Pitchers roughed up in series at Clemson

After losing 2 of 3, Jackets hoping to rebound vs. Duke.

At the start of each week throughout the regular season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will take a closer look at the Georgia Tech baseball team. Here’s a breakdown going into the week:

Record: 28-17, 12-12 ACC.

Streak: Lost 1.

RPI: 46.

Last week (1-2): Friday, lost 11-4 and won 14-12 at Clemson; Sunday, lost at Clemson 9-3.

This week: Today vs. Auburn, 7 p.m.; Friday vs. Duke, 6 p.m.; Saturday vs. Duke, 4 p.m.; Sunday vs. Duke, 1 p.m.

Week in review: Despite a memorable comeback full of offensive fireworks Friday, Tech’s weekend trip to Clemson was not one to remember. The Jackets dropped the series with a loss Friday in the first game of a doubleheader and then dropped the rubber match Sunday. Tech pitching allowed 32 runs (all earned) in 27 innings, walked 11 batters and surrendered 36 hits.

In Friday’s 11-4 defeat, Tech fell behind 10-3 before the fourth inning and starter Aeden Finateri was touched up for seven earned runs on seven hits in two innings. Starter Tate McKee gave up six earned runs in 3⅓ innings during Sunday’s 9-3 loss.

The saving grace for the Jackets was Friday night’s win, when Tech scored four in the seventh, four in the eighth and three in the ninth. Drew Burress drove in six runs in that contest as part of a two-homer day. Mike Becchetti hit a two-run blast in the ninth.

Week ahead: It’s another important week for the Jackets in their quest to put themselves in solid position to make an NCAA regional.

Tonight, Tech hosts Auburn (22-24) looking to avenge a 12-8 loss on April 16 at Auburn. The Tigers are just 3-7 since but have an RPI of 49, meaning a win for the Jackets would be another feather in the cap as far as the chase for the postseason is concerned.

Tech will remain at home this weekend to host Duke for a three-game series starting Friday. The Blue Devils (32-14, 14-10 ACC) are on a three-game winning streak ahead of today’s trip to East Carolina. With an RPI of 22, Duke is ranked inside the top 10 in most major polls and has one of the league’s top pitching staffs in terms of ERA, WHIP and hits allowed per nine innings.

Tech, after a 1-2 weekend in league play, is five games back of first-place North Carolina in the ACC’s Coastal Division with six regular-season games remaining. But the Jackets trail second-place teams Duke and Virginia by only two games.