April 12, 2007
The George Mason baseball team will host James Madison this weekend in a Colonial Athletic Association three-game series that pits a pair of teams hoping to turn their recent fortunes around. After winning or splitting their first four CAA series of the year, Mason has lost the last two series it's played, at VCU and home against Delaware. James Madison, meanwhile, is looking to climb out of last place in the CAA after having won just four of its first 14 conference games. Friday's game at Spuhler Field will begin at 3 p.m., Saturday's at 2 p.m. and Sunday's at 1 p.m.
The series will pit two of the top sluggers in the CAA against each other. James Madison junior Kellen Kulbacki was Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger National Co-Player of the Year last year, a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Dick Howser and Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year awards. He was the first sophomore ever to be named CAA Player of the Year and he led the nation in home runs with 24. He was second in batting average and fourth in RBI per game. This year, teams haven't been as cavalier about pitching to him as he is batting .413 with 12 homers and 32 RBI.
Mason sophomore Scott Krieger, meanwhile, is doing his best to make a run at become the second-ever second-year player named CAA Player of the Year. He leads the CAA in homers and RBI per game and he is among the top 10 in batting. He is hitting .404 with 15 homers, 49 RBI and an .816 slugging percentage. He is tied for third in the nation in homers and he entered the week fourth in the country in RBI per game.
Both players have a strong supporting cast. Chris Fournier bats ahead of Krieger in the order and he's hitting .391 with 10 homers, 30 RBI and 43 runs scored while Jason Bour is hitting .361 with eight homers and a .672 slugging percentage. Freshmen Justin Bour and Chris Henderson have done their part as Bour is hitting .280 with 10 homers and 36 RBI while Henderson is hitting .350. The Patriots are 19th in the nation in runs per game, 11th in home runs per game and 17th in slugging percentage.
Kulbacki has had support from Lee Bujakowski, who is hitting .338, Mitchell Moses, who is hitting .321 with 12 steals and Steven Caseres, who is hitting .317 with seven homers and 31 RBI. As a team, however, the Dukes are 10th in the CAA with a .286 batting average. The Dukes lead the conference in one offensive stat with a league-high 68 steals, 19th-most in the nation.
Neither team has made pitching its strength as Mason is seventh in the CAA with a 6.24 ERA and James Madison is eighth with a 6.39 ERA. Mason will send J.J. Pannell to the mound on Friday. He's second in the CAA in wins with a 6-1 record. The Dukes have not settled on a Friday starter but Kyle Hoffman will go on Saturday and Kurt Houck on Sunday. Hoffman has a 3-2 mark with a 5.89 ERA while Houck is 1-6 with a 7.36 ERA.
Saturday will be Mason Spirit Day. All fans wearing green or gold will get in for just $1.
