BASEBALL vs. Saint Louis
WHEN: Friday, April 15 (3 p.m.) | Saturday, April 16 (2 p.m.) | Sunday, April 17 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (10-21, 2-4 A-10); Saint Louis (17-13, 4-2 A-10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Saint Louis leads, 15-4.
LAST MEETING: The Billikens defeated the Patriots, 4-2, on April 11, 2021 at Spuhler Field.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins a season-high, eight-game homestand when it hosts Saint Louis for a three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series beginning Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field. in Fairfax, Va.
 
Last time out, the Patriots (10-21, 2-4 A-10) fell to Longwood, 9-8, on Wednesday at Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, Va.  The Lancers scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off victory.
 
Freshman left fielder Brett Ahalt went 3-for-5 with two RBI and scored three runs, junior first baseman South Trimble was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored and graduate student third baseman Danny Hosley finished 3-for-5 and drove in a run.
 
The Patriots are 5-9 at home, 4-12 on the road and 1-0 in games played at a neutral site this season.
 
Friday's game is the 20th meeting between Mason and Saint Louis, with the Billikens holding a 15-4 edge in the all-time series. 
 
In the last meeting between the two teams, Saint Louis won three-of-four games in the series against Mason April 9-11, 2021 at Spuhler Field.  The Patriots took the first game, 7-3, before the Billikens won the final three games by final scores of 6-4, 7-0 and 4-2.     
 
The Patriots are hosting the Billikens for the second straight year.  Mason is 4-6 at home, 0-6 on the road and 0-3 in A-10 tournament games against Saint Louis.
 
Junior INF/OF South Trimble has a .362 average (25-for-69) with four doubles, 10 RBI and 15 runs scored in 18 starts.  He leads the team in stolen bases (15), and is tied for fourth in both hits (25) and runs scored (15).
 
Freshman INF/OF Brett Ahalt has a .352 average (25-for-71) with five doubles, one triple., two home runs, 15 RBI and 15 runs scored in 22 games played with 20 starts.  He is fourth on the club in RBI (15) and tied for fourth in hits (25).  Ahalt has a hit in four of his last five games since returning to the lineup.
 
Sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith is hitting .333 (25-for-75) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored in 19 starts in the outfield.  He is tied for third on the club in stolen bases (11) and is tied for fourth in hits (25).  Smith has a nine-game hitting streak.
 
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings is batting .330 (38-for-115) with five doubles, 25 RBI and 18 runs scored in 31 starts on the right side of the infield.  He leads the team in hits (38) and RBI (25), and he ranks second in both runs scored (18) and stolen bases (12).  Stallings has a 14-game hitting streak.
 
Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra is hitting .260 (20-for-77) with five doubles, four home runs, 14 RBI and 19 runs scored in 27 games played with 26 starts.  He leads the team in home runs (4), runs scored (19) and hit by pitch (13), and is fourth on the club in RBI (14).
 
The Patriots have a team batting average of .266 through 31 games.
 
On the mound, senior Jared Lyons (3-3, 5.76) leads the club in innings pitched (50.0) and is second in strikeouts (45) in nine starts.  Graduate student Danny Hosley (3-3, 4.33) is second on the club in strikeouts (43) and innings pitched (35.1) in seven appearances with five starts.  Sophomore Ryan Peterson (1-0, 5.46) is third on the club in innings pitched (31.1) in eight appearances with four starts.
 
Freshman Chad Gartland (1-1, 3.00) is third on the club in strikeouts (33), second in saves (2) and fourth in innings pitched (27.0).  Senior Matthew Henson (1-1, 7.23) leads the team in appearances (16), while classmate Mason Posey (0-2, 7.50) is second in appearances (13) with three starts.  Posey leads the team in saves (3).    
 
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 played 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 SAINT LOUIS
 
Saint Louis has an overall record of 17-13 including a mark of 4-2 against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents.  The Billikens are 12-5 at home, 4-6 on the road, and 1-2 in games played at a neutral site.
 
Last time out, Saint Louis took two-of-three against Richmond April 9-10 at Billiken Sports Center in Saint Louis, Mo.  The Billikens split a doubleheader, winning the first game, 16-3, before dropping the night cap, 8-5.  Saint Louis then won the series with a 12-4 victory in the Sunday matinee.
 
Saint Louis also won two-of-three against Fordham in the first league series of the season April 1-2 in New York.  The Billikens claimed the first game, 2-1, then split a doubleheader with a 4-3 setback in the first game and a 7-4 win in the finale.
 
Junior infielder Cam Redding is batting .333 (35-for-105) with five doubles, two home runs, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored in 30 games with 28 starts.  Senior infielder Kyle Fitzgerald is hitting .320 (33-for-103) with seven doubles, five home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored in 30 starts.
 
Senior infielder Matt Happ has a .303 average (30-for-99) with six doubles, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored in 29 starts.  Senior outfielder Matt Turino is batting .291 (23-for-79) with five doubles, two home runs, 15 RBI and 18 runs scored in 24 games with 23 starts.
 
The Billikens have a team batting average of .272 through 30 games.
 
On the mound, senior Logan Schmitt (5-1, 3.24) leads the team in starts (8), wins (5), innings pitched (41.2) and strikeouts (36).  Junior Scott Youngbrandt (4-1, 5.35) is second on the club in strikeouts (31) and third in starts (6).  Senior Cameron Pferrer (1-0, 1.53) leads the team in ERA (1.53), saves (5) and appearances (13).
 
Saint Louis has a team ERA of 5.71 through 30 games.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS

FRIDAY
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (1-1, 3.00)   
Saint Louis: RHP Colton Hutt (1-2, 6.84)
SATURDAY
Mason: LHP Ben Shields (1-2, 4.50) 
Saint Louis: RHP Logan Schmitt (5-1, 3.24)
SUNDAY
Mason: TBD 
Saint Louis: RHP Scott Youngbrandt (4-1, 5.35)

STRIKE ZONE
 
Mason is hosting Saint Louis for a series for the third time since joining the Atlantic 10 in 2014.
 
The Patriots have won the first game of the series twice, with a 2-1 victory on April 25, 2014 and a 7-3 win on April 9, 2021.