BASEBALL at Saint Joseph's
WHEN: Friday, May 10 (3 p.m.) – Saturday, May 11 (2 p.m.) – Sunday, May 12 (1 p.m.)
WHERE: Smithson Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
RECORDS: George Mason (20-27, 6-12 A10); Saint Joseph's (20-23, 8-10 A10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Saint Joseph's leads, 14-8
LAST MEETING: The Hawks won two-of-three games against the Patriots May 18-20, 2023 at Spuhler Field.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball plays its final Atlantic 10 road series of the season against Saint Joseph's beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Smithson Field in Philadelphia, Pa.

Last time out, the Patriots fell to Towson, 8-5, on Wednesday at Schuerholz Park in Towson, Md.  Sophomore designated hitter James Quinn-Irons hit his 12th home run of the season and senior right fielder Derek Wood drove in a pair of runs in the game.

George Mason has an all-time record of 8-14 against Saint Joseph's.  Last season, the Hawks won two-of-three games against the Patriots May 18-20, 2023 at Spuhler Field.

The Patriots are 5-7 against the Hawks at home, 2-7 on the road and 1-0 in games played at a neutral site.  In George Mason's last visit to Saint Joseph's, the Hawks took two-of-three in the series April 8-10, 2022.  Saint Joseph's won the first game, 10-9 in 11 innings and the finale, 14-2, while the Patriots claimed the middle game, 9-3.

Senior outfielder Jordan Smith is hitting .348 (62-for-178) in 47 starts in center field.  He leads the club in average (.348), hits (62), doubles (17), triples (3), RBI (45), runs scored (41) and hit by pitch (20).  He is second in home runs (7) and third in stolen bases (11). 

Junior infielder Carsen Pracht has a .318 average (48-for-151) in 46 games with 45 starts.  He is second on the club in average (.318), third in doubles (10) and fourth in hits (48), runs scored (29) and walks (14).

Quinn-Irons is batting .309 (50-for-162) in 44 games with 43 starts.  He leads the club in home runs (12), is second in RBI (38), third in hits (50), runs scored (36) and walks (17) and is fourth in stolen bases (10).

Junior first baseman Reece Woody is batting .286 (42-for-147) in 44 games with 39 starts.  He is  second on the club in walks (18), tied for third in home runs (6), tied for fourth in both RBI (29) and runs scored (29) and he is sixth in hits (42).

Junior catcher Connor Dykstra is hitting .282 (44-for-156) in 46 games with 45 starts.  He is second on the team in doubles (11), tied for third in home runs (6), tied for fourth in RBI (29) and fifth in both hits (44) and runs scored (27).

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday
Mason: LHP Konner Eaton (3-2, 6.05)
Saint Joseph's: RHP Domenic Picone (4-2, 5.79)

Saturday
Mason: RHP Chad Gartland (2-4, 5.73)
Saint Joseph's: RHP Will McCausland (2-4, 5.14)

Sunday
Mason: LHP Ryan Peterson (2-1, 4.53)
Saint Joseph's: LHP Ryan DeSanto (2-2, 4.86)

SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
 
Saint Joseph's has an overall record of 20-23, including a mark of 8-10 against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents.  The Hawks are 11-6 at home and 9-17 on the road.

The Hawks have been idle since last weekend.  Saint Joseph's took two-of-three in the series at Fordham May 3-5 in Bronx, N.Y.  The Hawks dropped the first game, 8-6 and then won the final two games, 6-1 and 7-1.

Saint Joseph's has won its first two home series in Atlantic 10 play.  The Hawks took two-for-three from Saint Louis (April 5-7).  After dropping the first game, 10-2, the Hawks then defeated the Billikens, 9-1 and 7-3.  Saint Joseph's also won two-of-three against St. Bonaventure (April 19-21).  The Hawks lost the first game, 6-4 in 11 innings and then won the final two contests of the series, 13-7 and 12-10.
 
Saint Joseph's hosts George Washington next weekend (May 16-18) in the final series of the season.

Senior outfielder Conlan Wall is hitting .329 (51-for-155) in 43 starts.  He leads the team in runs scored (49), walks (44), hit by pitch (13) and stolen bases (17), is third in hits (51) and doubles (8) and is fourth in RBI (25).

Sophomore infielder Ryan Weingartner is batting .324 (59-for-182) in 43 starts.  He leads the Hawks in hits (59), doubles (12), triples (3) and home runs (12), and is second in RBI (46), runs scored (47) and walks (22).

Sophomore infielder Owen Petrich has a .313 average (56-for-179) in 43 starts.  He leads the team in RBI (48), is second in hits (56) and doubles (10) and is fourth in runs scored (31).

Saint Joseph's has a team batting average of .277 and a team ERA of 6.35.

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 took two-of-three from Monmouth (March 8-10).  The Patriots swept a doubleheader March 8 with two walk-off wins, 6-5 in 10 innings in game one and 2-1 in the nightcap.  The Hawks won the finale, 12-7. 
 
The Patriots defeated Bucknell (March 12) with a 13-12 walk-off win and then downed Maryland Eastern Shore (March 13) 15-5 in seven innings to finish the homestand 7-1.
 
Mason was swept on the road by North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. (March 15-17) by final scores of 14-5, 6-5 and 10-9.
 
The Patriots dropped their midweek matchup to Longwood (March 19), 9-4.
 
Mason won two-of-three against Villanova (March 22-24).  The Patriots swept a doubleheader (March 22) by final scores of 6-5 and 3-2 and dropped the finale (March 24), 9-2.
 
The Patriots downed VMI (March 26) in a midweek game, 16-3, to conclude the five-game homestand.
 
The Patriots wrapped up the month when they traveled down I-95 to take on Richmond in the first Atlantic 10 series of the season (March 29-31).  The Spiders took the first two games with 6-5 and 17-16 (10) walk-off wins.  The Patriots won the last game of the series, 9-4.
 
In April, the Patriots are scheduled to play 16 games, with 10 at home and six on the road.
 
Mason's midweek matinee on the road against Longwood (April 3) was canceled due to rain.
 
The Patriots took two-of-three games from rival George Washington (April 5-7) at Spuhler Field.  The Revolutionaries won the first game, 3-2 and the Patriots claimed the final two games, 5-2 and 13-10.
 
The Patriots dropped two-of-three at Dayton (April 12-14).  The Flyers won the first two games, 6-5 in 11 innings and 17-14 while the Patriots took the series finale with a comeback 8-6 win.
 
Mason fell to No. 10 Virginia, 11-5, 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 dropped two-of-three games in conference play at home against Massachusetts (April 19-21).  The Minutemen won the first two games, 10-7 in 11 innings and 9-6.  The Patriots took the finale, 9-1.
 
The Patriots fell to Virginia Tech, 24-5 in Blacksburg, Va. (April 23).
 
The Patriots dropped two-of-three in their A-10 home series against VCU (April 26-28) to wrap up the month of April.  The Rams won the first game, 6-4 and the finale, 9-8.  The Patriots took the middle game, 3-2.
 
In May, the Patriots are scheduled to play 12 games, with four at home and eight on the road.
 
Mason began the month with a 13-2 win over Georgetown in Tysons, Va. (May 1). 
The Patriots were swept in their three-game series against the Billikens by final scores of 4-3, 5-2 and 5-4 in 10 innings in St. Louis, Mo. (May 3-5).
 
Mason split a pair of midweek games.  The Patriots downed Maryland Eastern Shore, 9-3, at Spuhler Field (May 7) and lost at Towson, 8-5, at Schuerholz Park in Towson, Md. (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 defeated Saint Joseph's, 5-4, in the second round of the 2014 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship on May 22, 2014 in St. Louis, Mo.
 
The Patriots trailed three times in the game before taking a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.  John Williams threw seven innings and earned his fifth win of the season, while reliever Taylor Hunt picked up the save.

The Patriots went on to defeat VCU twice, 3-0 in the semifinals and 3-2 in the title game, to capture the A-10 Championship in their inaugural season in the conference.