As Bill Brown comes to work everyday there is little he has not seen during his tenure. This season marks his 31^st as the head baseball coach at George Mason and with those years under his belt he has seen and developed many teams. The one common trait that seems to come to the forefront with his successful teams is experience.

As The Patriots embark on the 2012 baseball season, the roster is full of experience and talent.

"We have a veteran roster this year, featuring a number of players who gained invaluable experience a season ago and we expect that experience to transform itself into success this season," Brown said.

In addition to a large number of returning players, including several coming off of injuries, the Patriots added a quality recruiting class. The combination of the old and new make for a versatile and deep Patriot team for 2012.

PITCHING
A welcome addition to the mound will be the return of Freshman All-American and 2010 CAA Rookie of the Year Anthony Montefusco.  Montefusco missed all of the 2011 season with a medical red-shirt but is back to full health and eyeing the top spot in the rotation. As a freshman out of the bullpen, he appeared in 30.2 innings over 16 appearances, posting single-season records for lowest ERA, lowest opponent batting average and fewest hits per nine innings. 

Joining Montefusco in the weekend rotation will be senior Ryan Pfaeffle and red-shirt senior AJ Johnson. Both combined to log 24 starts during the 2011 campaign and look to stabilize their starting roles this spring.

Additionally, red-shirt junior Chris O'Grady will look for a prominent roll, coming of a spring a year ago where his role had him as a starter and key piece of the bullpen. Both John Williams and Nick Kendrick could also see time in the starting rotation. Just a freshman, Williams had an impressive fall while Kendrick, a junior, saw innings as both a starter and reliever last season.

The Patriot bullpen is talented, deep, experienced and will be counted on to pitch critical innings. It is anchored by sophomore left-hander Jake Kalish who led the team a year ago in E.R.A. Other members of  the bullpen expected to play a prominent roles are red-shirt senior Branden Bartlett, red-shirt senior Jake Kleine, red-shirt junior Kevin Lingerman, junior transfer Rich McMahon, red-shirt sophomore Sean Cabrera, sophomore Neight Hoffa, sophomore Michael Bowie, and junior closer Brandon Kuter.

CATCHING
Behind the plate for the Patriots are red-shirt senior Jake Leonardo and freshman Ray Toto. In 2011, Leonardo appeared in 25 games for the Patriots with 21 of those being starts.  The addition of Toto solidifies the depth, ability and maturity at the catching position.

INFIELD
First base has been the most competitive, and deep, position since the first day of practice. Three returning players will be vying for that starting spot including senior Zack Helgeson, a preseason All-CAA honoree. Helgeson played in all 54 games a season ago, batting .270, amassing a team high 15 homeruns, 33 walks, and 48 RBI's. 

Sophomore Mick Foley saw action in 33 games last season, starting 23 of those contests while hitting .310. In addition to being a weekend starter, red-shirt sophomore Anthony Montefusco is a true two way player and also part of the mix at first base. 

"We expect all three to contribute extensively throughout the season," noted Brown, "Our everyday first baseman will come from this group, as well as our designated hitter."

At second base is junior Chris Cook, a preseason All-CAA selection. Cook, 2^nd team All-CAA in 2011, looks to repeat a season that saw him hit .340 with 13 doubles, four homeruns, 29 RBI and six steals.  His .459 on base percentage ranked him 7^th in the CAA, and he set a new school record with 26 HBP.

 "Chris is a top of the order offensive catalyst and outstanding defensive second baseman," remarked Brown.

At shortstop, sophomore Jordan Hill and junior transfer Duncan Satherlie will vie for the starting nod. Hill played in 30 games with 22 starts a year ago. Satherlie, a transfer from the College of Southern Nevada started all 58 games for the Coyotes and hit .308 with 43 runs scored, 32 RBI, and nine stolen bases.

Anchoring the left side of the infield at third base is senior Brig Tison, who is coming off an All-CAA performance a year ago. During the 2011 season Tison led the nation most of the season in hits, finished with 91 and was just the fifth player in school history to compile more than 90 hits in a season. He put together a school record 27-game hitting streak while leading the team in batting average (.368) and steals (8). He also was recognized as a Preseason All-CAA honoree.

"Brig is incredibly versatile, but we have him targeted to play third base this year," said Brown.  "He is a strong presence at the top of the order and a true team leader.

Another player that could see some action at third base is sophomore Blaise Fernandez. Fernandez, who was honored on the All-CAA Rookie team last season, will be an everyday player who is also very versatile and consistent.

Not only can Tison and Fernandez find themselves in multiple positions, but red-shirt freshman Andrew Sable provides much added depth to the utility position with the ability to play second base, third base, and the outfield.

OUTFIELD
Depth and versatility is a theme with the 2012 Patriots and outfield is no exception. Leading the way is senior Dan Schafferman.  Schafferman was named to the preseason All-CAA team after finishing last season with a .366 batting average, fifth best in the conference and a .475 on base percentage ranking him third in the league.

Alongside Schafferman in the outfield will be junior Nick Allen, Fernandez and red-shirt sophomore Josh Leemhuis. Allen appeared in 49 games last spring with 46 starts while Leemhuis sat out last season after transferring from UNC-Chapel Hill. Additionally, freshman Tommy Vitaletti and Tyler McCallin and two-way player Jake Kalish will also compete for time in the outfield.

With a deep, talented and experienced roster, Brown is excited about the possibilities of this season.

"We're looking to rebound from an off year last season," Brown said.  "Our roster has experience playing at a high level, the pitching depth is solid, defense is a priority and we feel we can put together a productive lineup every day we play. The combination of it all working on a consistent basis is what will allow us to have success."

The 2012 schedule features 26 home games, including 15 conference games. The lone non-conference home series is against Bryant in March. CAA home weekend series include, Hofstra, William and Mary, Georgia State, Old Dominion, and Delaware. The Patriots will face tough road tests as they will travel to conference rivals VCU and JMU in April, as well as a trip to Boston for a three game set with Northeastern. The other CAA roads tests are at Towson and a regular season-ending weekend at UNCW.

The Patriots will play 16 midweek non-conference games including home and home games with ACC opponent University of Maryland, George Washington, Coppin St, Richmond, Georgetown, and Longwood. The other four midweek games include road tests at Mt. St. Mary's, Rider, and Navy, while Temple visits Hap Spuhler field.

Two exciting changes for the 2012 season are that the CAA Tournament will return to six teams as opposed to four, which was the case in 2010 and 2011. The other change is that the CAA will play the Conference Tournament May 23-26 at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va. The Patriots last won the regular season championship in 2009.