BASEBALL at VCU
WHEN: Friday, April 14 (6 p.m.); Saturday, April 15 (2 p.m.); Sunday, April 16 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: The Diamond | Richmond, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (16-17, 3-3 Atlantic 10); VCU (17-16, 3-3)
ALL-TIME SERIES: VCU leads George Mason, 62-51
LAST MEETING: The Rams took two-of-three games in the series last season against the Patriots April 1-3, 2022 at Spuhler Field.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team is on the road for a three-game Atlantic 10 series against VCU beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.

Last time out, the Patriots fell to Longwood, 10-5, on Tuesday at Spuhler Field.  The two teams split the season series with each team winning on the road.

The Patriots rank third in Division I baseball in stolen bases with 108 in 33 games.  Only VMI (130) and Mississippi Valley (126) have more.  Senior infielder South Trimble is tied for 15th in the NCAA with 21 stolen bases. 

Mason is tied for 16th nationally in hit by pitch (62 in 33 games) with sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra third in the NCAA (18 times in 31 games).

Freshman outfielder James Quinn-Irons leads the Patriots with a .425 average (34-for-80) in 22 games with 21 starts.  He is second on the club in hits (34), tied for second in home runs (4) and is third in runs scored (25).  Dykstra is batting .312 (29-for-93) with four home runs, 19 RBI and 23 runs scored in 31 starts.  He leads the team in hit by pitch (18) and doubles (9), is tied for second in home runs (4) and is fifth in both hits (29) and is sixth in RBI (19).

Trimble is hitting .308 (37-for-120) with two home runs, 24 RBI and 34 runs scored in 33 starts.  He leads the team in runs scored (34), stolen bases (21) and walks (19), is second in hits (34) and hit by pitch (11) and is third in doubles (6).  Junior outfielder Jordan Smith has a .306 average (38-for-124) with five home runs, 124RBI and 30 runs scored in 31 starts in center field.  He leads the club in hits (34), home runs (5) and runs scored (34) is second in doubles (7) and RBI (24) and third in stolen bases (15).

The Patriots have a team batting average of .272 through 33 games.

On the mound, graduate student Ben Shields (5-1, 3.71) leads the team in strikeouts (59) and is second in innings pitched (43.2) in eight starts.  He was selected Atlantic 10 Co-Pitcher of the Week after recording 14 strikeouts with just one walk over 7.0 innings in the Patriots' 7-6 win at Rhode Island on March 31. 

Sophomore Chad Gartland (2-2, 2.19) is first on the team in innings pitched (49.1) and is second in strikeouts (45) in eight appearances with seven starts.  He was selected A-10 Pitcher of the Week after tossing his first career complete game and shutout in the Patriots 11-0 win over Dayton April 8.

Freshman Konner Eaton (1-1, 3.32) is third on the club in innings (19.0) and fourth in strikeouts (22).  Junior Christian Mracna (1-1, 3.06) shares the team lead in appearances (13) and has notched three saves.

The Patriots have a team ERA of 4.93 through 33 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 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 played 14 games at home and 13 games on the road.  To begin the month, the Patriots played a season-high 14 straight games at Spuhler Field, with three weekend series and three midweek contests.

Mason began the homestand against Niagara with a four-game series (March 4-5).  The Patriots won both games of their Saturday doubleheader, 15-2 and 6-3.  The Purple Eagles won both games of the Sunday doubleheader, 8-4 and 7-2.
Mason fell to Georgetown, 18-13, in a lone midweek game (March 7).  The Patriots swept their three-game series against St. Peter's.  Mason took both games of a doubleheader, 15-6 and 9-1 (March 11) and won the finale, 12-4 (March 12).

Mason then swept three games from Cornell.  The Patriots took both games of a doubleheader, 10-5 and 4-3 (March 18), and then won the final game, 15-4 (March 19) to extend their winning streak to seven games.  The Patriots dropped their midweek matchup against William & Mary, 16-10 (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 were swept in a three-game series at No. 10 East Carolina in Greenville, N.C. (March 24-26).  The Pirates won by final scores of 11-3, 8-1 and 5-0.  Mason topped Longwood, 13-6, at Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, Va. (March 29).  In the first a-10 series of the season, the Patriots took two-of-three from Rhode Island at Bill Beck Field in Kingston, R.I.  The Patriots won the first game of a doubleheader, 7-6, while the Rams won the nightcap, 8-4 (March 31).  Mason won the series finale, 5-0, on a combined one-hitter (April 2).

Mason topped Georgetown, 5-4, in Washington, D.C. (April 4) and fell to Towson, 10-8, in Towson, Md. (April 5).

The Patriots are scheduled to play 11 games at home and seven on the road in April.

The Patriots dropped two of three to Dayton (April 7-9) with the Flyers winning the first game, 6-5 and the finale, 6-5.  The Patriots won the middle game of the series, 11-0.  Mason lost to Longwood, 10-5 at Spuhler Field (April 11) to wrap up a four-game homestand.

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 VCU
 
VCU has an overall record of 17-16 including a mark of 3-3 in A-10 play.  The Rams are 12-7 at home, 4-8 on the road and 1-1 in games played at a neutral site.

Last time out, the Rams lost to William & Mary, 13-12, on Tuesday in Williamsburg, Va.

VCU has lost three of its last four games overall, including two-of-three against Saint Joseph's last weekend.

Sophomore infielder Brandon Eike has a .352 average (50-for-142) with seven home runs, 45 RBI and 32 runs scored in 33 starts.  He leads the team in hits (50), doubles (13), home runs (7) and RBI (45).

Senior outfielder A.J. Mathis is batting .333 (39-for-117) with one home run, seven RBI and 43 runs scored in 32 starts.  He leads the club in runs scored (43) is second in walks (27) and fourth in hits (39).

Junior first baseman Will Carlone is hitting .315 (40-for-127) with five home runs, 35 RBI and 25 runs scored in 32 starts.  He is second on the team in RBI (35) and third in home runs (5) and hits (40).

VCU has a team batting average of .285 through 33 games.

On the mound, freshman Zachary Peters (1-3), 5.84) leads the team in innings pitched (37.0) and is fourth in strikeouts (25) in eight appearances with seven starts.  Junior Campbell Ellis (4-2, 7.83) is second on the club in innings (33.1) and strikeouts (29) in 10 appearances with three starts.

The Rams have a team ERA of 7.12 through 33 games.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday
Mason: LHP Ben Shields (5-1, 3.71)
VCU: RHP Zachary Peters (1-3, 5.84)
Saturday
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (3-2, 2.19)
VCU: RHP Justin Humenay (0-0, 5.62)
Sunday
Mason: LHP Konner Eaton (1-1, 3.32)
VCU: TBD

STRIKE ZONE
The Patriots have 51 wins over VCU, second-most against an opponent in program history.  Mason has 53 victories against James Madison.

In Mason's first season in the Atlantic 10 in 2014, the Patriots defeated VCU, 3-0, in the A-10 Tournament semifinals.  The Patriots then topped the Rams, 3-2, in the championship game to claim the A-10 Tournament title.

Among the Patriots most common opponents, Mason has faced James Madison 122 times, followed by VCU (113), William & Mary (106), Richmond (108) , UNC-Wilmington (100), Towson (96) and Old Dominion (90).