BASEBALL vs. Richmond
WHEN: Saturday, April 29 (11 a.m.) - Doubleheader; Sunday, April 30 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (20-20, 6-6 Atlantic 10); Richmond (18-22, 7-5 Atlantic 10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Richmond leads George Mason, 66-41-1
LAST MEETING: The fifth-seeded Patriots fell to the seventh-seeded Spiders, 7-3, in the 2022 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship on May 26, 2022 at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team wraps up its homestand with three games against Richmond beginning with a doubleheader on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Last time out, the Patriots downed Mount St. Mary's, 3-1, on Tuesday at Spuhler Field.  Freshman Logan Rumberg allowed one run and struck out four over three innings to earn the win in his first collegiate start, while graduate student reliever Kyle Smith picked up his first save as a Patriot.

Mason and Richmond have met 108 times, with the Spiders holding a 66-41-1 advantage in the all-time series.

In the last regular-season meeting, the Spiders won two-of-three games in the series May 6-8, 2022 at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.  The Spiders won the first game, 13-5 and the finale, 7-2 while the Patriots took the middle game of the series, 9-2.

Each team has posted 12 wins in the last 24 matchups dating back to the 2015 season.

Mason has 41 all-time wins against Richmond.  The Spiders are one of nine teams that the Patriots have had at least 40 victories against in program history (William & Mary-63, James Madison-53, VCU-51, Towson-50, George Washington-45, UNCW-44, Howard-42, Old Dominion-41).

The Patriots rank third in Division I baseball in stolen bases (120 in 40 games) and stolen bases per game (3.00).  Only VMI (162) and Mississippi Valley (135) have more.  Senior infielder South Trimble is tied for 24th in the NCAA with 23 stolen bases. 

Mason is tied for 20th nationally in hit by pitch (74 in 40 games) with sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra second in the NCAA (22 times in 38 games), while Trimble is tied for 30th (14 times in 40 games).

Freshman outfielder James Quinn-Irons leads the Patriots with a .404 average (44-for-109) with four home runs, 26 RBI and 30 runs scored in 29 games with 28 starts.  He is third on the club in hits (44), second in home runs (4), third in runs scored (30) and tied for fourth in RBI (26).  Dykstra is batting .287 (35-for-122) with six home runs, 25 RBI and 29 runs scored in 38 starts.  He leads the team in home runs (6) and hit by pitch (22), is second in doubles (11) and is fifth in both hits (35) and RBI (25).

Trimble is hitting .309 (46-for-149) with three home runs, 29 RBI and 40 runs scored in 40 starts.  He leads the team in hits (46), runs scored (40), stolen bases (23) and walks (23), is second in RBI (29) and hit by pitch (14) and third in doubles (8).  Junior outfielder Jordan Smith has a .298 average (45-for-151) with five home runs, 26 RBI and 36 runs scored in 38 starts in center field.  He second on the club in hits (45), home runs (5) and doubles (12), is second in runs scored (36) and third in stolen bases (16) and RBI (26).

The Patriots have a team batting average of .273 through 40 games.

On the mound, graduate student Ben Shields (5-2, 4.33) leads the team in strikeouts (74) and is second in innings pitched (52.0) in 10 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, 3.06) is first on the team in innings pitched (61.2) and is second in strikeouts (57) in 10 appearances with nine 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, 5.33) is third on the club in both innings (25.1) and (32).  Junior Christian Mracna (2-1, 2.38) is tied for the team lead in appearances (16) and has notched three saves.  Graduate student Mason Posey (1-3, 5.82) and freshman Tyler Herkey (1-3, 7.48) have each made 16 appearances.

The Patriots have a team ERA of 4.76 through 40 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 played 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 played 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. 

Mason returned to Spuhler Field for a seven-game homestand.

Mason won the series against A-10 foe St. Bonaventure (April 21-23), sweeping a doubleheader, 7-6 in 11 innings and 17-5 (April 21) before falling in the final game of the series, 4-3 in 11 innings (April 23).  The Patriots then topped Mount St. Mary's (April 25), 3-1, I a midweek non-conference contest.

Mason 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 RICHMOND
 
Richmond has an overall record of 18-22 including a mark of 7-5 in A-10 play.  The Spiders are 13-10 at home and 5-12 on the road.

Last time out, the Spiders won two-of-three against Fordham last weekend at Pitt Field in Richmond.  The Spiders won the first game, 15-8 and the final game of the series, 7-4.  The Rams took the middle game, 12-9.

After dropping two games against Saint Joseph's in their first league series of the season, the Spider have three straight A-10 series.

Senior outfielder Johnny Hipsman has a .356 average (57-for-160) with six home runs, 31 RBI and 32 runs scored in 39 starts.  Junior infielder Jared Sprague-Lott is batting .338 (47-for-139) with 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 37 runs scored in 38 starts.  Junior infielder Mikey Kluska is hitting .331 (46-for-139) with three home runs, 23 RBI and 22 runs scored in 39 starts.

Richmond has a team batting average of .296 through 40 games.

On the mound, graduate student Brock Weirather (4-2, 6.00) leads the team in innings pitched (57.0) and is second in strikeouts (44) in 10 starts.  Sophomore Esteban Rodriguez (2-1, 4.60) is second in the club in innings (43.0) and leads the team in strikeouts (51) in 11 appearances with one start. 

Graduate student Brenden Argomaniz (2-5, 5.65) is third in innings (36.2) and strikeouts (35) in 10 appearances with seven starts.  Junior Jeremy Neff (2-0, 3.34) is fourth in innings (29.2) and strikeouts (30) in seven starts.

The Spiders have a team ERA of 7.19 through 40 games.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Saturday (Game 1)
Mason: LHP Ben Shields (5-2, 4.33)
Richmond: RHP Brock Weirather (4-2, 6.00
Saturday (Game 2)
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (4-2, 3.06)
Richmond: TBD
Sunday
Mason: LHP Konner Eaton (1-2, 5.33)
Richmond: LHP Jeremy Neff (2-0, 3.34)

STRIKE ZONE

Mason and Richmond have played 108 games, the third-most games in program history against an opponent. 

The Patriots have faced James Madison 123 times, followed by VCU (116), Richmond (108), William & Mary (106) and UNCW (100).