Diamond Buzz In Atlanta
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s finally here. Happy Opening Week to all those who celebrate in the College Baseball world!
With the first pitch of the season coming quickly, there’s as much excitement around the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets program than has been for a while.
A consensus pre-season Top 5 program and has been ranked as high as #2 in the country by Perfect Game, Georgia Tech looks to make Head Coach James Ramsey’s a historic one.
James Ramsey enters his 8th season on the Flats, but his first as Head Coach after Danny Hall retired following the 2025 season.
Ramsey has gained a reputation as both one of the best hitting coaches in the country and also an elite recruiter which has once again proven true this offseason.
Any conversation about Georgia Tech Baseball in recent history has started with the offense which remains true this year. That said, now it’s not a knock on the pitching, it’s the fact that the Jackets are possibly the most explosive lineup in the country.
Georgia Tech returns 7 of the 9 starters from a year ago in an offense that led the country in doubles and hit .314 as a team scoring 8.5 runs per game.
Drew Burress, who was named the permanent team captain for the season headlines the lineup as, what I believe is the best player in college baseball.
Catcher Vahn Lackey joins Burress as a projected top 15 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after hitting .347 in 2025 with 42 driven in.
The 2025 ACC Batting Champion, Kent Schmidt, reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Alex Hernandez, along with Caleb Daniel, Carson Kerce round out the returners for the Jackets.
Ramsey has been clear that high school recruiting will be the lifeblood of the program and then supplement with transfer portal acquisitions. That rings true in 2026.
Two key transfers round out the lineup with former Cal Bear Jarren Advincula who is one of the purest hitters in college baseball.
The Jackets also added a power bat with Pitt transfer Ryan Zuckerman who racked up 44 extra base hits and drove in 79 RBI last year for the Panthers.
The question around Georgia Tech has been “will they be able to pitch enough?” While some, continue to ask the question, frankly, that’s an old question that has been answered in the last two years with Pitching Coach Matt Taylor and Director of Pitching Jason Richman.
Last season Georgia Tech made an unbelievable jump to 4th in the ACC with a 4.91 ERA (was 12th in 2024). The Jackets return starter in Tate McKee who stepped into the role of opening day starter a year ago and never let go.
Some roles on the pitching staff are still being decided between one of the best bullpen arms last year in Mason Patel potentially jumping into the rotation.
Tennessee transfer lefty Dylan Loy could make a play for a starter or key bullpen piece. The Jackets also added Justin Shadek from Rutgers to the mix. Shadek with electric stuff could slide into a rotation slot or into the back end of the bullpen to close games out.
Last season was the first outright ACC regular season championship for the Jackets since 2005, and the Jackets seem to be not only reloaded, but amplified to make a run to Omaha.
The feeling around this team is special. Stories of transfers taking less NIL money in order to get other transfers, a closeness around a team that still hasn’t played a true pitch with each other yet, but there’s something special brewing on the corner of Ferst and Fowler in Midtown Atlanta!
