BASEBALL at N.C. State
WHEN: Tuesday, March 27 | 3 p.m.
WHERE: Doak Field at Dail Park | Raleigh, N.C.
RECORDS: Mason (10-11), No. 10 N.C. State (20-4)
LISTEN |
LIVE STATS
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team is set to play a pair of mid-week, non-conference games against No. 10 N.C. State followed by a matchup with UMBC.
The Patriots travel to take on the Wolfpack on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Doak Field in Raleigh, N.C. and then host the Retrievers on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.
Mason (10-11) swept a doubleheader from St. Bonaventure on Sunday, winning game one 7-6 and claiming the nightcap 6-0 to complete a three-game sweep against the Bonnies.
The Patriots used a three-run rally in the home half of the ninth in game one for the walk-off win. Sophomore
Logan Driscoll drove in the winning run with a single, with junior
Alejandro Aponte crossing the plate with a head-first slide just ahead of the throw home.
In game two,
Logan Driscoll hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Patriots the lead for good. Senior
Garett Driscoll also drove in a pair of runs, while junior left-hander
Brian Marconi (2-0) allowed just three singles and struck out a season-high seven batters over 8.0 innings to earn the win.
With a 3-0 record after the first weekend of Atlantic 10 action, the Patriots are off to their best start in conference play since joining the A-10 in 2014.
The Patriots have a team batting average of .269 through 21 games.
Logan Driscoll leads the A-10 and ranks seventh in the nation with a .458 average. He also leads the conference with 38 hits.
Senior
Trevor Kelly is hitting .318 (27-for-85) and leads the team in home runs (3) and is second in RBI (19).
Junior
Zach Mort (3-1) was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game five-hitter in Mason's 4-0 win over St. Bonaventure in the conference opener. It was the first complete game of his collegiate career. Mort leads the A-10 with 55 strikeouts and ranks fifth with a 1.96 ERA.
The Patriots have won 10 of their last 11 games overall and improved to 8-2 at home. Mason is off to the best start at home since going 8-2 in the first 10 home games during the 2012 season.
Last season, N.C. State defeated the Patriots 7-3 on March 15, 2017 at Doak Field at Dail Park in Raleigh, N.C. The Patriots scored a run in the top of the first to take the lead but the Wolfpack plated five runs in the home half of the inning to take control of the game.
The Wolfpack scored six runs and collected all seven of their hits in the game in the first two innings.
Timothy Turner retired 10 of 13 batters he faced over 3.1 innings in relief. The Wolfpack didn't have a hit over the final six innings in the game.
John Callahan hit a two-run home run in last year's matchup. It was the first home run of his collegiate career.
Mason and N.C. State have met 28 times with the Wolfpack leading the all-time series 24-4. The Patriots are 30-13 all-time against UMBC.
SCOUTING REPORT
N.C. State has an overall record of 20-4, including a mark of 7-2 against ACC opponents. The Wolfpack are 16-4 at home and 4-0 on the road.
N.C. State took two of three in their series against Georgia Tech this past weekend. After dropping the first game 13-4, the Wolfpack won the middle game 5-2 and the series finale 9-6.
The only teams that have defeated N.C. State this season are Seton Hall (8-6, Feb. 18), Canisius (3-2, March 4), Boston College (11-3, March 10) and Georgia Tech (13-4, March 23).
The Wolfpack rank first in the ACC in batting average (.323), hits (268), home runs (42), on-base percentage (.416) and slugging percentage (.529). The .323 average ranks sixth in the nation, while the 42 home runs are fourth-most in the nation.
Junior Brett Kinneman is batting .353 (36-for-102) and is tied for the NCAA lead in home runs (12). He is also tied for second in the nation in RBI (34).
Sophomore Will Wilson is hitting .344 (31-for-90) and is third on the team in home runs (6) and second in RBI (21). He has reached base safely in 39 straight games dating back to last season.
Senior Josh McLain is batting .342 (39-for-114) and ranks second in the ACC in hits (39). He has a 12-game hitting streak and has recorded at least one hit in 23 of 24 games this season.
STRIKE ZONE
N.C. State played in the Southern Conference for 31 years before becoming a member of the ACC when the conference was formed in 1954. The Wolfpack have won four conference regular season titles, appeared in two College World Series and have been in the NCAA Tournament 29 times.
PROBABLE STARTERS
RHP
Jared DiCesare (2-3, 9.31) vs. RHP Reid Johnston (2-0, 1.80)
