Tech Tees It Up vs UIC In The Regionals
Official NCAA post- season baseball play starts today.
Georgia Tech has earned the host role for one of the 16 regions. The Yellow Jackets takes on University of Illinois- Chicago at noon today at Mac Nease Baseball Park on the Tech campus.
The Jackets were afforded a relatively brief practice session yesterday. For that short while, the team's mood and energy and work habits were on display.
To say there's little wasted time or motion with this group would be an understatement. With the requisite background music blaring, Tech players moved efficiently between workout moments, with all elements of the game were on display.
Batting practice , of course. Also, pitching, baserunning, fielding ...and the vital situational drills.
The mood of the team was light and confident. There was obvious good group spirit, with high energy participation in the various drills.
And here was Tech's catcher, Vahn Lackey, practicing his throwing motion , to hone his work skills that will be called into play if a baserunner attempts to steal a base.
It's a most basic move, a cat- like spring from a deep crouch into a strong shallow squat , preparing to launch a laser- like throw to second. Lackey has practiced this move hundreds of times since this season started. Maybe more. Yet here he is, working away.
This is the same Vahn Lackey who was recently named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is pegged as a likely top ten draft picks when MLB has its humanity harvest in a few weeks . And yet, here is Lackey, working away. Telling.
The scene brought to mind an old quote from the great British actor, Sir Lawrence Olivier. When asked his secret to a long career as an exemplary actor, Olivier said the requirements for success were " the humility to prepare and the confidence to bring it off".
That quote captures Lackey's work ethic– along with that of his teammates. Certainly there is strong confidence. How could there not be? It is based on a season-long string of elite performances that have brought them to this moment. And yet, with that confidence they still have " the humility to prepare".
Much credit for that mindset goes to head coach James Ramsey, the man who oversees this operation, and who had a direct hand in the players'selection and their development. This team's personality has come to mrror his own. Which is a very good thing.
So here they all are, on a somewhat steamy weekday morning in late May, on their home field, practicing a game they love.
These are the special moments that benefactors Russ Chandler (GT class of '67) and Mac Nease (GT class of '65) likely had in mind when making their contributions to help to build this organization, by building this place.
Today at noon it will be time to turn these Yellow Jackets loose.
"Play ball"!
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports