitters. But this offense will continue to rake as it has over the last couple of years.
Georgia Tech is ranked #22 in our preseason poll because several members of our staff– myself included– believe in the potential of this pitching staff. Tate McKee has the upside to be a frontline ace as a sophomore and the talented group of transfers and freshmen could be a big improvement on last year’s staff. The key for Danny Hall, Matt Taylor, and Jason Richman is to figure out the best fits for pitching roles quickly. If they can do that, Georgia Tech could have a special season. Heck, the Ramblin’ Wreck could even make their first Omaha run since 2006 if all goes right.