Georgia Tech Dominates UIC in NCAA Baseball Opener
UIC got off to a quick start, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a home run by first baseman Will Flanigan, which brought Alexander Wright around the bases.
However, the Yellow Jackets responded as they have throughout the season.
They really turned the game around.
As the No. 2 seed in the men’s NCAA baseball tournament, Georgia Tech exploded for 17 runs over their next three at-bats, ultimately winning 22-5 in their Atlanta opener.
The first key hit came from Alex Hernandez, who belted his 10th home run of the season to deep left, tying the game at 2-2.
Shortly after, Parker Brosius (yes, the son of Scott Brosius) hit a home run to right-center, putting Georgia Tech ahead at 3-2.
They weren’t planning to look back.
Georgia Tech continued to dominate the game, pulling away in the following inning. The standout moment was a powerful hit from catcher Van Lackey, who is a top prospect for July’s MLB Draft.
The energy was palpable as the ball soared over 456 feet from home plate—potentially landing at the football team’s practice facility.
In the fourth inning, Georgia Tech scored nine more runs, triggering a rout which included a grand slam by Hernandez.
Though Lackey was replaced early in the game by Drew Rodgers, he ended with two hits in three at-bats. Brosius also recorded 2 hits in 3 at-bats, and Jalen Advincula had a great game, going 3-for-5 and hitting his 10th home run. Drew Burress, who set a single-season home run record earlier this year, walked twice but didn’t get a hit.
Hernandez wasn’t done; his grand slam in the fourth wasn’t his last highlight of the day, as he tacked on three runs in the sixth inning.
Overall, Georgia Tech’s lineup produced 22 hits, with seven home runs and a remarkable total of 22 runs scored.
This marked the third occasion in program history that the Yellow Jackets scored 20 or more runs in an NCAA Tournament game.
For UIC, Flanigan hit another home run in the fifth inning, which was a solo shot that made the score 17-3. Jake Busson contributed two runs in the eighth, bringing the final score to a respectable finish for UIC.
Looking ahead, Georgia Tech is set to face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 The Citadel tomorrow, while UIC will take on the loser in an elimination game.
