2026 Fall College Baseball Reset: Georgia Tech

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2026 Fall College Baseball Reset: Georgia Tech

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 5:58 PM ET

Heading into the 2026 NCAA tournament, Georgia Tech looked poised to be a top contender for the national title alongside UCLA. But like the top-seeded Bruins, the Yellow Jackets fell in the Regionals. Now, the Jackets must look for better with a different alignment for 2027.

The Returnees

The 2026 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were a team built to win. Their roster was filled with juniors who performed before last season, and looked primed to go far before the school hit a brick wall from Norman. So, now what?

Well, the Jackets were able to retain Ryan Zuckerman. Zuckerman, like Vahn Lackey, Drew Burress, Carson Kerce, Jarren Advincula, and Alex Hernandez, was draft-eligible. However, the former Pittsburgh Panther will instead get one more crack at a national title.

Zuckerman was Georgia Tech’s home run leader, as he belted 23 in 2026. There is a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, which does complicate how he might do as a pro. But that’s a conversation for another day.

Speaking of swing-and-miss, Drew Rogers showed plenty of it in his time up in the Cape Cod League. A 41% Whiff%, to be exact. However, he was also very disciplined, with a Take% among the top 10 in the circuit.

(via New Baseball Media)

Rogers saw some time in the deep Georgia Tech lineup last season and made the most of his time when in the lineup. The junior catcher hit seven home runs in 34 contests, and Rogers started just 19 last year

Caleb Daniel was one of eight Yellow Jackets to have a double-digit home run season in 2026. He’s back for his junior campaign, as are 2026 regulars Will Baker and Kent Schmidt. Baker and Schmidt combined to hit 16 home runs last year.

As for the pitching staff, Justin Shadek, Jackson Blakely, and Cooper Underwood are among the returning pitchers.

Shadek, who came over from Rutgers during the summer of 2025, worked mostly as a reliever in 2026 after he worked extensively as a starter with the Scarlet Knights. He punched out 44 over 28 innings. And with a fastball that played into the upper-90s, Shadek provided plenty of value in said role.

(via New Baseball Media)

Blakely formed a strong 1-2 punch atop the Tech rotation last year alongside Tate McKee. The right-hander struck out 69 over 60 innings, posted a 3.36 ERA, and did a strong job of limiting damage.

(via New Baseball Media)

Underwood, a prized recruit from the 2025 class, worked as both a starter and reliever last season. He walked his fair share of batters but also struck out 26 over 23.2 IP.

Dimitri Angelakos, Adam McKelvey, and Dylan Loy are also back for 2027.

The Newcomers

Several new pitchers are among the headliners from the 2026 transfer pool additions.

Jayden Stroman jumped from Virginia to Georgia Tech. Stroman, the younger brother of Marcus Stroman, followed Chris Pollard to UVA after he initially committed to Duke, before the coach left to join the Cavaliers. He worked as a reliever last season for Virginia.

Tyler Guerin, who spent part of the summer in the Cape Cod League, joined Georgia Tech from Iowa. Guerin, who posted a 26.7% Whiff% in the summer, is not a heavy strikeout pitcher by any stretch of the imagination. He’s more of a groundball pitcher who worked with a mid-90s sinker that paced his arsenal.

Brady Fox struck out 53 over 43 innings for UMBC last season, leading the Retrievers in saves.

Josh Gunther started seven games for South Carolina last season. Gunther walked 25 but struck out 44 batters over 37.2 IP.

As for the offense, Georgia Tech brought in Jordan Lodise from UCF. As a freshman, Lodise was a regular and played 55 games, accruing 45 total hits.

The school also added nine new freshmen, including Luke Nitkowski, Ezekiel Lara, and Kolby Martin.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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