BASEBALL (8-20, 1-5 A-10) vs. TOWSON (11-17, 2-1 CAA)
WHEN: 3 p.m. Wednesday, Apr. 6
WHERE: Spuhler Field
LAST MEETING: The Tigers earned a 12-4 win Apr. 15, 2015 at Spuhler Field; The two teams played to a 13-13 tie at Towson Apr. 8, 2015.
LIVE STATS: GoMason.com
RADIO: GoMason Digital Network
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team is back on the diamond at Spuhler Field to face Towson on Wednesday afternoon in the first of a four-game hometsand. The Patriots will host Atlantic 10 Conference rival Dayton for three games this weekend.
Mason looks to rebound after dropping three games at Saint Louis last weekend. It was the first time that Mason has been swept in a series by an Atlantic 10 opponent since joining the conference. The Billikens outscored the Patriots by a combined 33-8 and Saint Louis collected 47 hits, 17 for extra bases, including 11 home runs in the series.
Senior Kent Blackstone and sophomore Michael Smith are the only two players to appear in every game for Mason. Blackstone leads the Patriots with 16 RBI and Smith has a team-leading 26 hits on the season.
The Patriots and Tigers met twice last season, with the Tigers claiming a 12-4 victory Apr. 15, 2015 at Spuhler Field. The game at Towson Apr. 8, 2015 ended in a 13-13 tie due to darkness. Mason tied the score with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth in a game that featured 31 hits between the two teams. It was the first tie for Mason since an 8-8 deadlock against Richmond in 2011.
Blackstone went 4-for-8 with two RBI and scored two runs, Tyler Nelin was 3-for-8 with two RBI and Smith had two hits and scored three runs in the two games against Towson last season.
The Tigers have won 11 of the last 15 meetings in the series (11-3-1) and three of the last four games at Spuhler Field.
The Patriots will play their next four games at home. Mason is 7-11 at Spuhler Field this season, with five of the seven wins by a single run. Each of Mason's last three home games has been decided by one run.
SCOUTING REPORT
Towson started the season on the road and lost their first eight games of the campaign by a combined score of 64-32. After winning just once in their first 13 road games of the season, the Tigers have won three of their last four away from home (7-6 and 6-5 at Kennesaw State; 8-1 at Delaware State).
The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games overall, scoring at least six runs in seven of the eight victories.
Junior Brady Policelli leads the Tigers at the plate batting .381 with three home runs and 22 RBI. Freshman Richie Palacios is hitting .339 with two homers and 16 RBI and junior Chris Henze is batting .317 with two round trippers and 20 RBI.
Policelli was named the CAA Player of the Week after going 10-for-19 with a home run, four doubles and five RBI in five games.
The Tigers are active on the base paths, ranking seventh in the nation with 57 stolen bases. Palacios leads the team and ranks ninth in the country with 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts.
PROBABLE STARTERS
The Patriots will give the ball to junior LHP Tyler Kardas (2-0, 6.30 ERA) in the non-conference matchup against Towson. It will be his third start and ninth appearance of the season. This will be the third straight midweek start for Kardas, who has yet to give up a run as a starter. He allowed just two hits in 2.0 innings in the Patriots 16-5 win at James Madison Mar. 23 and was flawless in a 2-1 Mason win over Georgetown Mar. 29, allowing just two singles in 5.0 innings of work.
Sophomore LHP David Marriggi (1-2, 4.79 ERA) is scheduled to make his third start of the season for Towson. In his last outing, Marriggi allowed three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings in the Tigers 6-5 win at Kennesaw State.
The first pitch Wednesday at Spuhler Field is slated for 3 p.m.
