BASEBALL at Wake Forest
WHEN: Wednesday, March 6 | 6 p.m.
WHERE: David F. Couch Ballpark | Winston-Salem, N.C.
RECORDS: George Mason (5-6, 0-0 A-10); Wake Forest (11-1, 0-0 ACC)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
LAST MEETING: The Demon Deacons defeated the Patriots, 9-3, at the Hughes Bros. Challenge on Feb. 21, 2015 at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, N.C.
WATCH: ACC Network ($)
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team is on the road for a midweek, non-conference matchup against Wake Forest under the lights on Wednesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C.
 
Last time out, Mason (5-6) defeated Monmouth, 5-4, on Sunday to take two-of-three in the series against the Hawks.
 
Graduate student starting pitcher Danny Hosley went five innings to earn his first win in a Mason uniform.  Senior Matthew Henson pitched two scoreless frames, while senior Mason Posey retired all six batters that he faced over two innings with three strikeouts to notch the save.
 
Graduate student left fielder Kamron Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored a run, junior first baseman South Trimble was 3-for-5 with a run scored and freshman Brett Ahalt finished 2-for-4 in the game.
 
Trimble has led off the game for the Patriots with a hit and scored a run in the first inning in three of the last five games.

The Patriots rank second in the nation in double plays turned with 15.  Only New Mexico (16) has turned more.
 
Ahalt is batting .419 (13-for-31) with two doubles, one home run, four RBI and five runs scored in 10 games.  He is second on the club in hits (13) and fourth in stolen bases (3).
 
Trimble is hitting .400 (18-for-45) with three doubles, five RBI and 10 runs scored in 11 starts.  Among Atlantic 10 leaders, he ranks first in stolen bases (8), second in hits (18), sixth in at-bats (45), ninth in batting average (.400), and 10th in runs scored (10).
 
Freshman Connor Dykstra has a .308 average (8-for-26) with two home runs, one double, six RBI and 10 runs scored in 10 games.  He leads the team in home runs (2), is tied for the club lead in runs scored (10), and is third in RBI (8).  Dykstra leads the team and is second in the A-10 in hit by pitch (6). 
 
Sophomore second baseman Brett Stallings is batting .300 (12-for-40) with two doubles, eight RBI and six runs scored in 11 starts.
 
The Patriots have a team batting average of .263 through 11 games.
 
On the mound, senior Jared Lyons (2-0, 2.95) leads the team in innings pitched (21.1) and is second in strikeouts (20).  Among A-10 pitchers he ranks first in innings (21.1), fourth in strikeouts (20) and sixth in opponent batting average (.178)  
 
Hosley (1-1, 4.24) leads the A-10 in strikeouts (22), and is second on the club and fifth in the league in innings pitched (17.0).
 
Henson (1-0, 0.00, 7.1 IP) has made five appearances and Posey (0-1, 10.45, 10.1 IP) has also made five appearances, with two starts.
 
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), Christian 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 rivals, and four opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.
 
The Patriots played seven games on the road in February, and will play 18 games in March, 19 games in April and 12 contests in May.
 
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.
   
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 WAKE FOREST
 
Wake Forest finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 20-27, including a mark of 10-22 against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents.  The Demon Deacons went 13-12 at home and 7-15 on the road.
 
The Demon Deacons played their first 11 games of the 2022 campaign at home, going 11-0.  Wake Forest dropped its first road game of the season, 4-3, on Tuesday at Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.
 
Wake Forest defeated Lafayette, 25-3 (Feb. 18), Georgetown, 9-1 (Feb. 19), VCU, 6-4 (Feb. 20), and UNC Greensboro, 23-3 (Feb. 22) in the first four games of the season.
 
The Demon Deacons swept a four-game weekend series against NJIT Feb. 25-27.
 
Wake Forest has also notched single-game victories against Elon, 10-2 (Mar. 1), UMass Lowell, 13-3 (Mar. 4), and Central Michigan, 4-2 (Mar. 5).
 
Sophomore third baseman Brock Wilken is one of 55 high school and collegiate players named to USA Baseball's Preseason Watch List for the 2022 Golden Spikes Award, given each year to the top amateur baseball player in the country.  He was selected Baseball America Preseason All-America and named Preseason Third Team All-American by Perfect Game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Eric Adler was selected to Baseball America's Preseason All-America list.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
 
Mason: TBD
Wake Forest: TBD
 
STRIKE ZONE
 
Mason last faced the Wake Forest on the first day at the Hughes Bros. Challenge on Feb. 21, 2015 in Wilmington, N.C.
 
Brady Acker and Trevor Kelly each went 2-for-4, while Luke Willis scored two runs in the game for the Patriots.