BASEBALL at Wofford
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 18 (6 p.m.); Saturday, Feb. 19 (2 p.m.); Sunday, Feb. 20 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Russell King Field | Spartanburg, S.C.
2021 RECORDS: George Mason (14-29, 7-17 A-10); Wofford (36-21, 21-9 SoCon)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Tied, 1-1
LAST MEETING: The Terriers defeated the Patriots, 11-6, on Feb. 21, 2016 at Russell King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins the 2022 season with a three-game series against Wofford, with game one scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday at Russell King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
 
"We are extremely excited to get to opening day and the start of 2022 season," Mason head coach Bill Brown said.  "With 25 new student-athletes joining the program it truly is a new era in Mason Baseball and we can't wait to see what it looks like.  We are back to playing a more traditional schedule rather that the ones we have played the last two years because of the pandemic and look forward to the challenges it brings.  Our quest to qualify for the NCAA tournament starts February the 18th in Spartanburg, S.C. and we are confident we are up to the task."
 
The Patriots return six position players and four pitchers from the 2021 roster, including one weekend starter.
 
Last season, senior right-hander Jared Lyons was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team starting pitcher and he was also selected to the A-10 All-Academic Team.
 
A native of Springfield, Va., Lyons finished the season with a 6-2 record and 3.73 ERA.  He won five of his last seven starts and tossed at least six innings in eight of his 12 starts on the season.
 
Lyons, who has been selected A-10 Preseason Pitcher of the Year, went 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in six starts in 2021 against conference opponents.  Among A-10 leaders, he ranked second in lowest opponent batting average (.192), tied for third in wins (6), and was fourth in both innings pitched (72.1) and strikeouts (76).
 
Seniors Matthew Henson, Hugh O'Hara and Mason Posey also return for the Patriots.
 
Position players returning for Mason are senior infielders Daniel Brooks and Scott Morgan, junior infielder/outfielder South Trimble, junior infielder Brett Stallings, junior outfielder Craig Miles, Jr. and sophomore outfielder Jordan Smith.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
 
Mason has 10 returners and 25 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under Bill Brown, who enters his 41st year as the head coach of the Patriots.
 
The Mason senior class includes pitchers Matthew Henson, Jared Lyons, Hugh O'Hara and Mason Posey, along with infielders Daniel Brooks and Scott Morgan.
 
The junior class includes outfielder Craig Miles, Jr., infielder Brett Stallings, and infielder/outfielder South Trimble.  Sophomore outfielder Jordan Smith returns for his second season with the Green and Gold.
 
The Patriots added 25 new players, with 18 freshman, three sophomores and four graduate students.
 
Rookie pitchers joining the Patriots are Jackson Baird (RHP), Diego Barrett (RHP), Dylan Crowley (LHP), Konner Eaton (LHP), Chad Gartland, (RHP), Jalen Grant (LHP), Danny Hosley (INF/RHP), Thomas Little (LHP), Christina Mracna (RHP), Andrew Schaeb (LHP), Ben Shields (LHP) and Britt Yount (RHP).
 
New position players include Brett Ahalt (INF/OF), Tyler Cotten (C/INF), Connor Dykstra (C), Yogie Hartigan (OF), Alex Knapp (UTL), Carsen Pracht (INF) and Logan Scully (C).
 
The Patriots bring on sophomores Christian Mracna (RHP), Ryan Peterson (LHP), and Stephen Restuccio (RHP).
 
The Patriots also added four graduate student transfers, Danny Hosley (INF/RHP), Chris Ruckdeschel (RHP), Ben Shields (LHP) and Kamron Smith (OF/INF).
 
Mason is scheduled to play 56 games, including 24 against Atlantic 10 Conference rival, and four opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.
 
The Patriots will play seven games on the road in February, 18 games in March, 19 games in April and 12 games in May.
 
Mason plays its first series of the 2022 campaign with three games against Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. (Feb. 18-20), visits James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. (Feb. 23), and then faces Presbyterian College, Boston College and USC Upstate in Clinton, S.C. and Spartanburg, S.C. (Feb. 25-27).
 
Mason went 10-13 at home in 2021, including a mark of 7-9 against A-10 opponents.
 
The Patriots play 11 of their first 13 games in March at Spuhler Field.
   
Mason hosts Navy for the home opener (March 2) and then welcomes Monmouth for three games at Spuhler Field (March 4-6). 
  
The Patriots are scheduled to play 11 games at home and seven on the road in April.  In the final month of the regular season, Mason will play eight of 12 games on the road in May.
  
The Patriots will play four home-and-home series during the 2022 season, taking on James Madison, Longwood, Maryland and William & Mary for single games at home and on the road.
 
Mason plays eight league series, four at home and four on the road.
 
Home series against A-10 foes include three-game weekend sets against VCU (April 1-3), Saint Louis (April 15-17), Fordham (April 22-24) and George Washington (May 13-15).
 
The Patriots will visit Saint Joseph's (April 8-10), Massachusetts (April 29-May 1), Richmond (May 6-8) and Davidson (May 19-21).
 
SCOUTING WOFFORD
 
Wofford finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 36-21, including a mark of 21-9 against SoCon opponents.  The Terriers went 21-6 at home, 14-13 on the road and 1-2 in games played at a neutral site last season.
 
Coming off their first SoCon regular season title, Wofford has been projected to win the Southern Conference again in the preseason coaches' poll (48 points).  Mercer was picked to finish second and Western Carolina third.
 
Three Terriers seniors earned preseason First-Team SoCon honors, reliever Dalton Rhadans, catcher Lawson Hill and outfielder Nolen Hester, while junior outfielder Trey Young was selected preseason Second-Team.
 
Rhadans earned All-SoCon First Team honors after last season.  He led the league in ERA (2.59) and was second in saves (7) in 24 appearances.  Rhadans struck out 62 batters in 59.0 innings of work.
 
Hill was an All-SoCon Second Team selection last year.  He batted .309 with 68 hits and 43 RBI a year ago.  He ranked second in the league in doubles (17) and walks (40).
 
Hester, a SoCon Second Team selection in 2021, led the team and ranked seventh in the conference in batting average (.363).  He was fourth in the league in hits (73), fifth in on-base percentage (.474) and sixth in runs scored (52).
 
Yunger played in 55 games with 54 starts, batting .321 with 69 hits and 45 RBI.  He ranked third in the conference in stolen bases (20).
  
PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday
Mason: RHP Jared Lyons
Wofford: RHP Matt Marchal
 
Saturday
Mason: RHP Mason Posey
Wofford: RHP Josh Vitus

Sunday
Mason: RHP Danny Hosley
Wofford: RHP Dom Marcoccio
 
STRIKE ZONE
 
The Patriots and Terriers have met just twice, with each team winning a game.
 
In the last meeting, Mason fell to Wofford, 11-6, at Russell C. King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
 
Outfielder Kent Blackstone went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBI.  Catcher Bailey Klein drove in the first run of his collegiate career.