BASEBALL vs. Monmouth
WHEN: Friday, March 8 - Doubleheader (Game 1 - 11:05 a.m.), Sunday, March 10 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (5-6, 0-0 A-10); Monmouth (2-7, 0-0 CAA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Series tied, 3-3.
LAST MEETING: The Patriots won two-of-three against the Hawks March 4-6, 2022 at Spuhler Field.
GAME NOTES: Click here
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team begins a three-game weekend series against Fairfield beginning with a doubleheader on Friday with the first pitch for game one scheduled for 11:05 a.m. at Spuhler Field.
Last time out, the Patriots (5-6) completed a three-game sweep over Fairfield with a 9-8 walk-off victory on Sunday afternoon. Mason rallied with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Graduate student left fielder
Ben Jones dove in a pair of runs with a two-out single to left field to left the Patriots to the win.
Mason and Monmouth have played all six games in the all-time series at Spuhler Filed, with each team posting three wins.
In the last meeting against Monmouth, the Patriots took two-of-three games from the Hawks March 4-6, 2022 at Spuhler Field. Mason won the first game (11-5), dropped the middle game (9-7) and won the finale (5-4).
Monmouth took two-of-three March 15-17, 2019. The Patriots won the first game (10-7) and dropped the final two (9-3, 7-3).
Sophomore outfielder
James Quinn-Irons is hitting .343 (12-for-35) in 11 games with 10 starts. He leads the team in average (.343), home runs (3), RBI (12) and walks (5) and is tied for second in both hits (12) and runs scored (8).
Graduate student utility player
Ben Jones is second on the team with a .343 average (12-for-35) in 11 games with 10 starts. He is tied for second in hits (12) and tied for third in runs scored (7).
Graduate student infielder
South Trimble is batting .310 (13-for-42) in 11 starts. He leads the club in hits (13), runs scored (10) and stolen bases (9), is second in RBI (10) and third in average (.310).
Senior outfielder
Jordan Smith is hitting .306 (11-for-36) in 11 starts in center field. He is first on the team in triples (2), third in hits (11) and RBI (7) and fourth in average (.306).
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday (Game 1)
Mason: RHP
Nick Martins (1-2)
Monmouth: LHP Drew Helmstetter (1-0)
Friday (Game 2)
Mason: RHP
Chad Gartland (1-2)
Monmouth: RHP Alec Couture (0-2)
Sunday
Mason: LHP
Konner Eaton (1-1)
Monmouth: RHP Kevin Opanel (0-1)
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
Last season, Monmouth finished 16-30 including a mark of 6-22 against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents. The Hawks went 4-17 at home, 7-12 on the road and 5-1 at neutral sites.
To begin the 2024 campaign, Monmouth split two games against Penn State (6-5 loss and 10-3 win) and dropped two games to Army (3-2 and 10-1) opening weekend Feb. 16-18 in Cary, N.C.
The Hawks were then swept in a three-game series at Mercer Feb. 23-25 (6-5, 9-7, 10-1).
Last time out, Monmouth split two games at UMBC in Baltimore, Md. The Hawks won the first game, 7-2 and dropped the second game, 2-1.
Graduate student pitcher Drew Helmstetter (1-0, 2.20 ERA, 16.1 IP) was named CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in the Hawks 2-1 win at UMBC.
Senior outfielder Harry Padden is hitting .414 (12-for-29) in nine starts. He leads the team in average (.414), home runs (2), RBI (6), runs scored (8) and stolen bases (3) and is tied for first in hits (12).
Senior catcher Phil Stahl is batting (.400) in seven games with six starts. He is tied for first on the club in doubles (3), second in average (.400), tied for second in RBI (4) and tied for third in hits (8).
Senior outfielder Eric Sabato has a .333 average in nine starts. He is tied for first on the team in hits (12) and is second in runs scored (7).
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
Mason has 22 returners and added 18 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under
Shawn Camp, who enters his second year as the head coach of the Patriots.
The Mason senior class includes pitchers
Nick Martins,
Kyle Menaker and
Ryan Peterson, along with outfielders
Jordan Smith and
Derek Wood. Graduate student utility player
South Trimble also returns for the Patriots.
The junior class includes pitchers
Chad Gartland and
Britt Yount, infielder
Carsen Pracht, outfielders
Brandon Parks and
Reece Woody and catcher
Connor Dykstra.
Sophomores returning for their second year with the Green and Gold are pitchers
Konner Eaton,
Ryan Edmonds,
Tyler Herkey,
Connor Knox,
Logan Rumberg and
Owen Stewart, infielder
Evan Blanchard, outfielder
James Quinn-Irons and catcher
Bennett Shealor.
The Patriots added 18 new players, with 13 freshman, one junior and four graduate students entering their first year at George Mason.
New pitchers joining the Patriots are freshmen
Cole Egan (LHP),
Brant Ertel (RHP),
Dylan McCarthy (RHP),
Shaun Okeeffe (LHP) and
Ty Uchman (LHP). Graduate students
Luke Goodyear (LHP) and
Avery Mabe (RHP) along with junior
Jake Roberti join the Mason bullpen.
New position players include two graduate students, catcher
Socrates Bardatsos and utility player
Ben Jones. Eight freshmen position players embark on their rookie year with infielders
Jake Butler,
Christian Carver,
Cole Feldman,
Toby Hueber and
Owen Hull, outfielders
Jake Kozlowski and
Ryan Muskopf and catcher
J.P. Williams.
GEORGE MASON 2024 SCHEDULE
The Patriots are schedule to play a 56-game slate that includes 24 contests against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, 32 games at Spuhler Field and three games against opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.
The Patriots began the season with three games at the Baseball at the Beach tournament in Conway, S.C.
Mason fell to No. 18 Coastal Carolina, 26-0 (Feb. 16), lost to No. 12 Duke, 23-5 (Feb. 17) and dropped the final game at Baseball at the Beach to Indiana, 9-3 (Feb. 18).
All four teams that competed at Baseball at the Beach played in a NCAA Regional last season, with both Duke and Coastal Carolina in the 2023 NCAA Conway Regional. The Blue Devils defeated the Chanticleers to advance to the Super Regional.
The Patriots won their home opener over Coppin State, 21-2 (Feb. 20).
Mason dropped three-of-four against Purdue at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, N.C. The Boilermakers won the opener, 7-4 (Feb. 23), the two teams split a doubleheader with the Patriots taking game one, 11-9 and Purdue the nightcap, 12-5 (Feb. 24). The Boilermakers won the finale, 11-1, in seven innings (Feb. 25).
In March, Mason is scheduled to play 20 games with 16 at home and four on the road.
Mason opened a season-high eight-game homestand with a three-game sweep over Fairfield (March 1-3). The Patriots won the first game, 3-0, the middle game, 8-0 and then notched a 9-8 walk-off victory in the series finale.
Mason will welcome Monmouth for a three-game set (March 8-10).
Mason will then host Bucknell (March 12) and Maryland Eastern Shore (March 13) for midweek games.
The Green and Gold are then on the road for a three-game series against North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.
The Patriots visit Longwood for a midweek game in Farmville, Va. (March 19) before returning to Spuhler Field to host Villanova for three games (March 22-24) and VMI in a midweek game (March 26).
The Patriots wrap up the month when they travel down I-95 to take on Richmond in the first Atlantic 10 series of the season in Richmond, Va. (March 29-31).
In April, the Patriots are scheduled to play 16 games, with 10 at home and six on the road.
Mason is back home to take on Longwood in a midweek matinee (April 3) and then the Patriots will play their first conference home series against rival George Washington (April 5-7).
Mason plays a season-high five straight on the road in mid-April beginning with a single game at VMI in Lexington, Va. (April 10). The Patriots then face the Flyers for three games in Dayton, Ohio (April 12-14) and wrap up the stretch under the lights against Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. (April 17).
The Cavaliers advanced to the 2023 College World Series last season after winning all three games in the Charlottesville Regional and taking two of three games against Duke in the Super Regional.
In 2023, the Patriots went 15-11 at home, 14-11 on the road and 7-5 in games played at a neutral site.
Mason is back at home in conference play against Massachusetts (April 19-21) before traveling for a Tuesday meeting against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. (April 23).
The Patriots host VCU (April 26-28) to wrap up the month of April.
In May, the Patriots are scheduled to play 12 games, with four at home and eight on the road.
The month begins with a midweek matchup against Georgetown in Tysons, Va. (May 1). The Patriots then travel to the Gateway City for a three-game conference series against the Billikens in St. Louis, Mo. (May 3-5).
Mason then plays back-to-back midweek games. The Patriots are home to meet Maryland Eastern Shore (May 7) and back on the road to tangle with Towson (May 8).
The Patriots play their final regular season road series at Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia, Pa. (May 11-13) and conclude the regular season with a three-game series at Spuhler Field against Davidson (May 16-18).
The Patriots will play three home-and-home series during the 2024 season, taking on Towson, Longwood and VMI for single games both 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 George Washington (April 5-7), Massachusetts (April 19-21), VCU (April 26-28) and Davidson (May 16-18).
The Patriots will visit Richmond (March 29-31), Dayton (April 12-14), Saint Louis (May 3-5) and Saint Joseph's (May 10-12).
The 2024 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship will be held May 21-25 at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.
STRIKE ZONE
Mason and Monmouth met for the first time March 15-17, 2019 at Spuhler Field. The Patriots won the first game, 10-7, while the Hawks took the final two games of the series, 9-3 and 7-3.
