April 25, 2008

The George Mason softball team will host James Madison this weekend in the final home series of the 2008 season. Mason is looking to continue its winning ways through the three-game set, as the Patriots have won nine of their last 11 games. Play begins at noon on Saturday with a doubleheader, during which the Patriots will honor their three senior student-athletes. Admission to all games is free.

Mason enters the weekend with a 19-26 record, including a 6-8 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots currently sit sixth in the CAA standings. Mason's offense is led by sophomore candidate Ashli Breau, who leads the conference with a .443 batting average, and has tallied 47 RBIs and 11 home runs. Already having broken the single-season home run record, Breau needs just four RBIs to claim the mark in that category. In the circle, sophomore Becky Anderson heads up the Patriot pitching staff with a 1.73 ERA and 14-12 record. Anderson has pitched a CAA-best 169.2 innings, including 27 starts and 19 complete games.

The Dukes come to Fairfax with a 24-20 record and a 8-6 CAA mark, good for fourth in the conference. JMU is led by Amber Kirk, who is batting .324 with 29 RBIs and seven home runs. Meredith Felts is the top Dukes pitcher, amassing a 1.35 ERA and 11-8 record.

Saturday's doubleheader is the Broadside Game of the Week, as students who attend will receive free ice cream with their Mason student ID.

Additionally, the Senior Day festivities will take place in the intermission between games, as seniors Kristin Dickel, Lesley Hassen and Katlyn Winter will be recognized for their contributions to Mason softball over their four-year careers.

The series will conclude at 12 p.m. Sunday.