FAIRFAX, Va. – After having their home opener postponed, the George Mason baseball team will play the first of seven straight at Spuhler Field when they take on Rutgers for three games starting with a doubleheader on Saturday Feb. 27. The first pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. for game one. The Patriots will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 28 with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
The Patriots are searching for their first win of the season.
“It's going to be good to get back home and play on our own field. The opening weekend, there were some good things that came out of it but we didn't get any results," head coach Bill Brown said in advance of the opener at Spuhler Field.
“We have an opportunity to get back home and settle in, we've corrected some of the issues we had last weekend. We'll go play and see if that all works for us," Brown said of his team getting to play in front of the Mason fans.
Mason (0-3) began the season last weekend in Spartanburg, S.C. with a 5-4 loss to USC Upstate, an 8-6 defeat at the hands of then No. 25 Kentucky and an 11-6 loss at Wofford. Sophomore Michael Smith went 4-for-12 with a RBI and scored two runs, sophomore Trevor Kelly went 4-for-13 with a RBI on the weekend.
The Patriots used the long ball to generate most of their runs a week ago.
“It was a good sight from the dugout, but that's probably not the way we're going to play. We need to be more consistent in terms of moving runners, and not be a team where one swing is going to do it all," said Brown of the home runs.
"Good solid at bats and moving base-runners, that ultimately is what will make us successful offensively,” Brown added.
Senior Kent Blackstone and freshman Timothy Turner each hit a three-run homer and sophomore Brady Acker belted a two-run round tripper.
The Patriots were outscored 15-4 in the first six innings over the three games last weekend, but thrived in the late innings. Mason scored 12 of their 16 runs from the seventh inning on, including seven in the ninth inning over the final two games.
The Patriots had 10 freshmen make their collegiate debuts last weekend. Alejandro Aponte, Jonathan Hansen, Bailey Klein, Brian Marconi, Zach Mort, Bryce Nightengale, Greg Popatak II, Ryan Tassone, Tim Quinn, and Matthew Yost.
RHP Tyler Zombro (0-1) is scheduled to make his second start of the season for Mason in game one and LHP Joe Williams (0-1) will get the ball for game two of the twin bill against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday. RHP Bryce Nightengale (0-1) will make the start in the series finale on Sunday.
“I expect all three to come back out and improve upon what they did a week ago, they'll rebound nicely," said Brown of his starting rotation for the weekend.
Zombro allowed five runs on seven hits last weekend and suffered the loss against USC Upstate. He struck out three and walked just one against the Spartans. Williams allowed four runs on five hits and took the loss against Kentucky last Saturday. He struck out four and issued only one free pass against the Wildcats.
Scouting Rutgers:
The Scarlet Knights (0-3) will also be looking for their first win of the season after losing three games at No. 4 Miami last weekend. Rutgers scored just two runs on 12 hits against Miami. Rutgers had eight freshmen make their collegiate debuts last week.
This will be just the second all-time meeting between Mason and Rutgers. The Patriots won 5-4 on March 14, 1996 in a game played at a neutral site in Orlando.
LHP Howie Brey (0-1) is scheduled to take the mound in game one for Rutgers. The senior has tossed 197.0 innings in his career, tied for 50th-most among all active Division 1 pitchers. Brey has pitched 93.0 innings dating back to 2014 without allowing a stolen base, the longest streak in the nation.
Junior Kyle Driscoll (0-1) is scheduled to pitch game two on Saturday and sophomore John O'Reilly (0-1) will get the start on Sunday when Mason and Rutgers wrap up the series.
