April 22, 2010

Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team will host Delaware this weekend as the Patriots and Blue Hens each enter the three-game series having played well of late. Both teams have won six of their past seven games while Mason is on a 10-4 run in April and Delaware is 10-5 in the month. Mason is currently 7-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association, good for a third-place tie, while Delaware is 3-6, tied for ninth.

Both teams are among the CAA's elite offensively. Delaware is second in the league in batting average with a .342 mark while Mason has a .325 batting average. The Blue Hens have close to twice as many homers as Mason with a 49-29 edge, but the Patriots are averaging half a run more per game than Delaware (8.9-8.4).Delaware's Carlos Alonso leads the CAA with a .474 batting average and a .528 on-base percentage. He is second in slugging percentage at .795 and his 10 homers are second in the league. Ryan Soares leads Mason at the plate. He is sixth in the CAA in batting average with a .407 mark and his .700 slugging percentage is fourth in the league. Soares is fifth in the nation in RBI per game (1.53) and doubles per game (.56) and first in sacrifice flies (10).

While both teams excel at getting on base and scoring runs, Mason holds an edge on the mound. The Patriots are second in the CAA with a 4.91 ERA while Delaware is sixth with a 6.17 mark. Two of the three starters Mason will send to the mound this weekend are among the league's top 10 in ERA.

On Friday, Kevin Crum will pitch for the Patriots. He is 5-1 with a 3.83 ERA and a .270 opponent's batting average. In nine starts he has allowed just eight walks. On Saturday, Ryan Brecko gets the nod for Mason. He is 2-0 with a 5.35 ERA and he has allowed just 36 hits in 35.1 innings. On Sunday, Mason will send freshman lefthander Chris O'Grady to the bump. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Week is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA and he has allowed the opposition to hit just .229. O'Grady has allowed just 33 hits in 38 innings.

The Blue Hens will send Brian Rorick against Mason on Friday. He is 2-1 with a 7.23 ERA but his 50 strikeouts are fifth in the CAA. On Saturday, Mike Londino will pitch. He is 5-3 with a 4.87 ERA and a .241 opposing batting average. Sunday's starter will be Eric Buckland who is 3-3 with a 5.85 ERA. The Blue Hens have two relievers with an ERA better than 5.00. Nick Stampone is 0-0 with a 2.53 ERA while Devon Pearson is 2-0 with a 3.62 ERA.

Mason has won the past three meetings between the teams including last year's contest in the CAA Tournament. All-time, Delaware holds a 34-32 edge in the series.