Yellow Jackets struggle through emotional day

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech is still grieving for Michael Hutts, a junior pitcher who was found dead in his apartment on Friday.

``This adversity has really smacked us,'' baseball coach Danny Hall said Saturday night. ``The only thing we can control is how we handle it.''

A few minutes after his Yellow Jackets lost both games of a doubleheader with Miami, Hall indicated emotions are still too raw to put perspective on Hutt's death.

The Jackets lost 10-5 and 15-5 in two emotional games against the Hurricanes at Russ Chandler Stadium on Saturday.

Hall spoke to his players as a group in the clubhouse before the game and on the field afterward. The team will attend Hutt's funeral on Tuesday, though service arrangements have yet to be completed.

Hutt grew up in Dunwoody, an Atlanta suburb, and graduated from The Wesleyan School in nearby Norcross. In college, he was listed on the dean's list with a management major last year.

``There was a lot of tears still, and I know there was a lot during the moment of silence (before the first game),'' Hall said. ``They're hurting. We got a chance to play two games today, but there's still a lot of emotion riding on Michael.''

Earlier Saturday, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office said it will be several weeks before it releases the cause of death.

According to coroner's investigator Mike Alsip, there was no obvious violent cause of death. Corner's investigator Laura Salm indicated that her department usually needs two to four weeks before releasing its report.

Toxicology tests were sent Saturday morning to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which in turn uses a privately owned third-party lab to determine the cause of death.

``I know people are anxious to have this information,'' Salm said. ``But that's all we can tell you at this time.''

Atlanta Police spokesman James Polite said his department's report won't be released until next week.

Hutt's parents, Mark and Vicky Hutt, referred questions and comments to family friend Barry Zimmerman, a local attorney and part-time judge.

Asked if he knew the name of Hutt's roommate and who might have called Hall after finding the pitcher's body, Zimmerman said he thought it was infielder Ryan Tinkoff.

First baseman Luke Murton was the only player made available to reporters after the game. Tech spokesman Dean Buchan cut off Hall's interview after four questions, and other school officials, including athletic director Dan Radakovich, said they didn't know who roomed with Hutt.

``The family is absolutely devastated,'' said Zimmerman, whose son Brad befriended Hutts in high school. ``Every time they try to talk to someone or reach out for a hug, they just break down and sob. It's heartrbreaking, gut-wrenching, every negative word you can think of.''

To mark Hutts' three years as a student-athlete, the Yellow Jackets had a moment of silence before the first game and painted his jersey No. 40 on the grass in front of the dugout.

Many fans at Russ Chandler Stadium wore yellow ribbons.

``For our guys, it will be their first brush with death of a young friend that's passed away,'' said Eric Slipp, a 1986 Tech graduate. ``They will have each other to grasp the succession of immortality, which will be good for them to have.''

Slipp, a season-ticket holder from Sailsbury, N.C., became friends with Hutts during the left-hander's freshman year.

``It was great watching him work so hard and clearly this past weekend when he had two outstanding outings when we were at North Carolina,'' Slipp said. ``His game was coming to him. He didn't take any great joy out a personal performance if we didn't win.''

Hutts graduated from Wesleyan in 2005. His former baseball coach Michael Shaheen was still overseas on a spring-break trip with students, but DeWayne Cupples, the school's athletic director, was still in shock.

``Just a great young man,'' Cupples said. ``He visited us back in the fall and worked out with the baseball team. We were very proud of his contribution to Wesleyan.''

Jackets fan Robin Norris, sitting on the front row during the first game, glanced down at a bouquet of flowers laid on top of Tech dugout.
The day was hard for everyone to describe.

``We're a very tight-knit community, and I think everybody's really sad,'' she said. ``Any time there's a young life cut short, it's tragic.''