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Clearly has ties to an organization run by someone with at least half a brain. We should bring him in as a consultant to our early innings offensive philosophy.
2022-23 Season
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Clearly has ties to an organization run by someone with at least half a brain. We should bring him in as a consultant to our early innings offensive philosophy.
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If anyone who subscribes to D1 would care to summarize the article I would love to hear what they said (beyond the free first paragraph). Thanks.
eokerholm
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2022 Fall Report: Georgia Tech
FALL REPORT Aaron Fitt - December 13, 2022
ATLANTA — Heading into last season, Georgia Tech knew it was built to win in 2022, and the coaches braced themselves for a mass exodus after the season. The Yellow Jackets had a solid year, going 15-15 in the ACC, and then were sent as the No. 2 seed to the Knoxville Regional, hosted by No. 1 national seed Tennessee, which held off a strong challenge from Tech in the regional final.
And then, as expected, Georgia Tech’s talented roster was hammered by the draft, losing nine players to pro contracts — with six of them getting selected in the top 10 rounds (No. 11 overall pick Kevin Parada, second-rounder Chandler Simpson (the national batting champion), fifth-rounder Tres Gonzalez, sixth-rounder Zach Maxwell, eighth-rounder Chance Huff and ninth-rounder Andrew Jenkins). But as hard as the draft hit, Georgia Tech was prepared for even more losses. Instead, outfielders Stephen Reid and Jake DeLeo plus third baseman Drew Compton all returned for another year at Tech, boosting the outlook for the 2023 Jackets.
“We went from thinking we might have to play a bunch of freshmen to hopefully not having to play too many of them,” Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. “But those three guys (Reid, DeLeo and Compton) are tested veterans that have competed at a high level, so to get them back is a blessing. We certainly hope they have great years and get a chance to go play [pro ball].”
FALL REPORT Aaron Fitt - December 13, 2022
ATLANTA — Heading into last season, Georgia Tech knew it was built to win in 2022, and the coaches braced themselves for a mass exodus after the season. The Yellow Jackets had a solid year, going 15-15 in the ACC, and then were sent as the No. 2 seed to the Knoxville Regional, hosted by No. 1 national seed Tennessee, which held off a strong challenge from Tech in the regional final.
And then, as expected, Georgia Tech’s talented roster was hammered by the draft, losing nine players to pro contracts — with six of them getting selected in the top 10 rounds (No. 11 overall pick Kevin Parada, second-rounder Chandler Simpson (the national batting champion), fifth-rounder Tres Gonzalez, sixth-rounder Zach Maxwell, eighth-rounder Chance Huff and ninth-rounder Andrew Jenkins). But as hard as the draft hit, Georgia Tech was prepared for even more losses. Instead, outfielders Stephen Reid and Jake DeLeo plus third baseman Drew Compton all returned for another year at Tech, boosting the outlook for the 2023 Jackets.
“We went from thinking we might have to play a bunch of freshmen to hopefully not having to play too many of them,” Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. “But those three guys (Reid, DeLeo and Compton) are tested veterans that have competed at a high level, so to get them back is a blessing. We certainly hope they have great years and get a chance to go play [pro ball].”
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Position Players
Right fielder Reid had the best 2022 season of the trio, hitting .333/.388/.593 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs, giving Georgia Tech a huge righthanded power source in the heart of the lineup. Compton is a three-year stalwart who has put up solid numbers every season, a physical switch-hitter with power from both sides, though he was much better from the left side last year (slugging .536 with 10 homers) than from the right side (.469 with four homers). Compton has steadily improved as a defender at third base during his career and will remain entrenched at the hot corner in year four.
DeLeo has always tantalized with his combination of athleticism and strength, but he’s yet to really put it all together for Georgia Tech, though he hit a solid .286/.348/.532 in limited action (77 AB) last year. DeLeo hit leadoff and played center field in the fall scrimmage against Kennesaw State that I attended, and he looks primed for a breakout season in his third year in the program.
“He was off to a terrific start last year, then he got hurt, missed a bunch of time, and Reid took off so when he came back there was no place to stick him in there,” Hall said. “But then he did go play in the Cape last summer, held his own up there at Chatham, I think he hit five homers in the Cape. I think he can hit .300, hit 15 homers, steal 20 bases and play a really good outfield. But I think we’re all waiting for him to take that next step, I think it’s definitely in there. He’s a hard worker, a great kid.”
The other key returning position player is junior Jadyn Jackson, who found his way into the lineup early last April and never came out, stabilizing the infield by providing strong defense at short and allowing Simpson to slide to second base. Jackson’s biggest strengths are his plus arm, fluid actions and reliable hands at short, but he’s also added strength to his 6-foot frame, and he drove the ball well against Kennesaw State, hitting three balls on the screws and collecting three hits. He even showed the bat speed to handle premium velocity, lining an oppo single on a 96 mph fastball from Blake Wehunt and turning on a 94 mph heater from Connor Housley for another single.
“He continues to get better, and he’s one of the leaders on our team, in my opinion,” Hall said of Jackson. “He’s been around, bided his time, been a great teammate when he hasn’t been playing. Then he got the opportunity to play last year and he’s done nothing but seize that opportunity this fall.”
Right fielder Reid had the best 2022 season of the trio, hitting .333/.388/.593 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs, giving Georgia Tech a huge righthanded power source in the heart of the lineup. Compton is a three-year stalwart who has put up solid numbers every season, a physical switch-hitter with power from both sides, though he was much better from the left side last year (slugging .536 with 10 homers) than from the right side (.469 with four homers). Compton has steadily improved as a defender at third base during his career and will remain entrenched at the hot corner in year four.
DeLeo has always tantalized with his combination of athleticism and strength, but he’s yet to really put it all together for Georgia Tech, though he hit a solid .286/.348/.532 in limited action (77 AB) last year. DeLeo hit leadoff and played center field in the fall scrimmage against Kennesaw State that I attended, and he looks primed for a breakout season in his third year in the program.
“He was off to a terrific start last year, then he got hurt, missed a bunch of time, and Reid took off so when he came back there was no place to stick him in there,” Hall said. “But then he did go play in the Cape last summer, held his own up there at Chatham, I think he hit five homers in the Cape. I think he can hit .300, hit 15 homers, steal 20 bases and play a really good outfield. But I think we’re all waiting for him to take that next step, I think it’s definitely in there. He’s a hard worker, a great kid.”
The other key returning position player is junior Jadyn Jackson, who found his way into the lineup early last April and never came out, stabilizing the infield by providing strong defense at short and allowing Simpson to slide to second base. Jackson’s biggest strengths are his plus arm, fluid actions and reliable hands at short, but he’s also added strength to his 6-foot frame, and he drove the ball well against Kennesaw State, hitting three balls on the screws and collecting three hits. He even showed the bat speed to handle premium velocity, lining an oppo single on a 96 mph fastball from Blake Wehunt and turning on a 94 mph heater from Connor Housley for another single.
“He continues to get better, and he’s one of the leaders on our team, in my opinion,” Hall said of Jackson. “He’s been around, bided his time, been a great teammate when he hasn’t been playing. Then he got the opportunity to play last year and he’s done nothing but seize that opportunity this fall.”
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The departures of Parada (26 HR), Jenkins (17 HR), Tim Borden (20 HR) and Colin Hall (9 HR) obviously sapped this roster of some of its trademark power, but the Jackets can count on Compton and Reid to continue racking up home runs, and DeLeo looks like a third double-digit power threat. Mercer transfer Angelo DiSpigna will also help fill the power vacuum after hitting 40 homers over his four-year career with the Bears. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he’s an intimidating presence in the lefthanded batter’s box, and despite his length he showed the ability to turn on a 92 mph fastball in on his hands against Kennesaw, driving it into the right-field corner for a two-run double. Primarily a first baseman at Mercer, DiSpigna “kept bugging me that he can play in the outfield,” Hall said, so the Jackets put him in left field in the final week of the fall and he seemed to handle it well enough.
If DiSpigna can indeed stick in left, it gives Georgia Tech considerably more lineup flexibility, allowing two more power bats to get into the lineup in 6-foot-3, 215-pound first baseman John Giesler and 6-4, 222-pound two-way talent Jackson Finley, who started at DH (and pitcher) against the Owls. Both of them offer big righthanded power potential — which Jackson showed off with a two-run homer to left-center against Kennesaw, despite getting caught just a bit on his front foot against a breaking ball. Finley is also athletic enough to see action at first base or DH, though his primary responsibilities will be on the mound (more on that in a bit).
Georgia Tech’s biggest pick to click in the lineup is redshirt freshman second baseman Kristian Campbell, who did not play against Kennesaw due to a minor abdominal strain. At 6-3, 191 pounds, Campbell is yet another physical presence from the right side. Like DeLeo, he brings an exciting power/speed tool set, but he’s really stood out this fall for his disciplined approach.
If DiSpigna can indeed stick in left, it gives Georgia Tech considerably more lineup flexibility, allowing two more power bats to get into the lineup in 6-foot-3, 215-pound first baseman John Giesler and 6-4, 222-pound two-way talent Jackson Finley, who started at DH (and pitcher) against the Owls. Both of them offer big righthanded power potential — which Jackson showed off with a two-run homer to left-center against Kennesaw, despite getting caught just a bit on his front foot against a breaking ball. Finley is also athletic enough to see action at first base or DH, though his primary responsibilities will be on the mound (more on that in a bit).
Georgia Tech’s biggest pick to click in the lineup is redshirt freshman second baseman Kristian Campbell, who did not play against Kennesaw due to a minor abdominal strain. At 6-3, 191 pounds, Campbell is yet another physical presence from the right side. Like DeLeo, he brings an exciting power/speed tool set, but he’s really stood out this fall for his disciplined approach.
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“He’s by far —not even close — our most improved player,” Hall said. “He just matured, I think it’s just that more than anything. He was somewhat immature coming in as a freshman and I think he just got overwhelmed with baseball and with school, it just took him a year to get his feet under him. We placed him in the Northwoods League, and you know what that league’s like, you’d better like baseball when you go up there, it’s the closest thing to being a pro baseball player because they play every day. He got a lot of at-bats, made the all-star team, and he just came back honestly as a different person and a different player. He hits the ball in all directions, displayed more power this year than at any time last year. I don’t know exactly how many ABs he had in the fall, quite a few, but he only swung and missed two times, and it was back-to-back pitches against Luke Schmolke. He’s got a good eye, he’ll walk. He reminds me a lot of Justyn-Henry Malloy who’s now kind of on the fast track with the Braves. His defense has gotten better. That’s the one area this summer really helped him, he has gotten way better defensively. He’s got really good range, turned the double play well this fall. And the other thing he could do is go play in the outfield, even though he hasn’t played much out there, he’s got really good instincts out there.”
Campbell is likely to play second, but if necessary he could slide into the outfield, and sophomore Nicholas Romano could handle second, where he’s a sound defender. Romano is a strong-bodied switch-hitter who also showed competitive at-bats all fall, including in my visit, when he drew two walks and had two singles.
One wild card who could factor into the outfield mix is freshman Riley Stanford, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound Adonis who will see two-way duties. Like Finley, he’ll be counted upon to pitch significant innings, which could limit his offensive opportunities, but his raw power from the right side is undeniable, and he has a chance to take off if he gets a shot in a corner outfield spot.
The biggest hole for Georgia Tech to fill is behind the plate, where it must replace a bona fide superstar in Parada (.360/.452/.709, 26 HR). Parada’s heir apparent, Baltimore prep talent Lamar King, signed with the Padres in the fourth round out of high school, leaving sixth-year senior Jack Rubenstein to take over as the starting catcher, a year after transferring in from Emory. Rubenstein turned in some quality at-bats in limited action a year ago, and he brings some righthanded pop as well as veteran savvy and an adequate arm behind the plate.
“I don’t think Parada’s walking through the door anytime soon, big shoes to fill but Ruby caught some for us last year, went up to the Cape and caught for a month in Chatham, then just came back,” Hall said. “He’s in this new program here at Georgia Tech, Grad-X, so from 8 a.m. to noon every day he’s working in an internship that gives him some hands-on experience, then has to take a couple classes as part of this grad program. We were excited to get him back, he’s hit well through the fall, proven he’s definitely capable.”
Campbell is likely to play second, but if necessary he could slide into the outfield, and sophomore Nicholas Romano could handle second, where he’s a sound defender. Romano is a strong-bodied switch-hitter who also showed competitive at-bats all fall, including in my visit, when he drew two walks and had two singles.
One wild card who could factor into the outfield mix is freshman Riley Stanford, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound Adonis who will see two-way duties. Like Finley, he’ll be counted upon to pitch significant innings, which could limit his offensive opportunities, but his raw power from the right side is undeniable, and he has a chance to take off if he gets a shot in a corner outfield spot.
The biggest hole for Georgia Tech to fill is behind the plate, where it must replace a bona fide superstar in Parada (.360/.452/.709, 26 HR). Parada’s heir apparent, Baltimore prep talent Lamar King, signed with the Padres in the fourth round out of high school, leaving sixth-year senior Jack Rubenstein to take over as the starting catcher, a year after transferring in from Emory. Rubenstein turned in some quality at-bats in limited action a year ago, and he brings some righthanded pop as well as veteran savvy and an adequate arm behind the plate.
“I don’t think Parada’s walking through the door anytime soon, big shoes to fill but Ruby caught some for us last year, went up to the Cape and caught for a month in Chatham, then just came back,” Hall said. “He’s in this new program here at Georgia Tech, Grad-X, so from 8 a.m. to noon every day he’s working in an internship that gives him some hands-on experience, then has to take a couple classes as part of this grad program. We were excited to get him back, he’s hit well through the fall, proven he’s definitely capable.”
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Pitching Staff
Georgia Tech faces considerable uncertainty on the mound after losing its top four innings eaters from a year ago (Huff, Marquis Grissom Jr., John Medich and Maxwell). The three returning innings leaders (Dawson Brown, Logan McGuire and Aeden Finateri) each logged fewer than 40 IP last year, and each posted ERAs north of 7. In short, this team is very light on proven commodities on the mound — but the depth of pure talent is awfully intriguing, with an enviable blend of lefties and righties.
Brown, McGuire and Finateri are all capable of performing better than they did a year ago, and they will now be counted upon to assume more prominent roles on the overhauled pitching staff. Like his father (former big league great Kevin Brown), Dawson Brown’s calling card is his heavy sinker, which can sit at 92-94 when he’s right. He had minor knee surgery in the offseason that caused him to get off to a late start this fall, but he was ramping up over the last month, and Hall said his slider looks better than ever before — and improving that pitch is the key to his development.
“Dawson’s just one of those guys that it’s taken him a while to develop, but he has a tremendous upside, and I think tremendous talent,” Hall said. “If it all merges then we’re gonna have a guy.”
McGuire is a key breakout candidate heading into his sophomore year, and he looked the part of a legitimate ACC weekend starter in my look against Kennesaw State, breezing through a 1-2-3 inning while showing three quality pitches. A loose, athletic 6-foot-3, 180-pound righty with a high slot, McGuire attacked at 92-95 mph with an 83-84 mph tumbling changeup that flashed plus, along with a mid-70s curveball. He is one of the front-runners for a weekend starter job along with 6-foot-6, 220-pound lefthander Camron Hill, who posted a 6.57 ERA in 24.2 innings as a freshman. A live, wiry-strong athlete with some crossfire action to his three-quarters delivery, Hill worked at 89-92 in my look this fall, showing a 77-80 mph slider with tight spin in the 2600 rpm range and very good tilt, along with a changeup that he lacked feel for in this outing. He struck out the side in his inning against KSU, escaping a bases-loaded jam unscathed by getting a lefty to chase a tough slider down and away.
“We really think Hill has a chance to be great,” Hall said. “He had a great summer in the Cape closing, but he’s got a good slider, a good changeup. He’s hovered all fall at 90-92, and we believe in him. I think we’ll build him as a starter but just because of the experience in the NECBL of closing, we know we could close him as well.”
Georgia Tech faces considerable uncertainty on the mound after losing its top four innings eaters from a year ago (Huff, Marquis Grissom Jr., John Medich and Maxwell). The three returning innings leaders (Dawson Brown, Logan McGuire and Aeden Finateri) each logged fewer than 40 IP last year, and each posted ERAs north of 7. In short, this team is very light on proven commodities on the mound — but the depth of pure talent is awfully intriguing, with an enviable blend of lefties and righties.
Brown, McGuire and Finateri are all capable of performing better than they did a year ago, and they will now be counted upon to assume more prominent roles on the overhauled pitching staff. Like his father (former big league great Kevin Brown), Dawson Brown’s calling card is his heavy sinker, which can sit at 92-94 when he’s right. He had minor knee surgery in the offseason that caused him to get off to a late start this fall, but he was ramping up over the last month, and Hall said his slider looks better than ever before — and improving that pitch is the key to his development.
“Dawson’s just one of those guys that it’s taken him a while to develop, but he has a tremendous upside, and I think tremendous talent,” Hall said. “If it all merges then we’re gonna have a guy.”
McGuire is a key breakout candidate heading into his sophomore year, and he looked the part of a legitimate ACC weekend starter in my look against Kennesaw State, breezing through a 1-2-3 inning while showing three quality pitches. A loose, athletic 6-foot-3, 180-pound righty with a high slot, McGuire attacked at 92-95 mph with an 83-84 mph tumbling changeup that flashed plus, along with a mid-70s curveball. He is one of the front-runners for a weekend starter job along with 6-foot-6, 220-pound lefthander Camron Hill, who posted a 6.57 ERA in 24.2 innings as a freshman. A live, wiry-strong athlete with some crossfire action to his three-quarters delivery, Hill worked at 89-92 in my look this fall, showing a 77-80 mph slider with tight spin in the 2600 rpm range and very good tilt, along with a changeup that he lacked feel for in this outing. He struck out the side in his inning against KSU, escaping a bases-loaded jam unscathed by getting a lefty to chase a tough slider down and away.
“We really think Hill has a chance to be great,” Hall said. “He had a great summer in the Cape closing, but he’s got a good slider, a good changeup. He’s hovered all fall at 90-92, and we believe in him. I think we’ll build him as a starter but just because of the experience in the NECBL of closing, we know we could close him as well.”
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Finateri started out in the rotation last spring after impressing in the fall, but he struggled and soon wound up in the bullpen, where he had his ups and downs. He’s a stocky bulldog righthander who attacked at 88-90 with good arm-side run against Kennesaw, along with a sharp power slurve at 79-80 and a good fading, deceptive changeup. Like Hill, he spent the summer in the NECBL and should benefit from the experience.
How Georgia Tech’s talented sophomore arms develop will be a huge key in 2023, as lefthander Cody Carwile is in the same category as Finateri, Hill and McGuire — he’s flashed plenty of promise and needs to take the next step. Like Finateri, Carwile made three starts last year and logged 30-plus innings, and that experience should make him better going forward. He missed some time with a knee issue this fall, but Hall said he checked out fine and should be on track for the spring.
Another lefthander who could factor into the starting mix is junior Dalton Smith, a seasoned fourth-year player with seven career starts under his belt. A funky, deceptive southpaw who can touch 90 with a plus changeup and a useful sweeping slurve, Smith had the most dominant fall of any pitcher on staff, according to Hall.
The aforementioned Jackson Finley is another front-runner for a starting job, right alongside Hill and McGuire. Finley’s athleticism plays well on the mound, where his lightning arm produced 93-96 mph heat in an inning against Kennesaw State, along with the makings of three decent secondary pitches in his 77-79 mph three-quarters curveball, mid-80s slider and 88 mph changeup. Finley has come back strong from the Tommy John surgery that cut his 2021 freshman year short and limited him in 2022, and he’s got superstar potential if he can harness his huge stuff — and/or his huge power at the plate.
“I kid him all the time, ‘Are you the next Ohtani?’ We hope he is,” Hall said. “He’s always been able to throw hard, but I think he and Coach [Danny] Borrell have worked very hard on his package, his slider, curve and change. We see flashes of all that coming together. It’s all there, just a matter of him getting out, getting comfortable and getting going. I would almost classify him as like Jake DeLeo — we all believe in him, just needs to take that next step. But definitely a guy in that weekend starter group.”
How Georgia Tech’s talented sophomore arms develop will be a huge key in 2023, as lefthander Cody Carwile is in the same category as Finateri, Hill and McGuire — he’s flashed plenty of promise and needs to take the next step. Like Finateri, Carwile made three starts last year and logged 30-plus innings, and that experience should make him better going forward. He missed some time with a knee issue this fall, but Hall said he checked out fine and should be on track for the spring.
Another lefthander who could factor into the starting mix is junior Dalton Smith, a seasoned fourth-year player with seven career starts under his belt. A funky, deceptive southpaw who can touch 90 with a plus changeup and a useful sweeping slurve, Smith had the most dominant fall of any pitcher on staff, according to Hall.
The aforementioned Jackson Finley is another front-runner for a starting job, right alongside Hill and McGuire. Finley’s athleticism plays well on the mound, where his lightning arm produced 93-96 mph heat in an inning against Kennesaw State, along with the makings of three decent secondary pitches in his 77-79 mph three-quarters curveball, mid-80s slider and 88 mph changeup. Finley has come back strong from the Tommy John surgery that cut his 2021 freshman year short and limited him in 2022, and he’s got superstar potential if he can harness his huge stuff — and/or his huge power at the plate.
“I kid him all the time, ‘Are you the next Ohtani?’ We hope he is,” Hall said. “He’s always been able to throw hard, but I think he and Coach [Danny] Borrell have worked very hard on his package, his slider, curve and change. We see flashes of all that coming together. It’s all there, just a matter of him getting out, getting comfortable and getting going. I would almost classify him as like Jake DeLeo — we all believe in him, just needs to take that next step. But definitely a guy in that weekend starter group.”
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With so many roles up for grabs, Georgia Tech stretched out a bunch of pitchers to compete for starting gigs this fall, and three newcomers should factor heavily in that mix as well. Whether they wind up in the rotation or the bullpen, all three should be crucial pieces of this staff. First off, juco transfer Terry Busse might have been the most impressive GT pitcher I saw in 14 innings against Kennesaw, attacking the zone at 93-94 with exceptional arm-side life and also riding action. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Busse has a short takeaway to a low slot (a tick above sidearm), and his heater simply explodes on hitters, resulting in frequent soft groundball contact. He also showed a solid slider at 82, and Hall said he throws a useful curvball as well, but the heater is his calling card.
“Right now we like him as a starter. The way his fastball profiles, and we think his slider and curveball are good enough that we could start him. Will be interesting to see if he can do it,” Hall said. “I think last year as a juco I don’t think he started, mostly threw in relief and also in the Draft League. But we built him up pretty good in the fall, he’s one of them we tried to build some pitches on and felt like he handled it well. He’s a hard worker, been impressive. A quiet competitor who goes about his business but wants to do well every day.”
The other two key newcomers are high-profile freshmen Noah Samol and Luke Schmolke, who will certainly occupy key roles in some form or another. Samol is a huge 6-foot-8, 242-pound lefthander with a long, loose arm swing to a high slot, making his 92-94 mph fastball play up even more due to the extreme downhill angle. He showed good feel for an 85-86 mph changeup against Kennesaw, using it to induce soft rollover contact against righties, but his breaking ball was poor in this brief look, and Hall said that’s the pitch he needs to continues to work on most. At his best, Samol has been 94-96 this fall, and the quality of his changeup has been the most surprising thing about him.
Schmolke, a 6-foot, 184-pound righty who draws Ian Anderson comps from the coaching staff, is a loose athlete with a high slot that produced 90-91 mph heat in a scoreless inning against KSU, though he can run his fastball up to 95. His signature pitch is a 12-to-6 hammer in the high 70s that buckled some knees against the Owls, and Hall said he has good feel for a changeup as well, a pitch he’s worked hard on. “His fastball has that ride so he gets a lot of swing and misses with a riding fastball then tunnels that breaking ball off it, just makes him hard to hit,” Hall said. “We’ll build them both up, whether one can crack the weekend rotation and one can crack midweek, we’ll see, but we’ll build them both as starters and see where it goes, but excited about both those guys.”
“Right now we like him as a starter. The way his fastball profiles, and we think his slider and curveball are good enough that we could start him. Will be interesting to see if he can do it,” Hall said. “I think last year as a juco I don’t think he started, mostly threw in relief and also in the Draft League. But we built him up pretty good in the fall, he’s one of them we tried to build some pitches on and felt like he handled it well. He’s a hard worker, been impressive. A quiet competitor who goes about his business but wants to do well every day.”
The other two key newcomers are high-profile freshmen Noah Samol and Luke Schmolke, who will certainly occupy key roles in some form or another. Samol is a huge 6-foot-8, 242-pound lefthander with a long, loose arm swing to a high slot, making his 92-94 mph fastball play up even more due to the extreme downhill angle. He showed good feel for an 85-86 mph changeup against Kennesaw, using it to induce soft rollover contact against righties, but his breaking ball was poor in this brief look, and Hall said that’s the pitch he needs to continues to work on most. At his best, Samol has been 94-96 this fall, and the quality of his changeup has been the most surprising thing about him.
Schmolke, a 6-foot, 184-pound righty who draws Ian Anderson comps from the coaching staff, is a loose athlete with a high slot that produced 90-91 mph heat in a scoreless inning against KSU, though he can run his fastball up to 95. His signature pitch is a 12-to-6 hammer in the high 70s that buckled some knees against the Owls, and Hall said he has good feel for a changeup as well, a pitch he’s worked hard on. “His fastball has that ride so he gets a lot of swing and misses with a riding fastball then tunnels that breaking ball off it, just makes him hard to hit,” Hall said. “We’ll build them both up, whether one can crack the weekend rotation and one can crack midweek, we’ll see, but we’ll build them both as starters and see where it goes, but excited about both those guys.”
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And don’t forget about aforementioned two-way talent Riley Stanford, who reportedly touched 100 mph this summer in the Sunbelt League and topped out at 97 this fall. Hall said Stanford also showed a better slider than he expected, and more overall polish. He’s got a chance to become a shutdown back-end power arm as he develops.
Veterans Joseph Mannelly and Josiah Siegel give Georgia Tech two experienced bullpen options from the left side. Mannelly, a fifth-year senior, missed time at the end of last spring due to injury, but he’s come back strong this fall, working at 86-88 from a sidearm slot with good ride and spin rates in the 2400s against Kennesaw. He complemented it with a Frisbee slider at 73-76. Hall said he asked former major league lefty specialist Javier Lopez (whose wife is a sports psychologist at Georgia Tech) to watch Mannelly in practice and give him some advice to help him work through some things and settle on an arm slot. Siegel lacks overpowering stuff but is a proven strike-thrower who can mix speeds and locations effectively.
As for righties in the bullpen, expect big contributions from fourth-year sophomore Ben King and Pacific transfer Jackson Vaughan. King has been one of the best relievers on the staff this fall, running his heater up to 94 with a legit putaway slider, Hall said. Vaughan, who posted a 3.27 ERA in 33 relief innings for Pacific last spring, has a low release point and deception that makes his fastball play above its 87-91 mph velocity, and he showed good feel for a sharp downer curve at 75-78 against Kennesaw.
Sophomore righty Cameron Clines worked at 91-93 with good carry on his fastball in my look, mixing in a firm 87-88 changeup with good tumble and a solid 79-80 slider with two-plane break. Samford transfer Drew Byers was 88-90 with a serviceable three-quarters slurve. Freshman Carson Ballard bumped 91 with heavy sink and mixed in a good sweeping slider and promising changeup. And fellow freshman Demetri Diamant, a two-way talent mentioned above, topped out at 90 in my look but has been up to 93 from a short arm action to a high slot. He also has good depth on his overhand curveball.
All of those pieces add depth; it’s just a matter of figuring out which guys are ready for primetime roles in the ACC.
“We like the potential. There’s not a lot of history, even though all the guys that are sophomores — McGuire, Hill, Carwile, Finateri — all those guys got in there last year,” Hall said. “Some of the others have been around for a while. But we like the potential and versatility of it. Those guys just need to continue to keep working, and we have to do a really good job putting them in the right situations where they can have success.
“We’ve always been a great offensive club, ever since I’ve been here, we’ve always had teams that can hit. So I was worried a little about that — I’m not skeptical but I’d say we have to be a little different type of team offensively. I think we have the potential to be a really good pitching staff, and we have to play good defense. If we can improve on pitching and defense we’ve got a chance to be a pretty good club.”
Veterans Joseph Mannelly and Josiah Siegel give Georgia Tech two experienced bullpen options from the left side. Mannelly, a fifth-year senior, missed time at the end of last spring due to injury, but he’s come back strong this fall, working at 86-88 from a sidearm slot with good ride and spin rates in the 2400s against Kennesaw. He complemented it with a Frisbee slider at 73-76. Hall said he asked former major league lefty specialist Javier Lopez (whose wife is a sports psychologist at Georgia Tech) to watch Mannelly in practice and give him some advice to help him work through some things and settle on an arm slot. Siegel lacks overpowering stuff but is a proven strike-thrower who can mix speeds and locations effectively.
As for righties in the bullpen, expect big contributions from fourth-year sophomore Ben King and Pacific transfer Jackson Vaughan. King has been one of the best relievers on the staff this fall, running his heater up to 94 with a legit putaway slider, Hall said. Vaughan, who posted a 3.27 ERA in 33 relief innings for Pacific last spring, has a low release point and deception that makes his fastball play above its 87-91 mph velocity, and he showed good feel for a sharp downer curve at 75-78 against Kennesaw.
Sophomore righty Cameron Clines worked at 91-93 with good carry on his fastball in my look, mixing in a firm 87-88 changeup with good tumble and a solid 79-80 slider with two-plane break. Samford transfer Drew Byers was 88-90 with a serviceable three-quarters slurve. Freshman Carson Ballard bumped 91 with heavy sink and mixed in a good sweeping slider and promising changeup. And fellow freshman Demetri Diamant, a two-way talent mentioned above, topped out at 90 in my look but has been up to 93 from a short arm action to a high slot. He also has good depth on his overhand curveball.
All of those pieces add depth; it’s just a matter of figuring out which guys are ready for primetime roles in the ACC.
“We like the potential. There’s not a lot of history, even though all the guys that are sophomores — McGuire, Hill, Carwile, Finateri — all those guys got in there last year,” Hall said. “Some of the others have been around for a while. But we like the potential and versatility of it. Those guys just need to continue to keep working, and we have to do a really good job putting them in the right situations where they can have success.
“We’ve always been a great offensive club, ever since I’ve been here, we’ve always had teams that can hit. So I was worried a little about that — I’m not skeptical but I’d say we have to be a little different type of team offensively. I think we have the potential to be a really good pitching staff, and we have to play good defense. If we can improve on pitching and defense we’ve got a chance to be a pretty good club.”
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We need to pitch better (hopeful we will). Need better defense. Offense will be good but different given all the firepower we lost.
Most others are probably getting better with the portal and COVID adding to average experience, so who knows where we'll end up. We wont suck and could be very good.
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78pike
Ramblin' Wreck
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Thanks so much for the report. I always find it interesting to see what unbiased outsiders think of our program.
FredJacket
Helluva Engineer
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Aaron Fitt isn't exactly unbiased. He is always on the bandwagon for Ga Tech. Not a criticism... advocates only help the program.
I doubt Ga Tech has ever matched Fitt's preseason expectations?
CINCYMETJACKET
Helluva Engineer
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It's about time! Have been checking the D1Baseball site for that report daily for the last few weeks.
rodandanga
Jolly Good Fellow
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I was ready to suplex Fitt if we didn't get a write up.
Jacket20
Georgia Tech Fan
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read is other tweets....this guy is an idiot
FredJacket
Helluva Engineer
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It's a parody. It isn't real.
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Sarcasm / parody don't transmit well on the internet. Especially with engineers.
The guy is an idiot. There are so many idiots out there, that opinion wouldn't surprise me to be posted. I know people who believe his BS, unless of course the comments are all parodies.
I recently went to a local food festival and came away wondering if Idiocracy was optimistic:
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To try and get familiar with the players again (along with new ones), I put in the D1 report details in my spreadsheet below.
Biggest takeaways remain unproven but talented and massive pitching depth, good hitting again and maybe better defense except for catcher. Some things that jumped out:
Biggest takeaways remain unproven but talented and massive pitching depth, good hitting again and maybe better defense except for catcher. Some things that jumped out:
- We have about 46 players and have to get to 35. Some will be RS, but still a large cutting to happen.
- JuCo Terry Busse looks to be best new pitcher. But lots of guys had good summers and development. I've got 19 possible pitchers out of the 46. This is the year DBo has to show he can develop talent to get our ERA from being one of the worst in the ACC.
- Catcher position also has Tyler Minnick enrolling early, so we'll have Rubenstein, transfer Nathan Smith and early enroll Tyler Minnick maybe in that order.
- Infield - Compton 3rd, Jackson SS, Campbell 2nd, Giesler or DiSigna 1st? Campbell got rave development comments.
- Transfer Angelo DiSigna fighting to start LF. DeLeo CF and Reid RF.