Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Georgia Tech
Northwestern Heads to No. 5 Georgia Tech for Weekend Series
2/26/2026 5:09:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern baseball will head to Atlanta for a three-game series at Georgia Tech this weekend. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. CT, Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and Sunday's series finale is slated for 11 a.m. CT. All three games will be streamed on ACCNX.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, Feb. 27: NU – RHP Sam Hliboki vs. GT – RHP Tate McKee
Saturday, Feb. 28: NU – LHP Ryan Weaver vs. GT – LHP Dylan Loy
Sunday, March 1: NU – RHP Garrett Shearer vs. GT – LHP Cooper Underwood
Last weekend, Northwestern swept the Hub City Invitational at Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, S.C., extending its win streak to five games with wins over Cornell and Boston College. Northwestern's five-game winning streak matches its longest under Greenspan, set previously from Feb. 15-23, 2025.
Four of NU's seven games this season have been decided by one run (2-2). In 2025, NU played 12 one-run games, going 8-4. Northwestern has come from behind in three straight wins. On Saturday against Cornell, the Wildcats erased a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 6-5 walk-off win in 11 innings. Northwestern came back from two runs in both games against Boston College to secure the weekend sweep. All five of Northwestern's wins this season have come from five different winning pitchers, including three first-years.
In 2025, NU increased its win total by 7+ games for the second straight year. In 2025, Northwestern posted its highest winning percentage (.481) since 2005 (.481). Northwestern ranked in the top 25 nationally in fielding percentage for the second consecutive season under Head Coach Ben Greenspan (10th in '24, 23rd in '25).
Junior OF Jackson Freeman leads all 'Cats in batting average (.438), runs (11), hits (14), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.781) and total bases (25). In the season opener at Rice, Freeman went 3-4 with two homers, two RBI and three runs.
First-year INF Nick Barron has notched an RBI in five of NU's seven games this season and has reached base safely in six of NU's seven games. The Acton, Mass., native slugged his first two homers as a Wildcat in Spartanburg, bringing him to six RBI on the season.
In his most recent start, RHP Sam Hliboki struck out six batters in a 13-5 win over Cornell, matching his most at Northwestern and earning his first win of the season.
In his Northwestern debut, Illinois State transfer LHP Ryan Weaver tossed 7.0 shutout innings at Rice, with three strikeouts, three hits and three walks. Against Boston College, Weaver surrendered three earned runs on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings pitched, striking out four.
Northwestern is 4-4 all-time against Georgia Tech. The programs last met in 2019 in a three-game series at GT, with the Yellow Jackets taking two of three. NU took the series finale 5-1, behind multi-hit efforts from SS Jack Dunn, 1B Anthony Calarco and 2B Shawn Goosenberg. The Wildcats are 2-0 against the ACC this season, defeating Boston College twice in Spartanburg.
No. 5 Georgia Tech (8-1) leads the nation in batting average (.414), on-base percentage (.544), hits (138) and walks (79). Five Yellow Jackets earned preseason All-America honors. CF Drew Burress, C Vahn Lackey, RHP Mason Patel, 2B Jarren Advincula and UTL Alex Hernandez were named All-Americans, tied for the most of any team nationally.
Northwestern will wrap up its early-season non-conference swing at the Cambria Classic from March 6-8. The Wildcats will take on South Dakota State (March 6), Omaha (March 7) and UNLV (March 8) at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
