ACC Baseball Weekend Recap
The latest weekend of ACC baseball has come to a close, and the competition between Georgia Tech and North Carolina was one of the most anticipated matchups. In a thrilling series, the North Carolina Tar Heels emerged victorious, marking Georgia Tech’s first series loss of the season. However, Georgia Tech managed to avoid a sweep by securing a win over UNC on Sunday.
Despite the setback, Georgia Tech still holds a narrow lead over North Carolina in the ACC standings. The Yellow Jackets had been looking strong and were beginning to pull away from the pack, but North Carolina has kept things exciting as the season approaches its conclusion.
Current ACC Standings
Here’s how the ACC standings look after this weekend:
- Georgia Tech (16-5 ACC, 32-7 Overall)
- North Carolina (15-6, 33-7-1)
- Boston College (31-12 overall, 14-7 ACC)
- Florida State (12-6, 28-11)
- Virginia (28-13, 12-9)
- Miami (29-11, 10-8)
- Wake Forest (27-14, 11-10)
- NC State (26-14, 9-9)
- Virginia Tech (19-19, 9-12)
- Pittsburgh (24-14, 7-11)
- Louisville (212-18, 7-11)
- Stanford (17-19, 7-11)
- Duke (22-20, 8-13)
- Clemson (25-16, 6-12)
- California (20-18, 6-12)
- Notre Dame (17-18, 7-14)
Georgia Tech Avoids the Sweep
After a tough start in the first two games of the series, Georgia Tech came back strong on Sunday with a win over No. 3 North Carolina. This victory showcased the team’s resilience and determination.
Key Performances
Drew Burress had another standout game, recording his 17th multi-hit performance of the season. He went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Burress has now scored 51 runs this season, just one short of Vahn Lackey for the team lead. Over his career, he has accumulated 201 runs, tying Danny Payne (2005-07) for the 11th most in Georgia Tech history. Burress is the first Yellow Jacket in the BBCOR era to reach 200+ career runs.
Kent Schmidt contributed significantly with a go-ahead RBI double and a shift-beating bunt. He leads the team with 26 RBI in ACC play and has tallied 35 for the season. Schmidt recorded extra base hits in three consecutive games for the first time this season and the third time in his career.
Jarren Advincula added to the effort with his 24th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Jackson Blakely started the game and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out three batters. His ERA of 2.65 is the lowest among all starting pitchers on the roster.
Caden Gaudette made his 16th appearance of the season and second of the weekend, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings. He entered the game with a two-run lead and helped preserve it with a crucial groundout.
Mason Patel took the mound in the sixth inning, keeping the score at 5-2 through the final four frames and earning his fourth save of the season. Since returning from an injury that cost him 20 days, Patel has made six appearances, pitching 13.2 scoreless innings with a victory and four saves.
A Strong Performance from the “Rock”
One of the standout performers this weekend was the pitcher known as “Rock.” He pitched a total of 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit and recording four strikeouts. His performance this season has been remarkable, as he has already matched the number of innings he pitched in his previous two years combined (22.0). Additionally, he has allowed fewer than half as many earned runs (7 in 2026, 15 in 2024-25) and exactly half as many hits (12 in 2026, 24 in 2024-25).
This weekend proved to be a critical moment in the ACC race, with both teams showing their strengths and weaknesses. As the season continues, fans can expect more intense competition and exciting performances from these top programs.
