SPORTS Photo by Kelvin Kuo / Student Publications 2 • August 20, 2010 • Technique SPORTS AthleticBy Alex Mitchell venues1913 by students and embody is the oldest most recent Tech’s renovation took place winningRuss Chandler Stadium backgroundO’Keefe Gymnasium Sports Editor active on-campus stadium of any in the summer of 2009, as the Russ Chandler Stadium, the O’Keefe Gymnasium was used NCAA Division I football team. sound system was improved and home of Tech baseball, opened by O’Keefe High School during Tech has a long and storied In 2003, the stadium under- a $4.5 million, 2,400 square foot in 1930 with the funds that Tech the 1950’s and was given to Tech athletic tradition, and the sports went renovations that increased video board was erected above the collected from the 1929 Rose in the 1960’s. It has been the home facilities in which the Jackets play the stadium’s capacity to 55,000 South end zone. Bowl game. It is known to some of Tech’s volleyball team since are a major part of each sports seats. The largest crowd at the Tech named the stadium in fans simply as the “Rusty C.” 1995. team’s history. The sections that stadium since then came in a honor of former Head Coach The stadium was reconstructed The gym is able to host around follow detail the home stadiums game against No. 2 Notre Dame Bobby Dodd in April 1988. Dodd in 2002 and has a listed capacity 1,000 people. The Pep Band helps of several of Tech’s major varsity in 2006, with 56,680 fans in at- led the Jackets to a 165-64-8 re- of 4,157. The attendance record of keep the crowd energized during sports teams. tendance; the most in Tech his- cord in his 23-year tenure as the 4,609 was set on April 9, 2008, games, leading them with a cheer tory was 60,316, when the Jackets head coach and served in some when Tech hosted Georgia. of “Point Tech!” every time the Bobby Dodd Stadium hosted Georgia in 1973. capacity with the institution for Tech has hosted numerous Jackets win a point. Bobby Dodd Stadium at His- Because of the stadium’s age, 56 years. The field was originally NCAA Regionals and ACC tour- toric Grant Field houses one of the it has gone through numerous re- named after John W. Grant, a naments at the stadium over the Bill Moore Tennis Center most storied programs in college constructions that have constantly one-time member of the Georgia past two decades. The stadium Tech’s tennis program hosts football. The stadium was built in changed its seating capacity. The Tech board of trustees, in 1914. also served as a training site dur- one of the nation’s best tennis fa- ing the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. cilities with the Bill Moore Tennis It was named in honor of A. Center. Its namesake, Bill Moore, Russell Chandler III, who donat- is a member of the Georgia Tech ed much of the necessary money Hall of Fame. He provided the needed for its renovation in 1985. funding to help open the Center in 1988. Alexander Memorial Coliseum The center features outdoor Tech’s Alexander Memorial courts that can seat 1,500 and a Coliseum has been home to the two-story indoor court structure. men’s basketball team since 1956. The arena has gone through Shirley C. Mewborn Field several renovations, each time Starting in March 2009, the adding seating capacity while still softball team began playing its maintaining the intimacy and home games at the newly built character of the arena. Its origi- Shirley Clements Mewborn Field nal capacity of roughly 7,000 has after 21-plus years at Glenn Field. been expanded over time to 9,191. Mewborn Field can seat up The Coliseum’s popular nick- to 1,500 spectators, and like the name of the “Thrillerdome” was baseball field it has both chairback coined by former Tech announcer and bench seating. The facility Brad Nessler during the 1983-84 also features indoor batting cages season after five games ended in and bullpens along the sidelines. exciting fashion. Tech has hosted NCAA Su- Photo by Kelvin Kuo / Student Publications Since the Coliseum opened, per Regionals at Mewborn Field Fans at Bobby Dodd Stadium watch Georgia Tech upset then No. 4 Virginia Tech, 28-23. Bobby Dodd the men’s team has had a home in each of the stadium’s first two Stadium is the oldest on-campus stadium of any NCAA FBS team, having been active since 1913. winning percentage of over .700. seasons. SPORTS Technique • August 20, 2010 • 3 Baseball players prep for future via draft, summer league By Alex Mitchell fect inning of relief and struck out freshman and was a key player Sports Editor one batter. Joining Bradley on the down the stretch. Wareham Gatemen is junior relief Pope had a great freshman sea- Last season, the Tech baseball pitcher Jake Davies. son for Tech going 8-1 with a 3.78 team enjoyed a successful season Davies performed well out of ERA. Pope’s pivotal start of the that consisted of 47 wins and an the bullpen for the Jackets last season came in the game against opportunity to host a portion of season making 17 appearances. UGA at Turner Field, and the the NCAA tournament. The team The southpaw posted a 3.52 ERA, hard-throwing righty pitched sev- featured a number of quality play- but he did not lose a game all sea- en solid innings with nine strike- ers, and 10 of those players were son (2-0) and batters were only outs en route to a win. drafted in the 2010 Major League hitting .268 against him. Pope continued his hot streak Baseball draft. Davies also had a strong show- in the summer league for the Fal- Nine of those 10 players will ing for the Wareham Gatemen mouth Commodores, leading the not return to the Tech team next bullpen with a 2.38 ERA. Davies team in strikeouts with 42 and in season and will join MLB team’s also performed well at the plate, innings pitched with 44.2. For farm systems. hitting two doubles and four RBIs the season, Pope went 2-2 with Senior pitcher Kevin Jacob will in only 26 at bats. His numbers a 3.22 ERA. Pope’s ERA could return to the Jackets after being helped earn him a spot in the have been better were it not for taken in the 18th round by the Cape Cod home run derby. two poor starts where he gave up New York Yankees. An injury Junior third baseman Matt 10 runs in each game. made Jacob’s stock drop, so Jacob Skole also competed in a home Sophomore pitcher Luke Bard will return to Tech and try to get run derby this offseason, finish- also competed in the Cape Cod drafted higher next season. ing third in the 2010 AmeriTrade Summer League this summer, but The most notable loss for the College Home Run Derby. the righty played a smaller part Jackets is pitcher Deck McGuire, Skole was a force at the plate for for the Brewster Whitecaps with who was selected eleventh overall the Jackets last season hitting .335 only 24.1 innings pitched. by the Toronto Blue Jays. After with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs. Bard played a limited role for negotiating his contract, McGuire The 6-foot-4-four left-hander will the Jackets last season as well, signed a minor league deal with Photo by Kelvin Kuo / Student Publications most likely replace first baseman coming out of the bullpen averag- Toronto with a $2 million sign- Mark Pope delivers a breaking ball in last season’s win against Tony Plagman in the middle of ing only 1.1 innings per appear- ing bonus. He was the first Tech UGA at Turner Field. Pope only allowed two runs in seven innings. Tech’s lineup next season. ance. Bard had a rough freshman pitcher to be selected in the first Skole also managed to drive season with a 7.53 ERA, but his round under the tutelage of Man- in runs for the Falmouth Com- nearly 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio ager Danny Hall. ing pitcher behind McGuire. ERA. Bradley only pitched 41 in- modores this summer. Skole only was a positive. Even though Tech lost some Bradley started 16 games for the nings for the Wareham Gatemen, hit .245 but managed to keep his For the Whitecaps, Bard’s talent, they do return several key Jackets and posted a 9-5 record. but he managed to lead the entire slugging percentage high with his ERA was much lower at 4.44 and parts of the team next season. He had a high ERA at 4.83, but league in strikeouts with 44. 11 doubles and three home runs. he was called upon to start two Some of those players decided to he was able to pitch many innings, Bradley’s strong showing in the Skole also has a Tech teammate games. Bard was able to find the play in the Cape Cod Summer throwing a total of 91.1. summer earned him a spot on the playing with him this summer in strike zone for the Whitecaps, al- Baseball League in the offseason. Bradley built on his strong sea- Western Division team’s roster for sophomore pitcher Mark Pope. most as well as he did for Tech, Last year junior pitcher Jed son as a Tech starter in the sum- the 2010 All-Star Game.