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Georgia Tech is just days away from beginning their 2021 season, with Eastern Kentucky set to head to Atlanta.
On Tuesday, head coach Danny Hall spent time with members of the media, talking about a variety of topics.
Hurter set to start Friday, rest of (this) weekend’s staff announced, Roedig’s status updated
After missing the 2020 season due to injury, LHP Brant Hurter will go into the 2021 season as the Friday night pitcher.
Following him at least for this weekend, per Danny Hall, is Andy Archer and Sammy Crawford, two pieces many thought would be in the bullpen.
Said Hall: “This weekend, and I will emphasize this weekend, Brant Hurter is going to throw Friday, Andy Archer is going to throw Saturday, and Sammy Crawford will throw on Sunday.
The obvious question is, well where is Cort Roedig? He had a little off-season surgery, so he is a little bit behind. He has been throwing, but he’s not ready to go as a starter. We are still trying to build him up.
In saying that, we also feel like Andy Archer and Sammy Crawford are throwing the ball well, so for this weekend, that’s what we are going to do.
We were very close to placing Archer in the rotation last season before the season got shut down. He (Archer) has kind of wanted this for a long time now, and has worked very hard to get the opportunity to be a weekend starter at Georgia Tech, and now is his opportunity.
Closer situation remains fluid, but Bartnicki to start out
One of the question marks, and positions that were up in the air the most from a pitching standpoint, was in the back-end of the bullpen.
While many thought Zach Maxwell may get the call to start the season, it will actually be Luke Bartnicki going into this weekend.
“I think this weekend we are going to close with Luke (Bartnicki),” he said. “We’ve also got Zach sitting there, and there are a lot of other guys that we feel can put them in the game and they do well. Hugh Chapman is throwing as good as he has since he’s been here. The two transfers (Medich and Huff) have been throwing great.
I feel confident these guys will be able to get the job done.”
Former Vandy IF Malloy set to start at 3B, but Compton, Anderson getting reps at the position as well
Former Vanderbilt IF Justyn-Henry Malloy is one of two former Commodores on the 2021 roster for Georgia Tech, joining Chance Huff. Malloy’s set to begin the season as the starting 3B.
“Right now, it is (Justyn-Henry) Malloy over there. We’ve also had Compton over there, and also had John Anderson, one of our freshmen over there. It is something we are going to have to keep a close eye on, but right now the best option is definitely Malloy.
We’re going to have to keep working at it to keep trying to get the best defense possible at the position. But right now, the best option is Malloy, and he will be starting for us on Friday.”
Parada, Holland still battling at C
It has been said several times, even in the past couple of days how big the addition of Kevin Parada, among other freshmen, is to this 2021 season for Georgia Tech.
Baseball America recently listed him as a top three “newcomer” for the 2021 season, and he is already listed on several other sites as a top 2022 MLB Draft prospect.
He and fellow freshman Jake Holland have been going back and forth all fall/spring, and that battle could continue into the season.
“Without a doubt, Jake Holland is the most improved player on our team” said Hall. “He has led our team in hitting, has hit home runs, and is catching better than he did last year.
That being said… Kevin Parada is also a very good player. He is improving defensively, and I believe he will be able to hit from the get-go. There will be days that he looks like a freshman out there, and there will be days that he looks like a high draft pick and All-American with the bat in his hand.
It is a battle that is still ongoing, and we will probably play them both, alternating them early on.”
Hall compared the situation to the one that took place back when now San Francisco Giants C Joey Bart was on campus.
“We kind of did that with Joey Bart. When he was a freshman, we had Arden Pabst back there.We kind of alternated those guys. There might be a series in which one will catch two games, one will catch the other, but we are very high on both guys.”
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