BASEBALL vs. James Madison
WHEN: Wednesday, April 20 (3 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (12-22, 4-5 A-10); James Madison (19-16, 6-6 CAA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: James Madison leads, 68-53.
LAST MEETING: The Dukes defeated the Patriots, 14-0, on Feb. 23, at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team hosts James Madison for a non-conference, midweek game with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field. in Fairfax, Va.

It's the fourth game of a season-high, eight-game homestand for the Patriots.
 
Last time out, the Patriots (12-22, 4-5 A-10) fell to Saint Louis, 8-5, on Sunday at Spuhler Field.
 
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, while graduate student left fielder was 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.

Mason won two-of-three games in the series against the Billikens to improve to 4-5 in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
 
The Patriots are 7-10 at home, 4-12 on the road and 1-0 in games played at a neutral site this season.
 
Wednesday's game is the 122nd meeting between Mason and James Madison, with the Dukes holding a 68-53 advantage in the all-time series. 
 
In the last meeting between the two teams, James Madison defeated the Patriots, 14-0, on Feb. 23 in Harrisonburg, Va.
 
Junior INF/OF South Trimble has a .367 average (29-for-79) with five doubles, 12 RBI and 21 runs scored in 21 starts.  He leads the team in stolen bases (19), is second in runs scored (21) and tied for third in hits (29).  Trimble has a hit in all four games since returning to the lineup.
 
Freshman INF/OF Brett Ahalt has a .345 average (29-for-84) with six doubles, one triple., two home runs, 19 RBI and 18 runs scored in 25 games played with 23 starts.  He is tied for second on the club in RBI (19), tied for third in hits (29) and is fourth in runs scored (18).  Ahalt has at least one hit in six of his last seven games since returning to the lineup.  He is batting .344 (11-for-32) with 10 RBI and 10 runs scored in that stretch.
 
Sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith is hitting .330 (29-for-88) with four doubles, one triple, one home run, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored in 22 starts in the outfield.  He is second on the team in stolen bases (13) and is tied for second in hits (29).  Smith has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games and is hitting .364 (16-for-44) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, five RBI and nine runs scored in those games.  
 
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings is batting .320 (41-for-128) with five doubles, one home run, 26 RBI and 22 runs scored in 34 starts on the right side of the infield.  He leads the team in hits (41) and RBI (26), is tied for tops on the club runs scored (121) and is third in stolen bases (12).  Stallings has a 17-game hitting streak that began on March 19.  He is hitting .319 (22-for-69) with 16 RBI and 11 runs scored in the last 17 games.
 
Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra is hitting .289 (26-for-90) with six doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI and 22 runs scored in 30 games played with 28 starts.  He leads the team in home runs (4) and hit by pitch (13), is tied for first in runs scored (22) and is tied for second in RBI (19).  Dykstra has at least one hit in eight of his last 11 games.
 
The Patriots have a team batting average of .269 through 34 games.
 
On the mound, senior Jared Lyons (4-4, 5.68) leads the club in innings pitched (57.0) and strikeouts (48) in 11 appearances with 10 starts.  Graduate student Danny Hosley (3-3, 4.10) is second on the club in strikeouts (44) and innings pitched (37.1) in eight appearances with five starts.  Sophomore Ryan Peterson (1-0, 5.67) is third on the club in innings pitched (33.1) in nine appearances with four starts.
 
Freshman Chad Gartland (1-1, 2.45) is third on the club in strikeouts (37), second in saves (2) and fourth in innings pitched (33.0).  Senior Matthew Henson (1-1, 7.71) leads the team in appearances (18), while classmate Mason Posey (1-2, 6.75) is second in appearances (15) 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 JAMES MADISON
 
James Madison has an overall record of 19-16 including a mark of 6-6 against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents.  The Dukes are 13-4 at home and 6-12 on the road.
 
The Dukes wrap up a five-game homestand against Richmond on Tuesday (April 19) and then travel to face the Patriots on Wednesday (April 20).
 
James Madison is 2-0 this season against A-10 opponents, with wins over Mason and Richmond.
 
James Madison has dropped five of its last seven games.  The Dukes were swept in a three-game series at the College of Charleston (April 8-10) by final scores of 6-3, 10-9, and 7-6.
 
After falling to Maryland, 8-7, at Veterans Memorial Park on April 13, the Dukes took two-of-three at home against Northeastern.  James Madison won the first two contests, 8-3 and 8-1, before dropping the final game of the series, 4-1.

Freshman INF/OF Fenwick Trimble is hitting .300 (39-for-130) with 12 doubles, four home runs, 34 RBI and 22 runs scored in 34 starts.  Junior utility player Trevon Dabney is batting .297 (38-for-128) with 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 29 RBI and 45 runs scored in 35 starts.
 
Junior infielder Kyle Novak has a .291 average (41-for-141) with six doubles, four home runs, 37 RBI and 26 runs scored in 35 starts.
 
Freshman infielder Ryan Dooley was named CAA Rookie of the Week.  He batted .455 with a double, two home runs and four RBI in two games.
 
The Dukes have a team batting average of .279 through 35 games.
 
On the mound, graduate student Justin Showalter (3-5, 4.67) leads the team in starts (9), innings pitched (44.1) and strikeouts (45).  Senior Liam McDonnell (5-0, 2.15) leads the club in wins (5) and is second in starts (8), innings pitched (37.2) strikeouts (34)
 
Sophomore Sean Culkin (2-1, 4.70) leads the Dukes in appearances (18) and has thrown 23.0 innings in relief.  Junior Eli Ottinger (1-1, 4.22) is second on the team in appearances (13) and has worked 21.1 innings out of the bullpen.
 
James Madison has a team ERA of 4.77 through 35 games.
 
STRIKE ZONE
 
The Patriots have faced James Madison more than any other opponent in program history.
 
Mason is 53-68 all-time against the Dukes. 
 
Among the Patriots most common opponents, Mason has faced James Madison 121 times, followed by VCU (113), William & Mary (104), Richmond (103), UNC-Wilmington (100), Towson (94) and Old Dominion (93).