BASEBALL at Florida International University
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17 (7:30 p.m.); Saturday, Feb. 18 (5 p.m.); Sunday, Feb. 19 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: FIU Baseball Stadium | Miami, Fla.
2022 RECORDS: George Mason (23-33, 13-11 A-10); FIU (16-34, 8-22 C-USA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: FIU leads, 5-1
LAST MEETING: FIU swept a three-game series against Mason Feb. 21-23, 2020 at FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami, Fla.
LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

---

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins the 2023 season with a three-game series against Florida International University, with game one scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami, Fla.

The Patriots return seven position players and nine pitchers from the 2022 roster, including two weekend starters.
 
Last season, Ryan Peterson appeared in 16 games with eight starts and finished his first year with the Patriots with a 4-3 record.  He ranked first on the club in ERA (3.93) and was second in both wins (4) and innings pitched (73.1).

Chad Gartland was selected to the 2022 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team after appearing in 16 games with eight starts and a 3-2 record in his first year.  He tied for first on the team in saves (3) and strikeouts (65) and was second in ERA (3.99).

Outfielder/infielder South Trimble started all 43 games he played, 38 at first base and five in the outfield.  He ranked second on the team in batting average (.327) and hit by pitch (12), tied for second in runs scored (3), was third in both hits (54) and walks (21), fifth in at-bats (165) and ranked seventh in RBI (23).

Catcher Connor Dykstra played 51 games with 46 starts behind the plate his rookie year and was selected to the 2022 A-10 Baseball All-Tournament Team.  He led the club in home runs (6), runs scored (40) and hit by pitch (21), ranked second in walks (23), was third in RBI (33), fourth on the team in batting average (.298) and finished the season sixth in at-bats (161) and hits (48). 

Dykstra has been named one of the Top-50 Catchers Preseason honors by D1baseball.  Peterson and Trimble have been named Preseason All-Conference by Perfect Game.

The Patriots and Golden Panthers last met Feb. 21-23, 2020 at FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami.  FIU swept the weekend series (5-2, 16-4, 7-5).  The Patriots would go on to play just 10 more games before the remainder of the season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Patriots and Golden Panthers have met six times, with every game played at FIU Baseball Stadium.  In the first meeting between the two clubs March 11-12 during the 2018 season, the Golden Panthers swept a doubleheader (16-0, 14-3) to take the first two games of the series.  The Patriots picked up the first win in program history over FIU with a 12-8 victory in the series finale.  Ryan Ricci tossed 4.2 innings to earn the win.
  
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
 
Mason has 16 returners and added 23 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under Shawn Camp, who enters his first year as the head coach of the Patriots.
 
Returning for the Patriots are graduate student pitchers Hugh O'Hara, Mason Posey and Ben Shields.

The Mason senior class includes outfielder Craig Miles, Jr., pitcher Ryan Peterson, infielder Brett Stallings and infielder/outfielder South Trimble.

The junior class includes pitcher Christian Mracna and outfielder Jordan Smith.  Sophomores returning for their second year with the Green and Gold are pitchers Jalen Grant, Chad Gartland and Britt Yount, catcher Connor Dykstra, infielder Carsen Pracht and outfielder Alex Knapp.  Redshirt freshman pitcher Konner Earton also enters his second year.
 
The Patriots added 23 new players, with 18 freshman, three sophomores and four graduate students entering their first year at George Mason.
 
Rookie pitchers joining the Patriots are Ryan Edmonds (RHP), Chris Fidanza (RHP), Tyler Herkey (LHP), Connor Knox (RHP), Logan Rumberg (RHP), Michael Salina (RHP), Kyle Smith (RHP) and Owen Stewart (RHP).
 
New position players include freshmen Evan Blanchard (INF), A.J. Martin (INF), Brady Powell (INF), Bennett Shealor (C) and James Quinn-Irons (OF).
 
The Patriots brought on a total of nine transfers.  Juniors Nick Martins (RHP), Kyle Menaker (RHP) Mark Trotta (INF) and Derek Wood (OF), along with sophomores Brandon Parks (OF), Dylan Winebrenner (C) and Reece Woody (OF).
 
The Patriots also added three graduate student transfers, Ryan Archibald (INF), Robbie Dudzinski (RHP) and Nolan Lamere (RHP).

GEORGE MASON 2023 SCHEDULE

The Patriots are scheduled to play a 56-game slate that includes 24 contests against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, 28 games at Spuhler Field and matchups against two opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.

The Patriots begin the season with eight straight games on the road from Feb. 17 through Feb. 28. 

George Mason plays its first series of the 2023 campaign with three games against Florida International University in Miami, Fla. (Feb. 17-19).

Mason then visits James Madison for a midweek game in Harrisonburg, Va. (Feb. 21) and faces South Dakota State in a three-game set in Lexington, S.C. (Feb. 24-26).  The Patriots wrap up the road stretch against William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. (Feb. 28).

The eight road games to start the season are the most since the Patriots played the first eight away from home in 2017.

In March, Mason is scheduled to play 14 games at home and 13 games on the road.  To begin the month, the Patriots will play a season-high 14 straight games at Spuhler Field, with three weekend series and three midweek contests.

Mason starts the homestand against Niagara with a four-game series (March 3-5) and then welcomes Georgetown for a midweek game (March 7). 

The Patriots will take on St. Peter's in a four-game weekend series (March 10-12) and then host Maine in a midweek matinee (March 14).

Mason hosts Cornell at Spuhler Field for three games (March 17-19) and William & Mary for a single game (March 22) before the Patriots head back on the road.

The Patriots went 13-12 at home in 2022, including a mark of 8-4 against A-10 opponents.  Mason is scheduled to play a season-high nine straight games on the road from March 24 through April 5.

The Patriots begin the stretch when they travel to take on East Carolina in a three-game series in Greenville, N.C. (March 24-26). 

After a midweek game against Longwood in Farmville, Va. (March 29), the Patriots play their first league series of the season against Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. (March 31-April 2). 

Mason plays its only set of back-to-back midweek games during the season against Georgetown in Washington, D.C. (April 4) and Towson in Towson, Md. (April 5).

The Patriots are scheduled to play 11 games at home and seven on the road in April.  The Patriots play 11 of 14 games at Spuhler Field beginning with a three-game league series against Dayton (April 7-9) and a Tuesday meeting with Longwood (April 11).

Mason is on the road for a weekend series when they travel down I-95 to face VCU in Richmond, Va. (April 14-16).  Last year, the Rams finished first in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season and won the 2022 A-10 Baseball Championship to earn a spot in the Chapel Hill, N.C. Regional in the NCAA Tournament. 

The Patriots then return home for a seven-game homestand.

Mason begins with a three-game series against A-10 foe St. Bonaventure (April 21-23), plays a non-conference midweek tilt against Mount St. Mary's (April 25) and then wraps up the month with a three-game conference set against Richmond (April 28-30).

The Patriots will play eight straight on the road to begin the month of May.

Mason travels to meet Navy in a midweek matchup (May 3), then heads north for three games against Fordham in Bronx, N.Y. (May 5-7).  The Patriots collide with the George Washington Colonials in a three-game series in the Revolutionary Rivalry in Washington, D.C. (May 12-14) and end the stretch against Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Ann, Md. (May 16).

The Patriots conclude the regular season when they host Saint Joseph's at Spuhler Field (May 19-21).

The Patriots will play three home-and-home series during the 2023 season, taking on Georgetown, Longwood 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 Dayton (April 7-9), St. Bonaventure (April 21-23), Richmond (April 28-30) and Saint Joseph's (May 19-21).  The Patriots will visit Rhode Island (March 31-April 2), VCU (April 14-16), Fordham (May 5-7) and George Washington (May 12-14).

The 2023 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship will be held May 23-27 at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.

SCOUTING FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
 
Florida International finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 16-34, including a mark of 8-22 against Conference USA opponents.  The Golden Panthers went 11-21 at home and 5-13 on the road last season.
 
Head coach Rich Witten was named the fifth head coach in program history in June.  He joins FIU after five years at VCU, where he served as hitting coach and helped the Rams to a 42-20 overall record and a second straight Atlantic 10 Championship in 2022.

Assistant coaches Brian Jeroloman and Sean Thompson also enter their first year at FIU.

Last year, outfielder Alec Sanchez started all 50 games and led the team in hits (54), home runs (10), triples (5), doubles (10), RBI (36) and runs scored (36).

Infielder Robert Sotolongo was second on the club in hits (45), RBI (24), runs scored (25) and stolen bases (11), and he finished third on the club in average (.273).

On the mound, junior Ryan Cabarcas went 2-3 with a 6.34 ERA in 2022.  He ranked second on the team in innings pitched (55.1) and strikeouts (63) and was third in starts (8).

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday
Mason: LHP Ben Shields
FIU: TBD
 
Saturday
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland
FIU: TBD

Sunday
Mason: LHP Ryan Peterson
FIU: TBD
 
STRIKE ZONE
 
The Patriots and Golden Panthers have met six times, with every game played at FIU Baseball Stadium.

In the first meeting between the two clubs March 11-12 during the 2018 season, the Golden Panthers swept a doubleheader (16-0, 14-3) to take the first two games of the series. 

The Patriots picked up the first win in program history over FIU with a 12-8 victory in the series finale.  Ryan Ricci tossed 4.2 innings to earn the win.