SE Georgia News

The 21st-ranked Georgia Southern baseball team saw its season come to an end in the Statesboro Regional with a 3-1 loss to the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders Sunday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles finish with an overall record of 41-20, while the Red Raiders will move on to play Notre Dame in the regional final.

The Eagles scored the game's first run on of a throwing error from the Texas Tech (39-21) pitcher, scoring Christian Avant and giving the Eagles the 1-0 lead on the afternoon.

Texas Tech would plate three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, kickstarted by loading the bases with no outs. After a walk, a sac fly, and an RBI single, the Red Raiders took the 3-1 lead, which would eventually become the final tally for the contest.

Georgia Southern starting pitcher Danny Madden pitched for three innings, only allowing two hits, two walks, and fanning three Red Raiders.

QUICK HITS

• Georgia Southern's 41 wins this season are the most in a season since 2009, when it won 42 games.
• Three Eagle pitchers combined for nine strikeouts on the day. Starter Danny Madden had three, Jay Thompson had four, and Jake Martin had two.
• Jesse Sherrill and Austin Thompson led the Eagles offensively, both going 2-for-4 on the day.

POST-GAME QUOTES

Georgia Southern

• ● Rodney Hennon
• Opening
• "Another hard fought game. Congratulations to Texas Tech. It was a battle, that's all we've been in all year long. With these guys, I think that's what you appreciate and enjoy most about the game. That's what it's all about."
• "I think it just typifies this team, these young men. I couldn't be more proud of a group. That's all you can ask for, at the end of every year you want to look up and feel like you had a group that bought into each other and played together and competed as hard as they could each and every day. This group did that. There's a lot of trust within this team."
• "If you're not the last team standing at the end of the year, everybody is disappointed. I can honestly say everyday was a joy to coach these guys. They've been a blessing to me and I think these guys have been a blessing to aclot of people. There's aclot of people who have really enjoyed watching how this team has competed and we've got a lot of momentum with our program right now thanks to their efforts. Something we need to build off of for the future. And for the younger players we've got coming back, there are a lot of lessons they've been able to learn from their experiences this year for them to be the next guys to step and lead our program."
• Pitching Staff
• "We played well, they're a good team. Both teams played well. Danny gave us a great effort early. He was working ahead and had his command of his fastball, the change-up was good for him today."
• "We did hit a lot of balls hard early in the game. Their left fielder made a diving play on what would have been a leadoff double at the time. You tip your hat to the other guy, they made plays. We did too. Defensively, we played well today and consistently throughout the year. That's just the nature of the game sometimes."
• Hosting Regional
• "There is a lot of momentum for our program. This is a huge step, to be able to host a regional. We're in a very, very, good baseball conference. I'm proud of what the other teams in our league do. This league is full of really good players and a lot of really good coaches. And the league is only going to get better with the teams coming in."
• "We thank you, number one, for the support we get here. We're blessed to be here and to be a part of this. Obviously it's great exposure for the University and the Statesboro community. Maybe people have a chance to see what we can do with this and I think it's important with build off of it in every phase."
• Seniors
• "For most of them, their playing days are probably done, for most of these seniors. I think the things that they've taken from this experience here they are going to carry with them into their careers and their families."
• "These guys are going to go out and do big things in the real world. Wherever they work, whatever organization they're with, whatever community they live in and that's what I'm most proud of. These guys are winners."
• Christian Avant
• End of Season/Legacy
• "Five years here has been a blessing to me and my family. Coach Hennon giving me the opportunity out of high school. Didn't really think I would play my freshman year and then kind of worked my way into the lineup, Coach gave me a chance and I never really looked back. With all the other guys, like Swan and the guys we came in with, we bonded as soon as we got here. The core group of our fifth-year seniors, we're just like brothers. It's a family. That's why I love Georgia Southern, it's a team aspect, there's no me, nothing about one single individual, it's the team aspect and it's family, that's why I like it here."
• "The program is going in the right direction and I hope we just keep building on it."
• Jason Swan
• End of Season/Legacy
• "That last out, just being my last time stepping on the field at J.I. It's pretty tough. I know it was tough on all of the other seniors and even the younger guys that are returning because we had a special group with this team. Just not going to have that same team together, it's tough."
• "Loved every minute of the five years, that's why I came back for my fifth year. This team is like a brotherhood. Loved every minute of it."
• "Our teammates and how we played and even outside of baseball coming together and hanging out and just that brotherhood we created."

Join us in our “Soar to Six” campaign and help us build the Eagles' nest by aiding one of Georgia Southern University's nearly 400 student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence in competition, in the classroom and in life. The Soar to Six campaign will raise our number of donors to the Erk Russell Fund to over 6,000. For as little as $60 a year or $5 a month, you can join the Erk Russell Fund, which benefits scholarships for all 17 athletics programs. Join today and help us “Soar to Six!”

Original source can be found here.