BASEBALL vs. Presbyterian College/Boston College/USC Upstate (OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 (4:30 p.m.) | Saturday, Feb. 25 (10 a.m. vs. Boston College/5 p.m. vs. USC Upstate)
WHERE: PC Baseball Complex, Clinton, S.C. | Cleveland S. Harley Park, Spartanburg, S.C.
RECORDS: George Mason (1-3); Presbyterian (2-2); Boston College (1-2); USC Upstate (3-1)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason vs. USC Upstate tied, 2-2; First meeting with Boston College and Presbyterian
LAST MEETING: The Spartans defeated the Patriots, 5-4, on Feb. 19, 2016 at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
FRIDAY: WATCH ($) | LIVE STATS; SATURDAY: LIVE STATS; SUNDAY: WATCH ($) | LIVE STATS
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team is back on the road for three games this weekend in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic.

The Patriots will play Presbyterian College on Friday at the PC Baseball Complex in Clinton, S.C., with the first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. 

Mason will play two games on Saturday at Cleveland S. Harley Park in Spartanburg, S.C.  The Patriots face Boston College (10 a.m.) and USC Upstate (5 p.m.).
 
Last time out, Mason (1-3) was shut out at James Madison, 14-0, on Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va.
 
After playing three games on the road to start the season against Wofford last weekend, the Patriots are back in Clinton and Spartanburg, S.C. for three more contests beginning Friday.

Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra is batting .455 (5-for-11) with two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored in four starts behind the plate.  Junior infielder/outfielder South Trimble is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with three RBI and three runs scored in four starts.  Sophomore infielder Brett Stallings is batting .375 (6-for-16) with three RBI and three runs scored over the first four games.

Mason will face both Boston College and Presbyterian College for the first time in program history.

The Patriots last met USC Upstate in the season opener of the 2016 season, with the Spartans posting a 5-4 victory in Spartanburg, S.C.

The Patriots had 10 hits in the game, with Trevor Kelly going 3-for-5, while Brady Acker and Michael Smith each finished 2-for-4.  Acker launched a two-run homer in the top of the third to put Mason in front 2-0 and Smith plated a run with a RBI-single in the seventh to give the Patriots a 4-3 advantage  The Spartans scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the home half of the seventh inning.

Entering the 2022 campaign, 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.  Lyons finished the 2021 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 Cotton (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 played its first series of the 2022 campaign with three games against Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. (Feb. 18-20), going 1-2 in those games.  The Patriots fell on the road at James Madison, 14-0, on Wednesday in Harrisonburg, Va.
 
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 PRESBYTERIAN, BOSTON COLLEGE AND USC UPSTATE
 
Presbyterian College finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 22-23, including a mark of 18-16 against Big South opponents.  The Blue Hose went 9-6 at home and 10-16 on the road.

Presbyterian won the Big South Tournament with an 8-5 victory over top-seeded Campbell to earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance.  In the Nashville regional, the Blue Host fell to fourth-ranked Vanderbilt, 10-9, and lost to Indiana State, 9-2, in an elimination game at Hawkins Field.

The Blue Hose began the 2022 season taking two-of-three on the road at North Florida last weekend.  Presbyterian fell to No. 19 Georgia Tech on Wednesday, 17-7, in Atlanta, Ga.

Boston College finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 21-28, including a mark of 10-23 against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.  The Eagles went 10-15 at home and 11-13 on the road.

The Eagles began the 2022 campaign on the road at Austin Peay last weekend, dropping two-of-three in Clarksville, Tenn.  Boston College won the opener, 8-3, fell 10-9 in 10 innings in the middle game and came up short, 18-17, in the series finale.

USC Upstate concluded the 2021 season with an overall record of 37-16, including a record of 28-12 against Big South opponents.  The Spartans were 18-5 at home and 19-9 on the road a year ago.  USC Upstate lost the first two games of the conference tournament.

The Spartans opened the 2022 season at home last weekend against Ohio.  After dropping the first game, 9-6, the Spartans defeated the Bobcats 14-2 and 9-3 to win the series.  On Wednesday, the Spartans handled Western Carolina, 9-3, for their third straight win.

PROBABLE STARTERS
 
Friday
Mason:  RHP Chad Gartland (0-0, 10.80)
Presbyterian:  RHP Duncan Howard (0-0, 3.00)
Saturday
Mason:  RHP Mason Posey (0-1, 16.20)
Boston College: RHP Eric Schroeder (0-0, 20.25)
Sunday
Mason:  RHP Danny Hosley (0-0, 6.75)
USC Upstate: TBD

STRIKE ZONE
 
Mason faced USC Upstate in the season opener in 2016 at Cleveland S. Harley Park in Spartanburg, S.C.  The Patriots are 2-2 against the Spartans all-time, with all four games played on the road.