BASEBALL vs. Rhode Island
2022 ATLANTIC 10 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
WHEN: Tuesday, May 24 | 12 p.m.
WHERE: Wilson Field | Davidson, N.C.
RECORDS: Mason (22-31, 13-11 A-10), Rhode Island (20-33, 14-10 A-10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads, 9-5
LAST MEETING: The Patriots won two-of-three against the Rams April 26-28, 2019 in Kingston, R.I.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – After earning the fifth seed, the George Mason baseball team will face fourth-seeded Rhode Island in the first round of the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship on Tuesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
 
The Patriots and Rams didn't face each other this season.  In the last meeting between the two teams, Mason took two of three games in the series against Rhoda Island April 26-28, 2019 in Kingston, R.I.  The Patriots won the first two games by identical 3-1 scores, while the Rams won the third game of the series, 7-6.
 
Mason (22-31, 13-11 A-10) will compete in the Atlantic 10 Championship for the third time in the last six seasons and the fourth time in program history.
 
Mason finished the 2022 campaign with an overall record of 22-31, including a mark of 13-11 in conference play.  The 13 wins against league foes is tied for second-most in A-10 play since the Patriots joined the league in 2014.  The Patriots posted 16 wins in their inaugural season in the A-10 and again in 2018, and Mason won 13 league games in 2017.
 
The Patriots won four of their eight conference series on the season, including three of four at home.
 
The 2022 A-10 Championship will feature three games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, two games on Friday.  The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
The winner of the game between the Patriots and Rams will move on to face top-seeded Davidson on Wednesday.
 
Freshman outfielder Brett Ahalt is batting .336 (50-for-149) with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 32 RBI and 33 runs scored in 44 games with 42 starts.  He is tied for first on the club in batting average (.336), second in slugging percentage (.456), tied for second in runs scored (33) and stolen bases (14), is third in on-base percentage (.421), tied for third in RBI (32) and doubles (10), is fourth in hits (50) and walks (19), and fifth in total bases (68).
 
Among A-10 leaders, Ahalt ranks fifth in stolen bases (14), 15th in batting average (.336), 37th in runs scored (33), and 35th in RBI (32) and slugging percentage (.421).  He had at least one hit in 29 games and recorded 15 multi-hit games during the season.
 
Junior INF/OF South Trimble is hitting .336 (51-for-152) with nine doubles, two triples, one home run, 22 RBI and 38 runs scored in 40 starts.  Leads the team in stolen bases (25) and on-base percentage (.446), is tied for first on the club in batting average (.336) and runs scored (38), and ranks third in hits (51), walks (20) and slugging percentage (.441).
 
Among A-10 leaders, he leads the league in stolen bases (25) and attempts (29), is 14th in batting average (.336), 28th in runs scored (28), and ranks 38th in both hits (51) and slugging percentage (.441). Trimble had at least one hit in 29 games, recorded 16 multi-hit games and reached base at least once in 15 of 18 games in A-10 play.
 
Sophomore outfielder Jordan Smith has a .324 average (33-for-102) with six doubles, one triple, one home run, 13 RBI and 22 runs scored in 28 games with 26 starts.  He is tied for third on the team in stolen bases (13), ranks third in batting average (.324) and he is eighth in hits (33).
 
Graduate student outfielder Kamron Smith is batting .292 (56-for-192) with 13 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 33 RBI and 33 runs scored in 51 games with 50 starts.  He leads the club in total bases (83), is second on the team in hits (56), RBI (33), runs scored (33), doubles (13), games played (50) and games started (51), is tied for second in home runs (4), and is fourth on the club in batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.432).
 
Kamron Smith had at least one hit in 37 games, including a 19-game hit streak (April 17-May 20) and posted 17 multi-hit games during the season.  Against A-10 opponents, he had at least one hit in 19 of 24 games and nine multi-hit contests.
 
Among A-10 leaders, he ranks 20th in doubles (13), 29th in hits (56), 32nd in RBI (33), 37th in runs scored (33), 40th in average (.292).
 
Junior infielder Brett Stallings has a .288 average (60-for-208) with 10 doubles, one home run, 36 RBI and 38 runs scored in 53 starts.  He leads the team games/starts (53), hits (60), at-bats (208), RBI (36) and sacrifice flies (5), is tied for first on the club in runs scored (38), tied for second in stolen bases (14), is third in total bases (73), and tied for third in doubles (10).
 
Among A-10 leaders, Stallings is tied for the second-most games started (53), seventh in stolen bases (14), eighth in at-bats (208), is 21st in hits (60) and tied for 22nd in RBI (38).  He had at least one hit in 42 of 53 games, including a 17-game hit streak (March 19 - April 17) and posted 16 multi-hit games during the season.
 
Stallings had at least one hit in 21 of 24 A-10 games, including a 14-game hit streak in the first 14 league games of the season and notched eight multi-hit games in conference play.
 
Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra is hitting .285 (43-for-151) with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs, 32 RBI and 38 runs scored in 48 games with 47 starts. He leads the club in home runs (6), slugging percentage (.477) and hit by pitch (19), tied for first in runs scored (38), is second in walks (23) and on-base percentage (.436), tied for third in RBI (32), is fourth in total bases (72), and fifth on the team in starts (47) and plate appearances (196).
 
Dykstra had at least one hit in 29 games, recorded 10 multi-hit games and hit .296 against A-10 opponents with 16 RBI and 16 runs scored.
 
The Patriots posted a team batting average of .275 in 53 regular season games, sixth in the league.
 
On the mound, senior Jared Lyons (6-5, 5.83) leads the club in wins (6), innings pitched (75.2), starts (12) and strikeouts (60), and his 17 appearances are fourth-most on the squad. 
 
Graduate student Danny Hosley (3-4, 4.47) is third on the club in wins (3) and strikeouts (57), is second in saves (2) and he is fourth in innings pitched (48.1) in 12 appearances with six starts. 
 
Sophomore Ryan Peterson (3-2, 4.04) is second in innings pitched (64.2), tied for second in wins (3) and third in strikeouts (39) in 14 appearances with nine starts.  Among A-10 leaders, he ranks 13th in innings pitched. 
 
Freshman Chad Gartland (2-1, 3.59) leads the team in ERA (3.59) and is tied for first in saves (3), is second in strikeouts (58), and ranks third in innings pitched (62.2) in 14 appearances with eight starts. 
 
Senior Matthew Henson (1-1, 8.64) leads the team in appearances (27) and he is seventh in innings pitched (33.0), while classmate Mason Posey (2-3, 9.09) shares the team lead in saves (3) and is second on the club in appearances (21) with three starts.     
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
 
Mason has 10 returners and 25 newcomers on the roster this 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 who joined 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 was scheduled to play 56 games, including 24 against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, and four opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.
 
Mason went 10-13 at home in 2021, including a mark of 7-9 against A-10 opponents.
 
The Patriots played 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 played eight league series, four at home and four on the road.
 
Home series against A-10 foes included 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 made visits to Saint Joseph's (April 8-10), Massachusetts (April 29-May 1), Richmond (May 6-8) and conclude the regular season at Davidson (May 19-21).
 
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
 
Rhode Island has an overall record of 20-33, including a mark of 14-10 against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents.  The Rams went 12-10 at home and 8-23 on the road this season.
 
The Rams won six of their eight A-10 series during the season, taking two-of-three at Dayton (April 1-3), vs. St. Bonaventure (April 8-10), vs. Massachusetts (April 15-17), at George Washington (April 29-May 1), vs. Fordham (May 6-8) and vs. Saint Louis (May 13-15).
 
Rhode Island dropped two-of-three game on the road at Davidson (April 22-24) and at Richmond (May 19-21).
 
Last time out, the Rams lost their final series of the season against the Spiders at Pitt Field in Richmond.  Rhode Island took the first game, 9-7, and dropped the last two games, 16-9 and 14-2.
 
Sophomore utility player Addison Kopack is batting .370 (70-for-189) with 13 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 60 RBI and 52 runs scored in 52 games with 51 starts.  Among A-10 leaders, he is tied for second in both home runs (17) and RBI (60), seventh in average (.370), 10th in hits (70) and 12th in runs scored (52).
 
Freshman catcher Eric Genther is hitting .313 (62-for-198) with 11 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 42 RBI and 32 runs scored in 53 games with 52 starts.  Among league leaders, he is 15th in RBI (42), 19th in hits (62) and 26th in average (.313).
 
Graduate student outfielder Jack Cucinotta has a .294 average (50-for-170) with 13 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 25 RBI and 43 runs scored in 47 games with 45 starts.  Among A-10 leaders, he is 17th in home runs (8) and runs scored (43).
 
The Rams ranked ninth in the conference with a team batting average of .256 in 53 games during the regular season.
 
On the mound, sophomore Trystan Levesque (5-5, 4.29) leads the team in wins (5), ERA (4.29) and innings pitched (71.1).  He shares the team lead in starts (13) and is second in strikeouts (60).
 
Junior Domenic Picone (4-5, 8.62) leads the club in strikeouts (76) and shares the lead in starts (13).  He is second on the Rams in wins (4).
 
Sophomore Sean Sposato (1-4, 4.75) is fourth on the team in appearances (16) and ERA (4.75) in 16 games with six starts.
 
Rhode Island finished the regular season ninth the A-10 with a team ERA of 7.35 in 53 games.
 
STRIKE ZONE
 
With VCU winning the championship last season, there have been five different Atlantic 10 Tournament champions in the last six years.  The A-10 Baseball Championship wasn't held in 2020 due to the coronavirus.
 
The last back-to-back conference tournament champion was Charlotte in 2007 and 2008.
 
Only five teams have won back-to-back Atlantic 10 Tournament championships in the 41-year history of the tournament.  Charlotte (2007/2008), Virginia Tech (1999/2000), UMass (1995/1996), Rutgers (1990/1991) and Temple (1983/1984).
 
The A-10 Championship has been held at 17 different host locations since 1979. 
 
Each of the last two champions have won the title on their home field.  Fordham claimed the crown in 2019 at Jack Coffey Field, in Bronx, N.Y. in 2019, and VCU took the title at The Diamond in Richmond, Va., last season.
 
Before the last two A-10 Tournament winners, it had been 33 years since Rutgers became the first team to win the championship on its own field in 1986, when the tournament was held in Piscataway, N.J.
 
The Scarlet Knights have won the most A-10 Tournament championships, claiming the title six times in program history before departing the league.