BASEBALL vs. St. Bonaventure
WHEN:  Saturday, March 24 through Sunday, March 25
WHERE:  Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS:  Mason (7-11, 0-0 A-10), St. Bonaventure (4-10, 0-0 A-10)
LIVE VIDEO ($) | LIVE STATS

---

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend against St. Bonaventure.  The Patriots will host the Bonnies on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. and then play a doubleheader on Sunday with game one slated for 12 p.m. at Spuhler Field.

Mason (7-11) split a doubleheader with Lafayette last Sunday.  The Patriots dropped the first game 3-2 and won the nightcap by the final score of 13-12.

In game one, redshirt-junior Bryce Nightengale allowed just two runs on three singles and struck out a season-high 10 batters over a season-high 7.0 innings in a no-decision.  Sophomore Logan Driscoll went 2-for-3 and drove in a run.

In game two, the Patriots scored 13 runs on 13 hits to take two of three in the series from the Leopards.  Graduate student Frank Sturek went 4-for-6 with two singles, a double and a triple.  He drove in two runs and scored three runs. 

Senior Trevor Kelly was 2-for-5 with three RBI and hit his team-leading third home run of the season.  Senior Garett Driscoll picked up the first save of his collegiate career.

Logan Driscoll leads the Atlantic 10 with a .465 average (33-for-71), is third in the conference in slugging percentage (.592) and is tied for third in RBI (17).  Kelly is hitting .293 (22-for-75) and is tied for third in the A-10 in home runs (3) and tied for fourth in the conference in RBI (15).

On the mound, junior Zach Mort (2-1, 2.51) leads the Atlantic 10 in strikeouts (42) and innings pitched (32.1).

The Patriots have an all-time record of 4-5 against the Bonnies.  Mason has a 3-3 record in the previous two series against St. Bonaventure at Spuhler Field.

SCOUTING REPORT

St. Bonaventure has a 4-10 overall record.  The Bonnies are 2-4 on the road and 2-6 in games played at a neutral site.

The Bonnies dropped two of three at North Carolina A&T March 16-18, with all three games decided by a single run.  The Aggies won the first game 5-4 in 13 innings and claimed a 4-3 victory in the final game of the series, while the Bonnies recorded an 8-7 win in the middle game.

Junior Mike Magnanti is batting .347 (17-for-49) and leads the team in hits (17) and runs scored (10), while classmate Ben Henshaw is hitting .294 (15-for-51) and leads the Bonnies in RBI (12).  Senior Ryan MacCarrick is batting .278 (15-for-54) and ranks second on the team in hits (15) and RBI (10).

On the mound, freshman Braydon Nelson (1-1, 2.51) leads the Bonnies in starts (4), while sophomore Donovan Moffat (1-1, 2.53) leads the team in appearances (7).  Nelson was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the week ending March 5.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Saturday:  RHP Zach Mort (2-1, 2.51) vs. RHP Brandon Schlimm (0-2, 6.97)
Sunday (Game 1):  RHP Bryce Nightengale (1-2, 4.91) vs. RHP Braydon Nelson (1-1, 2.51)
Sunday (Game 2):  LHP Brian Marconi (1-0, 6.75) vs. RHP Ben Contento (1-0, 3.14)