Georgia Tech Weekend Series Preview: Bowling Green

It has been a long time since the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came into a baseball season with as much hype as they have in 2026, and it’s finally time to see if they can live up to it. The Jackets will look to return to both a super regional and an Omaha appearance for the first time since 2006, and the journey begins on Friday afternoon against Bowling Green, a team in which the Jackets have not matched up with since 2014.

The series and season will kick off on Friday afternoon at 4 PM with junior right-hander Tate Mckee taking the mound in the season opener for the second year in a row. He made all 16 of Georgia Tech’s Friday starts, posting a 4.84 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 80 innings, and is also coming off of a strong performance in the postseason.

Saturday will be a double-header due to inclement weather expected on Sunday, but that won’t change the plan for the Jackets. Mason Patel is slated to get the start in game one of the double-header as he transitions from a bullpen role to a full-time starter’s role in 2026. While he will be starting, his prowess as a reliever a year ago earned him a few preseason all-american nods as a reliever. He has made a few starts across his five year college career thus far, but didn’t see a single start in 2025, so this appearance could be a big one for Patel in settling into that role.

While Tennessee transfer Dylan Loy appeared to be the favorite to land the final spot in the weekend rotation, it’s actually freshman left-hander Cooper Underwood who will get the ball. Who eventually lands the full-time role is still unknown as the Sunday starter appears to be more of a week-to-week decision at the moment. It will be a fun test for the freshman who was drafted in the 12th round of last year’s draft by the Brewers, but decided on fulfilling his commitment to Georgia Tech instead. Underwood is a native to the greater Atlanta area, coming out of Allatoona High School in Acworth where he earned the 2025 Prep Baseball Georgia Player of the Year award.

The Jackets will be countered by a Bowling Green program that went 33-22 a year ago and 19-11 in the Mid-American conference. Out of 12 teams, they are projected by D1 Baseball to finish fifth in their conference in 2026. Senior Jacob Turner will start the opener and will presumably be followed by sophomores Carrson Sova and Nate Kress. Senior second baseman Sam Seidel will lead the offense for Bowling Green after posting a .900 OPS in 2025 and should find himself in the leadoff spot. A number of solid hitters will follow, with guys like TJ Takats, Brady Birchmeier, and Zach Horky rounding out the middle of the order.

In head coach James Ramsey’s first game at the helm for Georgia Tech, he will be joined by a number of new faces. The Jackets did well in the transfer portal, adding Cal’s Jarren Advincula, Pitt’s Ryan Zuckerman, Tennessee’s Dylan Loy, and Rutgers’ Justin Shadek. Alongside Cooper Underwood, right-handed pitcher Charlie Wilcox is another freshman expected to make an impact after coming from the Florida prep ranks as the 14th highest ranked pitcher in the 2025 prep class.

There is no shortage of firepower on this Georgia Tech roster, and it is certainly expected to be on display this weekend as the Jackets look to get out to a hot start in 2026.

Georgia Tech Baseball Focus