After a thorough mid-week win over Bryant, Boston College softball wraps up its very successful regular season with a three-game conference series against Georgia Tech, aiming for a third-straight 30-win campaign. The Eagles (28-21, 11-9 Atlantic Coast) have a chance to catch Notre Dame in the Atlantic Division standings with a sweep, but it’ll be no easy task—the Yellow Jackets (27-23, 12-9) have enjoyed a strong season and have taken their last two conference series in a row.
Who is BC playing?
Georgia Tech
When is BC playing?
Friday, May 4, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 5, 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 6, 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Harrington Athletics Village, Brighton, Mass.
How to Watch:
Live stats will be available to follow from Sidearm Stats.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) A sweep would bring BC’s conference win total to 14 and match last year’s record. It’d be an impressive two-year stretch for head coach Ashley Obrest, who entered last season averaging under six conference wins a year during her first four years.
2) Annie Murphy enters the weekend on an absolute tear, having reached base safely in 25-consecutive games, while additionally climbing to fifth in the conference in batting average (.380). She’s elevated her play against ACC opponents, though, leading the way with a .484 average—over 40 points higher than the second-place hitter.
3) The rest of the Eagles have seen the ball pretty well in conference play, too. In conference-only stats, BC boasts the top average (.296) and gets on base at a .393 clip, only surpassed by the top team in the conference, Florida State.
GT:
1) The Yellow Jackets lineup tells a different story. GT ranks last in the ACC in batting average (.233). Still, they’ve managed to scratch across runs, averaging the same amount per game (4.4) as the Eagles.
2) Part of the success, despite a weaker lineup, can be attributed to workhorse Emily Anderson, who’s piled up almost 230 innings pitched and boasts 19 wins, 179 strikeouts, and six shutouts. Anderson’s 2.06 earned run average is eighth in the conference, nearly 20 points lower than BC’s Allyson Frei.
3) The strength of GT is arguably the power the lineup possesses. Yes, the batting average is low, but the Yellow Jackets are tied for the conference lead in home runs with FSU, recording 50 on the year. Katie Krzus and Draven Sonnon both have nine, while four other batters have logged at least four long balls. BC, meanwhile, has just two players with four or more.
Last Meeting:
The two teams haven’t met since 2016, when BC came away with a series sweep on the road. The Eagles extended their winning streak against GT to five, improving its woeful 9-30 all-time record versus the Yellow Jackets. BC doubled them up, 8-4, in the Friday opener, then followed with a doubleheader sweep on day two. It took 11 innings to get the first win, but the Eagles surged in the nightcap, needing just five innings to rout their hosts, 9-0. Frei and Jessica Dreswick, then sophomores, both impressed, with the latter throwing five shutout innings of relief during the day.
Outlook:
This is an interesting series for plenty of reasons. First, it’s a chance for the Eagles to assert themselves against a comparable foe—both teams have nine conference losses, while GT has one more game in the win column. BC has taken series’ against bottom-feeders like Syracuse, North Carolina State, and Virginia, and it’s beaten tough opponents like Notre Dame. Dreswick and Frei will have the opportunity to exert their wills against the worst hitting team in the ACC, an exciting prospect after having to face Notre Dame and FSU—two of the highest-scoring teams in the conference. Extending their win streak against the Yellow Jackets to eight games while capping off a tremendous second half of the season would give BC plenty of momentum heading into the ACC Tournament, but at the very least, another series win would provide enough of a capstone.
Featured Image by Bradley Smart / Heights Editor
