BASEBALL vs. William & Mary
WHEN: Tuesday, March 21 (2 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (11-8); William & Mary (11-10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: George Mason leads, 63-42
LAST MEETING: The Tribe defeated the Patriots, 4-3, on Feb. 28 at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team wraps up its season-high 13-game homestand against William & Mary on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.
The Patriots and Tribe met on Feb. 28, with William & Mary scoring a pair of runs in the ninth to post a 4-3 win at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.
Last time, the Patriots won their seventh straight game to complete a three-game sweep over Cornell with a 12-4 victory on Sunday. Every player in the starting lineup had a hit, drove in a run or scored a run.
Junior right fielder
Derek Wood drove in three runs, while senior third baseman
South Trimble, sophomore shortstop
Carsen Pracht and sophomore first baseman
Reece Woody each plated a pair of runs in the game.
Six Mason pitchers (
Konner Eaton,
Nick Martins,
Tyler Herkey,
Jalen Grant,
Kyle Smith,
Logan Rumberg) combined for a season-high 18 strikeouts in the game, just one shy of tying the program record.
The Patriots improved to 9-3 in their first 12 home games of the season. Mason has outscored its opponents by a combined score of 76-24 during the seven-game winning streak.
Freshman outfielder
James Quinn-Irons has a .412 average (28-for-68) with three home runs, 16 RBI and 23 runs scored in 18 starts. He leads the team in average (.412), hits (28), home runs (3) and runs scored (23). Trimble is hitting .338 (24-for-71) with 13 RBI and 19 runs scored in 19 starts. He leads the club in doubles (5) and stolen bases (16), is second in runs scored (19) and third in RBI (13).
Junior outfielder
Jordan Smith is batting .301 (22-for-73) with one home run, 12 RBI and 18 runs scored in 18 starts. He is second on the team in stolen bases (12), third in runs scored (18) and fourth in RBI (12). Sophomore catcher
Connor Dykstra has a .300 average (15-for-50) with one home run, nine RBI and 12 runs scored in 18 starts. He leads the team in hit by pitch (14).
The Patriots have a team batting average of .295 through 19 games.
On the mound, graduate student
Ben Shields (4-0, 2.42) leads the club in wins (4) and strikeouts (35). He is second on the team in innings pitched (26.0). Sophomore
Chad Gartland (2-0, 1.93) paces the Patriots in innings pitched (28.0) and is second in wins (2) and strikeouts (22).
Junior
Christian Mracna (0-0, 2.75, 2 SV) and freshman
Tyler Herkey (1-2, 5.68) share the team lead in appearances (7).
George Mason has an all-time record of 63-42 against William & Mary. The 63 victories are the most against any opponent in program history.
The Patriots have 53 wins against James Madison, 50 victories against VCU, 49 against Towson and 44 against UNC Wilmington.
Among the Patriots most common opponents, Mason has faced James Madison 123 times, followed by VCU (113), Richmond (108), William & Mary (105), UNC-Wilmington (100), Towson (95) and Old Dominion. (90).
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 played a season-high 13 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 downed Maine, 11-1 in seven innings in a midweek matinee (March 14).
Mason swept three games from Cornell (March 18-19). The Patriots won both games of a doubleheader, 10-5 and 4-3, and then took the series finale, 12-4. Mason wraps up the homestand against William & Mary (March 21).
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 WILLIAM & MARY
William & Mary has an overall record of 11-10 including a mark of 3-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. The Tribe are 8-4 at home and 3-6 on the road.
Last time out, William & Mary won two-of-three games against Hofstra in CAA play this past weekend (March 17-19) in Hempstead, N.Y. The Tribe took the first two games, 15-1 and 2-1 and dropped the final game, 4-3.
Senior infielder Ben Williamson has a .443 average (35-for-79) with four home runs, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored in 21 starts. He leads the club in average, hits, home runs and RBI.
Senior outfielder Joe Delossantos is batting .330 (30-for-91) with two home runs, 15 RBI and 28 runs scored in 21 starts. He leads the team in runs scored and stolen bases (15).
Sophomore outfielder Lucas Carmichael is hitting .317 (19-for-60) nine RBI and 20 runs scored in 21 games with 20 starts.
On the mound, sophomore Nate Knowles (1-2, 2.45) leads the club in starts (6) and innings pitched (22.0) and is tied for the lead in appearances (7). Graduate student Zach Tsakounis (2-0, 1.69) is tied for the team lead in appearances (7) and is second in innings pitched (21.1). Graduate student closer Rojo Prarie (0-0, 0.69) has made six appearances and notched three saves.
The Tribe has a team ERA of 2.69 through 21 games.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Mason: TBD
William & Mary: TBD
STRIKE ZONE
George Mason has an all-time record of 63-42 against William & Mary. The 63 victories are the most against any opponent in program history.
The Patriots have 53 wins against James Madison, 50 victories against VCU, 49 against Towson and 44 against UNC Wilmington.
Among the Patriots most common opponents, Mason has faced James Madison 123 times, followed by VCU (113), Richmond (108), William & Mary (105), UNC-Wilmington (100), Towson (95) and Old Dominion. (90).
