BASEBALL at Navy
WHEN: Wednesday, May 3 (5 p.m.)
WHERE: Max Bishop Stadium | Annapolis, Md.
RECORDS: George Mason (21-21, 7-7 Atlantic 10); Navy (22-23, 14-11 Patriot League)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Navy leads George Mason, 18-13
LAST MEETING: The Midshipmen defeated the Patriots, 7-6, in Mason's home opener on March 2, 2022 at Spuhler Field.
LIVE STATS
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team travels to face Navy on Wednesday, May 3 with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Last time out, the Patriots split a doubleheader against Richmond on Saturday at Spuhler Field. The Patriots won the first game, 4-3, and were shutout in the second game, 7-0.
Navy has won six straight in the series against Mason, with three wins at home and on the road, and the Midshipmen have won nine of the last 12 games against the Patriots dating back to the 2006 season.
The Patriots rank fifth in Division I baseball in stolen bases (122 in 42 games). Only VMI (174), Mississippi Valley (148), Louisiana (130) and Wofford (123) have more. Senior infielder
South Trimble is tied for 26th in the NCAA with 23 stolen bases.
Mason is tied for 23rd nationally in hit by pitch (77 in 42 games) with sophomore catcher
Connor Dykstra second in the NCAA (23 times in 40 games).
Freshman outfielder
James Quinn-Irons has a .386 average (44-for-114) with four home runs, 26 RBI and 31 runs scored in 31 games with 30 starts. He is third on the club in hits (44), home runs (4) and runs scored (31) and tied for fourth in RBI (26). Trimble is hitting .308 (48-for-156) with three home runs, 29 RBI and 40 runs scored in 42 starts. He leads the team in hits (48), runs scored (40), stolen bases (23) and walks (24), is second in RBI (29) and hit by pitch (14) and third in doubles (8).
Junior outfielder
Jordan Smith has a .291 average (46-for-158) with five home runs, 26 RBI and 36 runs scored in 40 starts in center field. He leads the club in doubles (12), is second in hits (46), home runs (5) and runs scored (36) and is third in stolen bases (16) and tied for fourth in RBI (26). Sophomore Infielder/outfielder
Reece Woody is hitting .291 (34-for-117) with three home runs, 31 RBI and 22 runs scored in 34 games with 33 starts. He paces the Patriots in RBI (31) and is sixth in both hits (34) and runs scored (22).
Dykstra is batting .276 (35-for-127) with six home runs, 25 RBI and 29 runs scored in 40 starts. He leads the team in home runs (6) and hit by pitch (23), is second in doubles (11) and is fifth in both hits (35) and RBI (25).
The Patriots have a team batting average of .268 through 42 games.
On the mound, graduate student
Ben Shields (6-2, 4.11) leads the team in strikeouts (84) and is second in innings pitched (57.0) in 11 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, 3.02) is first on the team in innings pitched (65.2) and is second in strikeouts (62) in 11 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 (1-3, 5.46) is third on the club in both innings (29.2) and (38). Junior
Christian Mracna (2-1, 2.31) is tied for the team lead in appearances (17) and has notched three saves.
Graduate student
Mason Posey (1-3, 5.82) has also made 17 appearances this season and is one appearance shy of tying for the most in program history (74).
The Patriots have a team ERA of 4.70 through 42 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 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 wrapped up the month splitting a doubleheader against Richmond (April 29). The Patriots won the first game, 4-3, and dropped the second game, 7-0.
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 NAVY
Navy has an overall record of 22-23, including a mark of 14-11 in Patriot League play. The Midshipmen are 13-11 at home, 7-9 on the road and 2-3 in games played at a neutral site.
Last time out, Navy won two-of-three at Lehigh last weekend at Legacy Park in Bethlehem, Pa. Lehigh won the first game, 1-0, while the Midshipmen took the final two games of the series, 5-1 and 14-1.
Navy is 3-7 in its last 10 games.
Senior infielder Alex Smith has a .327 average (54-for-165) with four home runs, 24 RBI and 30 runs scored in 45 starts. Senior outfielder Kyle Rausch is hitting .298 (36-for-121) with four home runs, 29 RBI and 18 runs scored in 35 starts. Junior infielder Eduardo Diaz is batting .290 (42-for-145) with 18 RBI and 16 runs scored in 45 starts.
Navy has a team batting average of .263 through 45 games.
On the mound, senior Nate Mitchell (6-4, 3.32) leads the team in innings pitched (62.1) and is second in strikeouts (47). Junior Matthew Shirah (4-4, 3.71) leads the club in strikeouts (52) and is second in innings (48.1).
Senior Thomas Russell (4-4, 6.15) is third in both innings (41.0) and strikeouts (44). Sophomore Landon Kruer (0-0, 4.29) leads the team in appearances (15) and has notched eight saves.
The Midshipmen have a team ERA of 5.91 through 45 games.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Mason: TBD
Navy: TBD
STRIKE ZONE
Mason last won a road game against Navy on April 11, 2012 when the Patriots downed the Midshipmen, 8-6 in Annapolis.
Navy scored six runs in the first three innings to take the lead before the Patriots scored eight unanswered runs for the victory.
