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CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | PHOTO GALLERY

RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason baseball team claimed the 2023 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship with a 6-2 victory of fourth-seeded Saint Louis on Saturday, May 27 at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.

The Patriots won the Atlantic 10 title for the second time in program history.  Mason won the A-10 title in 2014, the program's first season in the conference.

Two Mason freshmen pitchers shined under the championship game spotlight.  Starter Logan Rumberg tossed four strong innings and allowed two runs while reliever Owen Stewart pitched five innings of two-hit ball to earn the win.

Mason (34-25, 13-10 A10) took the lead against Saint Louis (33-23, 15-9 A10) sophomore starter Jackson Holmes in the top of the first inning.

Senior designated hitter South Trimble led off with a single up the middle and junior right fielder Derek Wood reached on a fielder's choice, with Trimble out at second.  Junior center fielder Jordan Smith then doubled into the gap in right-center with Wood racing all the way around from first to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

Saint Louis tied the game in the bottom of the second against Mason freshman starter Logan Rumberg.  Billikens junior designated hitter Cole Smith led off with a single and scored on a one-out double by senior third baseman Cameron Swanger to make it 1-1.

In the Saint Louis half of the fourth, Smith led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Swanger to give the Billikens a 2-1 lead.

The Patriots would go on to score the final five runs of the game, while keeping the Billikens off the scoreboard over the final five innings.

Mason sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and scored a pair of runs to take a 3-2 lead.  With one out, Jordan Smith reached on an error and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra.  Sophomore first baseman Reece Woody delivered with a RBI-single to tie the game 2-2.

Senior second baseman Brett Stallings would reach on the third Billikens error of the inning, with Woody racing home to vault the Patriots back into the lead for good at 3-2.

The Patriots tacked on a run in the top of the eighth against Holmes and Billikens junior reliever Ethan Bell.

With one out, Dykstra was hit by a pitch and Woody followed with a single through the right side to put runners on first and second.  Bell entered on the pitching change for Saint Louis and was greeted by Stallings, who drove in a run with a single up the middle to make it 4-2.

The Patriots added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth.  Sophomore shortstop Carsen Pracht led off with a single and Trimble was hit by a pitch.  Wood plated a run with a single up the middle to extend the lead to 5-2.

Dykstra knocked in the final run of the tournament with an infield single to second base, with Trimble crossing the plate for the 6-2 final score.

For the Patriots, Rumberg allowed two runs on six hits in 4.0 innings.  Stewart (2-2) scattered two hits over 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.

For the Billikens, Holmes (3-2) allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits in 7.1 innings and took the loss.  Bell surrendered two runs on five hits in 1.1 innings.   

Trimble and Pracht each went 2-for-4 and scored a run.  Wood, Smith, Dykstra, Woody and Stallings each drove in a run.

Sophomore starter Chad Gartland was named Most Outstanding Performer of the tournament.  Senior South Trimble, junior Kyle Menaker and sophomore Reece Woody were also selected to the All-Championship Team.  

Gartland tossed 9.2 innings over two appearances during the championship with 8.0 innings on day one against No. 3 Dayton and 1.2 innings to earn the save in a 3-2 win over the Flyers in an elimination game.  He finished with a 2.79 ERA and .257 opposing batting average with nine strikeouts and a save.

Mason will find out when and where it will play its NCAA Regional games on Monday, May 29 at noon when the NCAA college baseball selection show is broadcast on ESPN2.

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Chad Gartland, George Mason (MOP)
Kyle Menaker, George Mason
South Trimble, George Mason
Reece Woody, George Mason
Jake Wilhoit, Davidson
Marcos Pujols, Dayton
Paxton Tomaini, Dayton
Johnny Hipsman, Richmond
Ryan DeSanto, Saint Joseph's
Tyler Fogarty, Saint Louis
Hayden Moore, Saint Louis
Cole Smith, Saint Louis