BASEBALL vs. Saint Louis
WHEN:  Friday, April 9 Doubleheader (12 p.m. – Game 1), Saturday, April 10 (2 p.m.) | Sunday, April 11 (12 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: Mason (7-12, 0-0 A-10), Saint Louis (8-19, 0-0 A-10)
LAST MEETING: The Billikens swept a three-game series from the Patriots May 10-12, 2019 at Billiken Sports Center in St. Louis, Mo.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Saint Louis leads, 12-3    
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins Atlantic 10 Conference play, hosting Saint Louis for a four-game series April 9-11 at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.
 
The Patriots and Billikens will play a doubleheader on Friday, with the first pitch for game one scheduled for noon.  Both games will be seven innings.  The two teams will play on Saturday, with the first pitch slater for 2 p.m. and wrap up the series on Sunday with the first pitch at noon.
 
Last time out, Mason (7-12, 0-0 A-10) won three-of-four against St. Bonaventure in the final non-conference series of the season.
 
The Patriots scored five unanswered runs, including four in the bottom of the eighth last Sunday for a 6-5 win to take the series. 
 
Freshman center fielder Jordan Smith went 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored two runs.  Junior infielder Peter Nielsen was 2-for-4 and knocked in a run.  Senior designated hitter Scott Morgan collected his 20th RBI of the season.  Junior reliever Stuart Barrett tossed two scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season.
 
Sophomore South Trimble is batting .385 (15-for-39) with four RBI and eight runs scored in 11 games played.  Morgan is hitting .311 (23-for-74) with four home runs, five doubles, two triples, 20 RBI and 12 runs scored in 19 games.  He leads the club in hits, home runs, doubles, triples, RBI, runs scored and total bases (44). 
 
On the mound, junior Jared Lyons (2-1, 4.50, 36.0 IP) and graduate student Ryan Stoudemire (1-5, 6.55, 22.0 IP) share the team lead with six starts each.  Lyons leads the club in innings pitched (36.0) and strikeouts (39).
 
Freshman Kieran Versaw-Barnes (1-2, 4.45, 28.1 IP) is second on the team in starts (4), innings pitched (28.1) and strikeouts (23).
 
The Patriots are hitting .265 and have a team ERA of 6.24 through 19 games.

Mason has an all-time record of 3-12 against Saint Louis.  The Billikens swept a three-game series from the Patriots May 10-12, 2019 at Billiken Sports Center in St. Louis, Mo.
 
It's been four years since Saint Louis visited Mason.  The Billikens took two-of-three from the Patriots May 18-20, 2017.  Saint Louis won the first two games, 4-3 and 7-2, while Mason claimed the final game of the series, 6-2.

SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS
 
Saint Louis has an overall record of 8-19, including a mark of 6-12 at home and 2-7 on the road.
 
Last time out, the Billikens dropped a midweek game at SIUE, 16-10, on Tuesday at Simmons Complex in Edwardsville, Ill.
 
Saint Louis dropped two-of-three to No. 25 Indiana State April 1-3 at Billiken Sports Center.  The Sycamores won the first two games of the series, 8-2 and 13-2, before the Billikens salvaged a game with an 8-5 win in the finale.
 
Sophomore catcher/infielder Cam Redding is hitting .333 (33-for-99) with nine doubles, three home runs, 26 RBI and 21 runs scored.  He has started all 27 games and leads the A-10 in doubles (9), ranks second in RBI (26), is third in the conference in hits (33) and fifth in runs scored (21) and total bases (51).
 
Senior infielder/outfielder Jake Garella is batting .308 (32-for-104) with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, 14 RBI and 13 runs scored in 27 games played.
 
Sophomore infielder Colten Schild has a .307 average (27-for-88) with four doubles, four RBI and 11 runs scored in 27 games played.
 
On the mound, junior Trevor Harris (2-2, 4.18) leads the team with seven starts.  Senior Mark Finkelnberg (0-6, 3.25) and sophomore Scott Youngbrandt (2-3, 4.68) are second on the club with six starts each.  Finkelnberg leads the Billikens with 30 strikeouts.
 
Saint Louis is hitting .258 and has a team ERA of 5.49 through 27 games.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday
Mason: RHP Jared Lyons (2-1, 4.50)
Saint Louis: RHP Scott Youngbrandt (2-3, 4.68)
 
Saturday
Game 1
Mason: RHP Ryan Stoudemire (1-5, 6.55)   
Saint Louis: LHP Mark Finkelnburg (0-6, 3.25) 
 
 Game 2
Mason: RHP Kieran Versaw-Barnes (1-2, 4.45)
Saint Louis:  LHP Trevor Harris (2-2, 4.18)
 
Sunday
Mason: TBD    
Saint Louis: TBD
  
STRIKE ZONE
 
The Billikens were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll with 114 points and one first-place vote.