Aileen Morales- Georgia Tech Head Coach

BIO

• 7th season at GT
• Inducted into Georgia Tech HOF in 2020
• Previous head coach at Radford, Young Harris

What does it mean to be coaching at your Alma Mater? 

• 27.8% -- Percentage of Georgia Tech softball games that Head Coach Aileen Morales has either played (program record - 265) or coached (300) in: 565 of 2,031 all time games. Was an assistant at GT 2010-2013
• Signed the #7 recruit class for 2024

Scheduling

• Opened the season with 2 games vs Alabama
• Clearwater Tournament
• Stanford, LSU, Minnesota, Northwestern (canceled OSU, Tennessee)
• Couldn’t get a W, but scored 32 runs!

What have you learned about the team so far this season having faced that level of competition and even in general throughout the first 3 weeks?

• Offensive power
• In clearwater --- Stanford (7 runs), LSU (8 runs), Minnesota (11 runs), Northwestern (6 runs) (canceled OSU, Tennessee)

Offense across the country is ELITE right now, why do you think that is?

• DATA!! Visibility!!

GT Power

• Just this week--17 HRs (8 dif players) .498 OB%, Opponent ERA >10
• Overall 34 HR’s, .442 OB%,  .365 team BA, Opponent ERA >7… #1 in the country!!

New coaching staff

• Erin Dixon- pitching from UNCW
• Hunter Bunch - hitting
• Kelsey Bennett- recent grad from VT
• Devon Boland

Any surprises from any athlete so far this year? Exceeding expectations!

• Mallorie Black-- is this offensive output a surprise to you?
• ACC pow
• .476, 7HR,18RBI, 
• In 1st 3 season, hit 10 HR’s total--has already tied her HR total from last year in just 17 games

Blake Neleman

• Has been a workhorse for this program, including this year she has thrown 528 innings -- what has she meant to this team?
• Has some more help around her this year, not just her and Chandler Dennis
• 7 different pitchers have seen work

How has NIL/Transfer Portal effect you and your coaching? Biggest challenges/adaptions

Big Green Egg?!?! Coach NIL deal ;)

Thank you Coach Morales for joining us on Up the Coast with Alex & Britt!