WHEN: February 17-19, 2023
WHERE: Spartanburg, S.C. | Cyrill Stadium
OPPONENTS:
Fri., Feb. 17 – University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 1 p.m.; USC Upstate, 5 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 – SC State, 11 a.m.; Holy Cross, 5 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 19 – University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 10 a.m.
   
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The George Mason softball team (2-1) will be on the road for the second consecutive weekend to open the season, as they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for the Spartan Classic. From Feb. 10-12. Hosted by USC Upstate, the tournament will be played from Feb. 17-19 at Cyrill Stadium, where the Patriots will face off against University of Maryland Eastern Shore, USC Upstate, South Carolina State and Holy Cross.
 
A LOOK AT THE PATRIOTS
Last weekend, the Patriots went 2-1 at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic, hosted by Gardner-Webb. After losing a close game to start the season, Mason rallied and won their next two games to finish the weekend. The final two games were canceled due to inclement weather.
 
Mason's 2-1 start is good for first place in the current A-10 standings. The conference also awarded senior Haley Taormina the season's first Player of the Week honor earlier this week.
 
On Friday, the Patriots battled the Ohio Bobcats from a 3-0 deficit to take a 5-3 lead heading into the final inning. Redshirt junior Nicole Bechtel started the Patriot rally in the fourth inning, who knocked in the season's first RBI of the season. In the top of the seventh, freshman outfielder Alena Ball would level the game after hitting a two-run single. Nicole Bechtel would strike again, this time with a two-run single of her own. However, the Bobcats were able to storm back in the bottom of the inning and walked off the Patriots 6-5.
 
Later that day, the Patriots bounced back and beat Robert Morris 4-1. Up by one run in the seventh inning, Senior Haley Taormina sealed the Patriots' first win of the season with a two-run double, driving Alena Ball and Rachel Warrens home. Sophomore pitcher Alexandra Anderson earned her first win of the season after coming in relief and pitched three shutout innings to end the game.
 
On Saturday, the Patriots squared off with Robert Morris for a second straight day. In the bottom of the second inning, sophomore Madi Williams single to right field, scoring Nicole Bechtel who was on third base. Robert Morris quickly evened the score the following inning, where the score would be remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning. Haley Taormina would walk off the Colonials with a triple down the right field line, sending Alena Ball home. Sophomore pitcher Jordan Tallman also earned her first win after coming in relief and pitched three scoreless innings.
 
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
 
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks
2022 Record: 18-33, 13-8 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
HISTORY WITH THE PATRIOTS: Mason leads 4-2
The Hawks are coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent memory, as they appeared in postseason play for the first time since 2009. They were seeded fourth going into last season's MEAC Championship Tournament. Their season ended after losing to fifth-seed North Carolina Central and third-seed Norfolk State in the tournament.
 
Friday afternoon's game with the Patriots will be their season opener. UMES is selected finish seventh in this season's MEAC preseason poll.
 
The Hawks return catcher/infielder sophomore Kelsie Ekstrom, who leads returners in batting average (.295), OPS (.762), hits (41), doubles (12), and RBI (29).
 
This is will be Mason's seventh and eighth all-time meeting with the Hawks, with their first series game dating back to April 6-7, 2010, where the Patriots swept the Hawks with a pair of 8-0 victories. The last time these two schools met was last season, when Patriots split the series.
 
USC Upstate Spartans
2022 Record: 48-10, 21-6 Big South Conference
2023 Record: 3-0
HISTORY WITH THE PATRIOTS: USC Upstate leads 7-0
The Spartans won their first three games of the season last week before having to cancel their final two due to inclement weather at their tournament, the Upstate Classic. They swept Bucknell 8-0 & 5-4 and overpowered Maine 10-5.
 
Their hot bats were led by senior infielder Tiffany Domingue. Domingue batted went five-for-nine (.556) and has a slugging percentage of 1.333. She scored five runs, knocked one double, hit two home runs and recorded seven RBI. Her offensive performance earned her the Big South's Player of the Week award.
 
The Spartans are picked to win their conference, according to the Big South's preseason poll. Their three first-place votes in the poll were the most for any school in the conference. In last season's Big South Championship Tournament, the top-seeded Spartans were upset by third-seeded Longwood, denying the Spartans a spot in the final.
 
The Spartans will also return all four of their top offensive players, Summer Johnson, Madison Lanoux, Tiffany Domingue and Peyton Darnell. All four Spartans led the team in various offensive statistical categories last season.
 
This will be Mason's first meeting with USC Upstate since the 2015 season. The Spartans edged out the Patriots both games, with the second game of the double-header featuring a 21-20 barn burner.
 
South Carolina State Bulldogs
2022 Record: 3-37, 2-19 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Bulldogs finished their season with an 18-game sweep losing streak. Their last win was on March 26, 2022, when the Bulldogs beat Delaware State 2-0.
 
Saturday morning's game with the Patriots will be their season opener. SC State is selected finish eighth, according to the MEAC's preseason poll.
 
The Bulldogs return infielder DeAsia Lowther, who the MEAC selected as a preseason all-conference Second Team member. Last season, Lowther was among the team's leaders in average (.303), OPS (.822), runs (42), homeruns (3) and RBI (11).
 
Saturday morning's game with the Patriots will be the first meeting between the schools.
 
Holy Cross Crusaders
2022 Record: 21-29, 8-10 Patriot League
The Crusaders finished their 2022 season winning eight of their last ten games, including a three-game sweep against Lafayette to finish the season. The Patriot League Preseason Poll selected the Crusaders to finish 5^th this season.
 
The Crusaders return junior outfielder/second baseman Jessica Mott, who was named Second-Team All-Patriot League. She led the team in average (.340), OPS (.861), runs, (23) hits (55), and doubles (14). Second Team at-large bid outfielder/pitcher Megan Yurchick will also be returning. The sophomore's offensive stats landed her in the top three in multiple of her team's statistical categories. In addition, her solid pitching contributions to the team last year makes her a dual-threat player.
 
Saturday afternoon's game with the Patriots will be the first meeting between the schools.
 
UP NEXT
Next weekend will be Mason's home opener, when they host Holy Cross in a three-game series. The Patriots will play their Cancer Awareness Game that weekend. There will also be a canned food drive.