BASEBALL at Navy
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27 | 1 p.m. | Doubleheader
WHERE: Max Bishop Stadium | Annapolis, Md.
RECORDS: George Mason (0-0, 0-0 A-10), Navy (2-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Navy leads, 15-13
LAST MEETING: The Midshipmen defeated the Patriots, 18-12, on April 24, 2019, at Spuhler Field.
GAME PROGRAM: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins the 2021 season with a doubleheader against Navy on Saturday, with game one scheduled for 1 p.m. at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
"We are incredibly excited, humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to return to competition for the first time in eleven and a half months," Mason head coach
Bill Brown said. "It has been a trying time on every level for our players, and obviously the nation as a whole, but it is a real joy to take the field again and play the game we all love. The schedule looks different than in the years past with the first half of it playing competition that is relatively local, but it will start to look a little more familiar once we get into A-10 play and begin our quest to qualify for the A-10 and NCAA tournament. Our A-10 slate is challenging but I know we are up for it and excited to begin the journey."
The Patriots return nine position players who were regulars in the starting lineup and nine pitchers from last year's roster, including two weekend starters.
The Mason senior class includes catchers
Devon Adams and
Bailey Klein. The junior class includes pitchers
Jackson Barrett,
Thomas Bradley and
Austin Cabone, outfielder
Cam Reckling, and infielders
Daniel Brooks and
Scott Morgan. Morgan led the team with four home runs and 12 RBI last season.
The Patriots also added a trio of graduate student transfers, catcher
Kyle Hayes, first baseman/pitcher
Ryan Stoudemire and left-hander
Jonathan Kaiser. They join returning graduate students
James Beasley,
Jack DeLongchamps and
Cooper Mrowka.
The Mason sophomore class includes pitchers
Stuart Barrett,
Matthew Henson,
Jared Lyons,
Hugh O'Hara,
Mason Posey,
Nate Young and
Nick Zegna, along with infielder
Peter Nielsen and outfielder
Jack Fitzgerald.
Beasley and junior Posey shared the team lead in starts in 2020 with four each, while Cabone and Zegna shared the team lead with seven appearances out of the bullpen last season.
Stuart Barrett made six appearances in 15 games before the 2020 season was cancelled.
Also returning are infielders
Corey Leadenham and
South Trimble and outfielder
Craig Miles, Jr. They are joined by transfer
Brett Stallings.
Mason added freshmen outfielders
Jordan Smith,
Thomas Trinca and
Andrew Stieg along with infielder
Brock Piper. Freshmen
Sang Ho Baek and
Kieran Versaw-Barnes join the Mason pitching staff.
SCOUTING NAVY
Navy posted a 14-1 overall record, including a 10-0 record at home, in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Navy (2-0) has won the first two games of a season-opening, eight-game homestand, picking up a pair of victories over Coppin State.
The Midshipmen downed the Eagles, 7-2, on Feb. 21 with juniors Joe Simourian and Zach Stevens each going 2-for-4 with two RBI in the game. Navy rallied from six runs down for a 16-11 win over Coppin State on Feb. 24, led by freshman Logan Keller, who went 4-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored.
Navy has won its last 16 games dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation behind top-ranked Ole Miss.
Through two games, freshman infielder Keller Logan is 4-for-9 with four RBI and five runs scored in two games, while Simourian is 4-for-8 with three triples and three RBI.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game One
Mason: Jared Lyons (0-0, 0.00)
Navy: Charlie Connolly (1-0, 6.00)
Game Two
Mason: Ryan Stoudemire (0-0, 0.00)
Navy: Tommy Goodridge (0-0, 0.00)
STRIKE ZONE
In the last meeting between the two teams, Navy downed George Mason, 18-12, on April 24, 2019 at Spuhler Field. Each team finished the game with 19 hits in the game. Then-sophomore outfielder
Cam Reckling went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run and scored two runs for the Patriots.
