BASEBALL vs. Maine
WHEN: Tuesday, March 14 (2 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (7-8); Maine (3-9)
ALL-TIME SERIES: First meeting between the two teams.
LIVE STATS

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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team continues its 13-game homestand, hosting Maine on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.

The Patriots and Black Bears will meet for the first time.

Last time out, the Patriots (7-8) completed a three-game sweep against Saint Peter's with a 12-4 win on Sunday.

Senior first baseman South Trimble and senior second baseman Brett Stallings each had three hits, two RBI and scored three runs.  Redshirt freshman Konner Eaton tossed three hitless innings with three strikeouts.

The Patriots have scored the first run in each of their last four games.

Freshman outfielder James Quinn-Irons leads the team with a .412 average (21-for-51) in 14 starts.  He also paces the Patriots in home runs (3) and is second in RBI (14) and runs scored (16).

Senior infielder South Trimble is hitting .373 (22-for-59) in 15 starts.  He is first on the club in doubles (5), runs scored (18) and stolen bases (12) and second in average and hit by pitch (8).

Senior infielder Brett Stallings is batting .367 (22-for-60) in 15 starts.  He leads the team in RBI (20), is tied for first in hits (22) and third in total bases (24).

The Patriots have a team batting average of .284 through 15 games.

On the mound, graduate student Ben Shields (3-0, 1.71) leads the team in wins, starts (4) and strikeouts (27).  Sophomore Chad Gartland (2-0, 1.71) is second on the club in wins, starts (3) and strikeouts (17).  Freshmen Tyler Herkey and Owen Stewart, along with juniors Nick Martins and Christian Mracna lead Mason in appearances with five each.

The Patriots have a team ERA of 4.76 through 15 games.

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, won his first game as a head coach on Feb. 17 with an 8-2 victory at Florida International.
 
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 began the season with eight straight games on the road from Feb. 17 through Feb. 28.  George Mason played its first series of the 2023 campaign with three games against Florida International University in Miami, Fla. (Feb. 17-19).  The Patriots won the first game, 8-2 and the series finale, 5-2, while the Panthers claimed the middle game of the series (3-2).

Mason dropped its midweek game at James Madison, 10-2, at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va. (Feb. 21).  The Patriots fell to Rutgers, 5-4 in 10 innings (Feb. 24) and dropped a 6-4 decision to Canisius (Feb. 26) in the 2023 Swig and Swine College Classic in Charleston, S.C.  Mason wrapped up the road stretch with a 4-3 loss to 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 then split a four-game series against Niagara.  The Patriots swept a doubleheader from the Purple Eagles, 15-2 and 6-3 (March 4) and dropped both games of a doubleheader, 8-4 and 7-2 (March 5).  The Patriots fell in their midweek game against Georgetown, 18-13 (March 7).

The Patriots swept their three-game series in the first-ever meeting with Saint Peter's (March 11-12).  The Patriots won both games of a doubleheader, 15-6 and 9-1 and then took the finale, 12-4.  Mason will 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 MAINE

Maine has an overall record of 3-9 through the first dozen games of the season.  The Black Bears are 1-5 on the road and 2-4 at neutral sites.

Maine is playing all of its non-conference games on the road or at a neutral site and won't play a home game until March 31 when America East conference play begins.

The Black Bears won two-of-three games in their season-opening series against Pittsburgh in Sarasota, Fla. (Feb. 17-19).  Since then, Maine has dropped eight of its last nine games.

Last time out, the Black Bears were swept in their three-game series at Maryland this past weekend.  The Terrapins posted wins of 25-10, 5-4 and 9-1.

Senior infielder Connor Goodman has a .375 average (18-for-48) in 12 starts.  He leads the team in average, hits, doubles (5) and RBI (18).  Junior infielder Quinn McDaniel is batting .361 (13-for-36) in 12 starts.  He leads the club in runs scored (19) and walks (24) and is second in average and home runs (3).

On the mound, freshman Gianni Gambardella (2-1, 4.80) has made four appearances with one start.  Junior Noah Lewis (0-1, 5.75) leads the team in innings pitched (20.1) and strikeouts (18) in four starts. 

PROBABLE STARTERS

Mason: TBD
Maine: TBD