Dear Georgia, 

Now, I haven’t written many love letters in my life.

But the ones I have written? Pretty positive reviews overall.

So I figured I’d try writing one to the state of Georgia.

Oddly enough, I had only been in Georgia about two months before all of this — back in March. But it was a completely different part of the state, under completely different circumstances, living what felt like a completely different life.

There was a beach.
It was cold.
And honestly, I thought I was the happiest girl in the world.

I truly believed life couldn’t get any better.

I had no idea that only two months later I’d be hiking the Appalachian Trail doing something I had dreamed about for nearly a decade.

Back then, I was doing cartwheels on the beach and landing… not so gracefully.

Now, I’m slipping down muddy banks trying to collect water without falling directly into a creek.

Back then, I was staying in Airbnbs that probably needed a little work.

Now, I’m sleeping in three-walled shelters and a tent that somehow always ends up on an incline.

Back then, I was searching for seashells.

Now, I’m just trying not to eat dirt after tripping over the twentieth root of the day.

And instead of driving twelve hours south back to my Key West home…

I’m walking north.

Still walking north.

As dramatic as it sounds, I genuinely feel like I was a different person two months ago than the one currently hiking through these mountains.

And let me tell you — this journey has not been all rainbows and daisies.

It’s been sweat.
Dirt.
Blisters.
Exhaustion.

It’s been trying not to lose my mind after eating ramen for the third night in a row.

It’s been looking up at a mountain and wondering why the trail suddenly decided vertical was acceptable.

It’s been wanting to quit sometimes.

Georgia was hard.

But somehow, Georgia was also easy.

Because despite all the climbs and soreness and moments where I questioned every decision I’ve ever made, Georgia also gave me:

• incredible people,






• breathtaking views,






• unforgettable memories,






• and proof that I’m capable of far more than I thought.

I genuinely didn’t expect to fall in love with this state the way I did.

And I think that’s the thing about love:
it isn’t transactional.

Love isn’t only loving something when it’s easy.

There were moments I wanted to scream. Moments I was frustrated. Moments where Georgia absolutely humbled me.

And somehow I still loved it anyway.

I would tell Georgia “I love you” a hundred times over because every brutal climb and miserable rainy day made me stronger.

Nine days doesn’t sound like much in the grand scheme of things.

But out here?

Nine days feels like a lifetime.

And even though Georgia was only the beginning of this journey, it already changed me in ways I don’t think I fully understand yet.

Goodbyes are hard.

But goodbyes are also what open the next door.

And who’s to say I’ll never come back?

For me, Georgia became something I never knew I needed.

And somehow… this is still only the beginning.

Xoxo,

Ari, Piper, and (Trail name to be revealed soon…)

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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball has been named an official NCAA Regional host site for the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament, it was announced on Sunday night. The ACC regular season and ACC Tournament Champion Yellow Jackets (48-9) will make their 37th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and host the regional round at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium for the 13th time, first since 2019.

The Jackets are 72-62 in Regional play over program history and are 26-15 (.634) when playing Regional games at home.

2026 will go down as the greatest regular season in Georgia Tech baseball’s storied history, earning its second consecutive regular season ACC Championship while winning the ACC Tournament title in the same season for just the fourth time in program history and set records in offensive output, victories, attendance and revenue generated with a chance to add on even more accolades in the postseason.

Georgia Tech Athletics set a goal to create more seats and a better gameday experience for fans at Mac Nease Baseball Park this season and Tech fans responded, setting a program record with a total attendance of 98,297 over 34 games. A 90% increase in ticket sales from the 2025 season and a 105% increase from 2025 in revenue from home games.

That 98,297 total included crowds of over 2,000 for all 34 home games for the first time in program history and 15 crowds of at least 3,000 fans, also a program record. Tech fans have averaged a sell-out crowd over the final 16 games of the regular season (since March 31) averaging 3,354 fans per game with a capacity of 3,194. That ground swell led to an average home attendance of 2,891 – the largest in the state of Georgia, with an average 90.5% capacity crowd, the best in the ACC, 11th best in the nation and 5th best in Power 4.

Added Strike Zone seating and first base row, along with an expanded concourse and more concessions options have played a significant part in improving the game day experience at Mac Nease Baseball Park, as alumni, students and baseball fans in Atlanta have flocked to witness the greatest offense in the BBCOR era deliver time and time again. Tech fans sold out Mac Nease Baseball park nine times over the course of the season, with GT winning all nine games by a combined score of 100-34.

On the field, the Yellow Jackets have produced the best regular season record in 106 years, going 48-9 while tying the ACC record with 25 conference wins and becoming just the 14^th team in conference history to sweep both the ACC regular season and tournament championships  Tech went 15-3 against Top 25 opponents, the best winning percentage (.833) against ranked opponents in school history with seven of those 15 wins coming by at least 10 runs.

The Yellow Jackets tied a 26-year old school record with five first team all-conference selections while head coach James Ramsey was named ACC Coach of the Year, marking the first time in conference history that a coach was named Coach of the Year in his first season as a coach.

Georgia Tech will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 25 to find out its seeding and what three teams will join it at Mac Nease Baseball Park. The Selection Show is scheduled for noon and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on X (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.

The Georgia Bulldogs have one of the greatest running back histories of any college football program. Year in and year out the University of Georgia has a talented stable of running backs. The 2026 season is expected be no different with Georgia’s roster featuring Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips and more.

Nate Frazier has the most career rushing yards (at Georgia) of any returning Georgia running back, but he’ll need a strong season to crack Georgia’s all-time leading rushers list. Entering the 2026 campaign, Frazier has 1,618 career rushing yards. Frazier needs 1,028 rushing yards or more to make it inside Georgia’s top-10 all-time leading rushers. The Bulldogs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019, so Frazier would snap a long streak if he’s able to have a big season.

The most notable Georgia running back, Herschel Walker, had one of greatest careers in college football history. He won the 1982 Heisman and won the 1980 national championship. Walker is Georgia’s all-time leading rusher and has a very tough career total to top.

Over the years, Georgia fans have been spoiled with the elite running back play, especially over in recent history. In the 2010s, Kirby Smart and Mark Richt helped UGA produce four of the top 10 all-time leading rushers in school history.