BASEBALL vs. St. Bonaventure
WHEN: Friday, April 21 - Doubleheader (12 p.m.); Sunday, April 23 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (17-19, 4-5 Atlantic 10); St. Bonaventure (5-26, 2-7 Atlantic 10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: George Mason leads St. Bonaventure, 10-6
LAST MEETING: The Patriots took three-of-four games in the series against the Bonnie April 2-4, 2021 at Spuhler Field.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team returns home to face St. Bonaventure for a three-game series beginning Friday with the first pitch for game one of a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m. at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

After an off day on Saturday, the two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.

Last time out, the Patriots dropped two-of-three against VCU at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.  The Rams won the first game, 5-0 and the finale, 11-3, while the Patriots took the middle game of the series, 10-5.

Mason and St. Bonaventure have played 16 games since the Patriots joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2014.  The Patriots have won seven of the last eight games and hold a 10-6 advantage in the all-time series.

In the last meeting, the Patriots took three-of-four games from the Bonnies April 2-4, 2021.  The Patriots won the opener, 9-6, the first game of a doubleheader, 2-1 and the final game of the series, 6-5.  The Bonnies won the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, 8-3.

Five of the six series between the Patriots and Bonnies have been played at Spuhler Field with Mason posting a record of 9-4.  The lone road series that the Patriots have played against the Bonnies was May 6-8, 2016, with St. Bonaventure winning two-of-three in the series.

The Patriots rank third in Division I baseball in stolen bases with 111 in 36 games.  Only VMI (146) and Mississippi Valley (131) have more.  Senior infielder South Trimble is tied for 21st in the NCAA with 21 stolen bases. 

Mason is tied for 18th nationally in hit by pitch (65 in 36 games) with sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra tied for fourth in the NCAA (18 times in 34 games), while Trimble is tied for 18th (14 times in 36 games).

Freshman outfielder James Quinn-Irons leads the Patriots with a .402 average (37-for-92) with four home runs, 21 RBI and 25 runs scored in 25 games with 24 starts.  He is third on the club in hits (37), second in home runs (4) and is third in runs scored (25).

Dykstra is batting .302 (32-for-106) with five home runs, 23 RBI and 24 runs scored in 34 starts.  He leads the team in in hit by pitch (18) and is tied for first in home runs (5) and doubles (10) and is fourth in both hits (32) and RBI (23).

Trimble is hitting .311 (41-for-132) with three home runs, 28 RBI and 37 runs scored in 36 starts.  He leads the team in runs scored (37), stolen bases (21) and walks (21), is tied for first in RBI (28) and is second in hits (41), hit by pitch (11) and doubles (8).

Junior outfielder Jordan Smith has a .316 average (43-for-136) with five home runs, 24 RBI and 33 runs scored in 34 starts in center field.  He leads the club in hits (43), is tied for first in home runs (5) and doubles (10), is second in runs scored (33) and RBI (24) and ranks third in stolen bases (15).

The Patriots have a team batting average of .268 through 36 games.

On the mound, graduate student Ben Shields (5-2, 3.78) leads the team in strikeouts (67) and is second in innings pitched (47.2) 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 (4-2, 2.67) is first on the team in innings pitched (57.1) and is second in strikeouts (51) in nine appearances with eight 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.

Redshirt freshman Konner Eaton (1-2, 6.05) is fourth on the club in both innings (19.1) and (22).  Junior Christian Mracna (1-1, 2.61) paces the Patriots in appearances (15) and has notched three saves.

The Patriots have a team ERA of 4.94 through 36 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 will play 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 traveled down I-95 to face VCU in Richmond, Va. (April 14-16) and dropped two-of-three games.  The Rams won the first game, 5-0 and the finale, 11-3, while the Patriots took the middle game of the series, 10-5.  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 ST. BONAVENTURE
 
St. Bonaventure has an overall record of 5-26 including a mark of 2-7 in A-10 play.  The Bonnies are 2-10 at home and 3-16 on the road.

Last time out, the Bonnies fell to Niagara, 17-12, on Wednesday at Handler Park in Olean, N.Y.  Last weekend, the Bonnies were swept by Rhode Island at Handler Park in Olean, N.Y.  The Rams won by final scores of 9-5, 5-4 and 8-1.

St. Bonaventure has lost seven in a row and 10 of its last 11 games.

Senior third baseman Jack Putney has a .315 average (34-for-108) with two home runs, 14 RBI and 13 runs scored in 29 games with 27 starts.  He is second on the team in hits (34), is third in RBI (14) and fourth in runs scored (13).

Junior outfielder Adam Rankie is batting .310 (36-for-116) with one home run, nine RBI and 22 runs scored in 30 games with 29 starts.  He leads the team in hits (36) and runs scored (22).

Senior catcher Jackson DeJohn is hitting .295 with five home runs, 19 RBI and 16 runs scored in 31 games with 29 starts.  He leads the club in home runs (5) and RBI (19) and is second in runs scored (16).

St. Bonaventure has a team batting average of .256 through 31 games.

On the mound, sophomore Gabe Watts (2-4, 10.00) has made nine appearances with eight starts.  He leads the club in wins (2), starts (8), innings pitched (36.0) and strikeouts (34).  Graduate student Liam Devine (1-2, 5.70) has made 10 appearances with two starts.  He is second on the team in innings (30.0) and third in strikeouts (28).

The Bonnies have a team ERA of 11.01 through 31 games.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday (Game 1)
Mason: LHP Ben Shields (5-2, 3.78)
St. Bonaventure: RHP Tripp Breen (1-1, 8.68)
Friday (Game 2)
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (4-2, 2.67)
St. Bonaventure: LHP Gabe Watts (2-4, 10.00)
Sunday
Mason: LHP Konner Eaton (1-2, 6.05)
St. Bonaventure: LHP Luke Roggenburk (0-2, 8.87)

STRIKE ZONE

Mason and St. Bonaventure have played 16 games since the Patriots joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2014.  The Patriots hold a 10-6 advantage in the all-time series.

Five of the six series between the Patriots and Bonnies have been played at Spuhler Field with Mason posting a record of 9-4.

The lone road series that the Patriots have played against the Bonnies was May 6-8, 2016, with St. Bonaventure winning two-of-three in the series.