Georgia Tech Sends Blunt Message to Rest of ACC

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steven Corder | Last updated May 23, 2025 10:45 AM ET

The moment Drew Burress launched the first pitch he saw into the North Carolina sky, it was clear Georgia Tech came to make a statement. And they did—loudly.

In a dominant 10-3 victory over California on Thursday, the No. 1 seed Yellow Jackets (40-16) tied the ACC Tournament record with seven home runs, eliminating the No. 16 seed Golden Bears (24-31) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship. The win sets up a high-stakes semifinal clash with Clemson on Saturday.

The Jackets wasted no time igniting their offense. Burress, the team’s spark plug, sent a solo homer into left field to open the bottom of the first. Two batters later, Kyle Lodise followed with a two-run blast, and Caleb Daniel added his own solo shot—giving Tech a 4-0 lead before the dust had even settled. Burress finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.

By the end of the night, six different Jackets had gone yard, including a rare inside-the-park home run from Vahn Lackey, whose hustle electrified the crowd at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Pitcher Tate McKee (7-3) anchored the win on the mound with a commanding performance, scattering eight hits over seven innings while striking out 10. Despite Cal tallying 12 hits, they stranded 12 runners and never found the big swing Georgia Tech thrived on. McKee (10), Mason Patel (2) and Brett Barfield (1) combined for 13 Ks today - the most by a Tech pitching staff in a postseason game since 2018

California had momentum coming into the game after two early-round upsets, but Georgia Tech’s firepower overwhelmed the underdogs early. Cal’s starter JJ Hollis (0-1) lasted less than an inning, surrendering three home runs in 0.2 innings.

Next up: a battle of heavyweights. Georgia Tech will face No. 5 seed Clemson (43-15) on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, live on ACC Network.

If the Jackets keep swinging like this, the trophy isn’t just within reach—it’s waiting.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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