BASEBALL vs. Niagara
WHEN: Saturday, March 4 (11 a.m./2:30 p.m.) and Sunday, March 5 (10:30 a.m./2 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (2-5); Niagara (2-1)
ALL-TIME SERIES: George Mason leads, 7-1
LAST MEETING: The Patriots won two of three games in the series against the Purple Eagles March 4-5, 2011 at Spuhler Field.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team plays at home for the first time this season with a four-game series against Niagara this weekend at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

The Patriots and Purple Eagles will play a doubleheader on Saturday with the first pitch for game one scheduled for 11 a.m.  The clubs will also play two on Sunday with the first pitch for game one slated for 10:30 a.m.

Last time out, the Patriots fell on the road at William at Mary, 4-3, on Tuesday at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.  Mason redshirt freshman Konner Eaton made his first collegiate start and retired the Tribe in order in his lone inning of work. 

Freshman left fielder James Quinn-Irons went 2-for-4 and scored a run.  He has three multi-hit games through the first seven contests.  Freshman infielder Evan Blanchard drove in a run with a pinch-hit single for his first collegiate RBI.

Quinn-Irons has a .407 average (11-for-27) with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI and eight runs scored in seven starts.  Trimble is hitting .333 (9-for-27) with one double and four runs scored in seven starts.  He leads the club in stolen bases (5) and attempts (6).

Junior outfielder Jordan Smith is batting .310 (9-for-29) with one home run, one double, three RBI and five runs scored in seven starts.  Junior infielder Mark Trotta has a .240 average (6-for-25) with five RBI and one run scored in seven starts.

The Patriots have a team batting average of .226 through seven games.

On the mound, graduate student Ben Shields (1-0, 1.64) and Peterson (1-0, 5.40) have each started two games.  Shields leads the club in ERA (1.64) and strikeouts (16).  Sophomore Chad Gartland (0-0, 2.25) is second on the team in ERA.

Mason has a team ERA of 4.33 through six games.

The Patriots and Purple Eagles last met exactly 12 years ago.  Mason won two-of-three games in the series March 4-5, 2011 at Spuhler Field.  The Purple Eagles took game one, 8-7, to snap the Patriots five-game home winning streak to start the season.  Mason won the final two games of the weekend, 11-6 and 10-5.

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 begin 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 fell to James Madison, 10-2, in Harrisonburg, Va. (Feb. 21).  At the Swig and Swine College Classic in Charleston, S.C. (Feb. 24-26) the Patriots lost to Rutgers, 5-4 in 10 innings and fell to Canisius, 6-4.

The Patriots wrapped up the road stretch against William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. (Feb. 28) with the Tribe scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 victory.

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 NIAGARA
 
Niagara finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 22-32, including a mark of 13-11 against MAAC opponents.  The Tribe went 11-4 at home, 8-24 on the road and 3-4 at neutral sites.

The Purple Eagles won two-of-three in their season-opening series at Norfolk State last weekend.  Niagara dropped the opener, 8-5, and won the next two games, 6-1 and 14-4.  Niagara won its opening series for the first time since 2008.

Graduate student infielder Max Giordano is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with one home run, two doubles, seven RBI and three runs scored in three starts.  Graduate student infielder Cole Tucker has a .400 average (4-for-10) with one double, five RBI and four runs scored in three starts.  Junior infielder Brady Desjardins is batting .333 (3-for-9) with two RBI and three runs scored after the first weekend.

On the mound, senior Marcus Cashman (1-0, 0.00) and classmate Blake McMillan (1-0, 5.40) each won their first start of the season against Norfolk State.  Cashman, who won his first start of the season for the first time in his career, was named MAAC Pitcher of the Week after allowing just two hits in five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts against Norfolk State.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Saturday (Game 1)
Mason: LHP Ben Shields (1-0, 1.64)
Niagara: RHP Ryan Minckler (0-1, 6.75)
Saturday (Game 2)
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (0-0, 2.25)
Niagara: LHP Nick Veselinovic (0-0, 0.00)
Sunday (Game 1)
Mason: LHP Konner Eaton (0-0, 0.00)
Niagara: LHP Blake McMillan (1-0, 5.40)
Sunday (Game 2)
Mason: LHP Ryan Peterson (1-0, 5.40)
Niagara: RHP Marcus Cashman (1-0, 0.00)
  
STRIKE ZONE
 
The Patriots and Purple Eagles last met exactly 12 years ago on March 4-5, 2011 at Spuhler Field with Mason winning the series. 

The Patriots dropped the first game, 8-7, but claimed the final two contests, 11-6 and 10-5. 

Patriots' shortstop Chris Cook went 8-for-16 with six RBI and seven runs scored over the three games.