As NCAA tournament begins, Georgia Tech relies on analytics

The reasons for Georgia Tech’s ascension from back-to-back seasons without NCAA tournament berths to the No. 3 seed in the entire 64-team field are many. Perhaps the most frequently cited are the hires of assistant coach James Ramsey and volunteer assistant coach Dan Jaffe and the leadership provided by the Yellow Jackets’ senior class, both of which have inspired a gritty approach.

The increased depth of the pitching staff and the development of players such as center fielder Nick Wilhite (whose batting average jumped from .155 last season to .320 this season) are two other factors as has Tech improved from 31-27 in 2018 to 41-17 this season. When the Jackets open regional play Friday night against Florida A&M at Russ Chandler Stadium, they’ll also have another asset that they’ve counted on this season – their increased reliance on analytics.

Coach Danny Hall and his staff rely on two data services, TrackMan and Synergy Sports Technology. Hall said that “we look at them every day, and so we depend on that a lot.”