BASEBALL vs. Saint Joseph's
WHEN: Friday, May 2 (2 p.m.) – Saturday, May 3 (1 p.m.) – Sunday, May 4 (12 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (29-16, 14-7 A-10); Saint Joseph's (21-20, 14-7 A-10)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Saint Joseph's leads, 17-8
LAST MEETING: The Hawks swept the Patriots, winning all three games May 11-12, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pa.
GAME NOTES: Click here
WATCH: Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
LIVE STATS: Click here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots host Saint Joseph's for a three-game weekend series in a matchup between the top two teams in the Atlantic 10 beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field. It will be the second consecutive week that Spuhler Field will host a pivotal conference battle for first place.
In the last meeting between the Patriots and Hawks, Saint Joseph's swept the three game series May11-12, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pa. After rain postponed the Friday series opener, the Hawks won both Saturday doubleheader games 9-4 and 10-4. Saint Joseph's ultimately won the Sunday series finale 5-2.
The Patriots have a 8-17 record in the all-time series against the Hawks. Saint Joseph's has made to Fairfax four times prior, starting in 2014 when George Mason joined the A-10. Saint Joseph's have won 3-of-4 series at Spuhler Field, with the most recent being in 2023 when the Hawks took 2-of-3 from the Patriots on May 18-20 25-27, 2023.
The last time George Mason won a series against the Hawks in Fairfax was when the Patriots took 2-of-3 games on May 11-13, 2018.
James Quinn-Irons was named this week's Atlantic 10's Player of the Week. It was the outfielder's third weekly award of the season. The Reston, Va., native plated at least two RBI in all four games last week; he led the Patriot squad in slugging (1.333), runs scored (8), triples (1), home runs (3), RBI (11) and stolen bases (6).
Last time out, the Patriots rallied late to tie No. 4 North Carolina 4-4 in the seventh inning in a Tuesday afternoon game at Chapel Hill. However, the Tarheels scored nine unanswered runs in the final two innings of the game to win 13-4. Five players recorded two hits in the game, and junior shortstop
Owen Clyne led the team with in RBI, having plated two.
The Patriots have won 12 of their last 16 games and have won six of their last seven A-10 series matchups. George Mason has hit 21 home runs in the last 24 games.
Among NCAA leaders (as of May 1), the Patriots are third in the nation in batting average (.336) and sacrifice bunts (51), hits (516), fifth in on-base percentage (.443) and ninth in runs scored (414).
Junior outfielder
James Quinn-Irons is batting .441 (79-for-179) in 45 starts in center field. He leads the team in hits (79), doubles, (19), home runs (13) and RBI (69), is second in runs scored (59) and stolen bases (25-30) and fourth in walks (26).
Among NCAA leaders, Quinn-Irons is first in RBI (69), second in total bases (141), third in hits (79), fourth in batting average (.441), ninth in doubles (19) and on-base percentage (.538), 10
th in slugging percentage (.788) and tied for 16
th in runs scored (59).
Sophomore utility player
Owen Hull is hitting .404 (69-for-171) in 45 starts. He paces the Patriots in runs scored (66), and stolen bases (30-34), is second in hits (69), doubles, (13) and home runs (7), second in walks (32) and third in RBI (53).
Among NCAA leaders, Hull is fourth in runs scored (66), tied for 12
th in stolen bases (30), tied for 23
rd in hits (69), 25
th in batting average (.404) and 26
th in on-base percentage (.512).
Junior infielder
Owen Clyne is batting .343 (61-for-178) in 45 starts at shortstop. He is third in hits (61), walks (29) and stolen bases (16-23) and fourth in RBI (50) and home runs (4), and runs scored (44).
Sophomore infielder
Jake Butler has a .320 average (54-for-169) in 45 starts. He is second on the club in RBI (57), fourth in home runs (4) and stolen bases (15-17) and fifth in hits (54) and runs scored (35).
On the mound, graduate student
Connor O'Hara (6-2, 1.95) leads the team in starts (12), innings pitched (69.1) and strikeouts (70). Junior
Brandon Cassedy (5-1, 3.77) is second in innings pitched (59.2) and strikeouts (56). Graduate student
Sam Lavin (3-0, 5.59) is third in innings pitched (48.1) and strikeouts (39).
Among NCAA leaders, O'Hara is fifth in innings pitched (69.1) and sixth in earned run average (1.95)
Graduate student
Gardner Meeks is second on the club in appearances (18) and is tied for the lead in saves with graduate student
Daniel Elliott (3).
George Mason has 16 returners and added 21 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under
Shawn Camp, who enters his third year as the head coach of the Patriots.
The George Mason baseball team was picked to finish ninth (58 points) in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. The preseason poll was conducted by the league's 13 head coaches.
The Patriots have a team batting average of .336 and a team ERA of 4.83 through 45 games.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday
George Mason: RHP Sam Lavin (3-0, 5.59)
Saint Joseph's: RHP Frank Ciccone (4-4, 4.47)
Saturday
George Mason: RHP Connor O'Hara (6-2, 1.95)
Saint Joseph's: LHP Nathan Stein (1-2, 5.55)
Sunday
George Mason: RHP Brandon Cassedy (5-1, 3.77)
Saint Joseph's: LHP Colton Book (6-1, 2.94)
SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
Saint Joseph's has an overall record of 21-20 this season including a mark of 14-7 against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents. The Hawks are 13-8 at home, 7-10 on the road and 1-2 in neutral locations.
In the 15 games the Hawks played in the month of April, they won 11 and won all four A-10 series which included three game sweeps against St. Bonaventure (April 4-6) and Fordham (April 12-13). Saint Joseph's won two of three against Davidson (April 17-19) and Dayton (April 25-27).
Last time out, Saint Joseph's defeated Villanova, 17-8, on Tuesday at Smithson Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
In their last A-10 series, In the Dayton series, the Hawks lost the first game 29-1 but won the final two games by one run by the scores of 6-5 and 4-3.
Junior infielder Owen Petrich is batting .304 (49-for-161) in 41 starts. He leads the club in home runs (11), runs scored (37) and RBI (46) and is second in hits (49), walks (26) and stolen bases (10-13).
Freshman outfielder Alex Kelsey is hitting .329 (51-for-155) in 40 starts. He leads the team in hits (51), triples (3) and walks (28), is second in runs scored (34) and doubles (12) and third in stolen bases (10-13).
Junior outfielder Joey Pagano has a .315 batting average (39-for-124) in 35 games and 34 starts. He is second on the team in triples (1), second in home runs (7) and third in hits (39) .
On the mound, redshirt junior Colton Book (6-1, 2.94, 11 starts) leads the team in innings pitched (70.1) and strikeouts (105). Junior Frank Ciccone (4-4, 4.47, 11 starts) is second in innings pitched (58.1) and strikeouts (59). Graduate student Nathan Stein (1-2, 5.55, 9 starts) is third in innings pitched (48.2) and strikeouts (48).
The Hawks have a team batting average of .266 and a team ERA of 6.23 through 41 games.
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
Mason has 16 returners and added 21 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under
Shawn Camp, who enters his third year as the head coach of the Patriots. He is assisted by
Tyler Nelin,
Tommy Winterstein,
Evan Duhon and
Kyle Darmstead.
Pitcher
Britt Yount is the lone senior on the club. The junior class includes pitchers
Owen Stewart (RHP),
Connor Knox (RHP) and
Logan Rumberg (RHP), infielder
Evan Blanchard and outfielder
James Quinn-Irons.
Sophomores returning for their second year with the Green and Gold are pitchers
Ty Uchman (LHP), Brandt Ertel (RHP),
Ryan Edmonds (RHP),
Dylan McCarthy (RHP),
Cole Egan (LHP) and
Shaun Okeeffe (RHP) along with outfielder
Jake Kozlowski.
The Patriots added 21 new players, with 13 freshman, one junior and four graduate students entering their first year at George Mason.
New pitchers joining the Patriots are graduate students
Ryan Ament (LHP),
Daniel Elliott (RHP),
Louden Hilliard (RHP),
Sam Lavin (RHP),
Gardner Meeks (RHP) and
Connor O'Hara (RHP), junior
Brandon Cassedy (RHP) and freshmen
Michael Bilo (RHP),
Jake Drumm (RHP) and
Michael Madigan (LHP).
New position players include two graduate students, catcher
Nick Barenz and infielder
Jonny Wall. Juniors include infielder
Owen Clyne, outfielders
Lucas Alberti,
Drew Canody and
Laken Tignor, and catcher
Garrett Pancione.
Freshmen position players embarking on their rookie year are infielders
Ty Tomlinson and
Jake Stanley, outfielder
Tripp Capers and catcher
Andrew Raymond.
GEORGE MASON 2025 SCHEDULE
The George Mason baseball team is scheduled to play a 55-game slate that includes 30 contests against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, 28 games at Spuhler Field, 12 games against six opposing teams that earned a NCAA Regional appearance and two games against opponents that advanced to the College World Series last season.
The Patriots began the season with three games at East Carolina (Feb. 14-15) at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C. George Mason won the first game of a doubleheader, 7-3, then dropped the nightcap, 4-3 on Feb. 14. East Carolina won the series with a 4-3 victory in the finale on Feb. 15.
George Mason fell to Georgetown, 15-14, at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va. (Feb. 18). The Patriots took two-of-three against St. Peter's (Feb. 21-23) at Spuhler Field. The Patriots won the opener, 17-2 in seven innings and the series final, 14-4 in seven innings. The Peacocks won the middle game, 10-7.
George Mason continued the homestand with a 12-1 win in seven innings over William & Mary (Feb. 25). The Patriots swept a three-game series against Monmouth (Feb. 28-March 2) by final scores of 9-3, 12-11 and 16-2.
George Mason hosted Holy Cross (March 4) and the Patriots broke the NCAA Division I record for runs in an inning, scoring 23 times in the bottom of the second in a 26-6 win over Holy Cross in seven innings on Tuesday afternoon at Spuhler Field. The previous Division I record for most runs in an inning had stood for nearly 42 years. The record of 21 runs in an inning was set by the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and again by Wichita State in 1984.
The Patriots defeated Georgetown 8-6 (March 7), Longwood 18-0 in seven innings (March 8) and Towson 7-5 (March 9) in the DMV Challenge at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.
The Patriots traveled to take on Duke (March 11-12) in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils won both games by identical final scores of 6-3. Duke played in the NCAA Norman Regional last year and notched wins over Bryant and South Carolina before falling to N.C. State in an elimination game.
George Mason began Atlantic 10 play with a three-game set at Spuhler Field against Dayton (March 14-15). The Patriots dropped the first game, 8-2 and then swept a doubleheader, 8-0 and 11-5. George Mason downed Towson (March 18) with a 5-4 walk-off win.
The Patriots played a season-high eight straight on the road March 21 through April 1.
The stretch began with the first A-10 road series of the season at St. Bonaventure (March 21-23) where George Mason won two-of-three games. The Patriots won the first two games, 21-2 and 14-5 while the Bonnies took the finale, 7-3.
George Mason traveled for a midweek meeting at Maryland (March 25) and fell to the Terrapins, 15-8.
The Patriots lost the first two games at rival George Washington (March 8-30), 4-3 and 87-7, and then won the finale, 11-1 in eight innings.
The longest road stretch of the season concluded with a 6-5 loss at James Madison (April 1) in Harrisonburg, Va.
In April, the Patriots are scheduled to play 17 games, with seven at home and 10 on the road.
George Mason swept a league series against Saint Louis (April 4-6) by final scores of 7-5, 7-2 and 8-6 (10). The Patriots swept the Billikens in a three-game series for the first time in program history.
The Patriots traveled north and won at Towson (April 8) 15-3 in seven innings.
The Patriots hit the road for a weekend series at VCU (April 11-13) and won two-of-three at The Diamond in Richmond, Va. The Patriots won the first game, 4-2 and the finale, 6-5. The Rams took the middle game, 10-6.
George Mason wrapped up the season series against James Madison (April 15) with an 11-10 midweek win.
The Patriots won two-of-three at Massachusetts (April 18-20) in Amherst, Mass. George Mason won the first game, 16-7 and the finale, 12-1 in eight innings. The Minutemen won the middle game of the series, 2-1.
The Patriots traveled to western Maryland and picked up a 16-3 win in a midweek game at Mount St. Mary's (April 22) in Emmittsburg, Md.
The Patriots won two-of-three against Rhode Island in Fairfax (April 25-28) and claimed the top spot in the A-10.
George Mason then wrap up the month with a game at North Carolina (April 29) in Chapel Hill, N.C., where they rallied late to tie the No. 4 Tarheels 4-4 in the seventh but ultimatey lost 13-4. The Tar Heels hosted the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional last year and defeated LSU to advance to the Super Regional. North Carolina then won two games against West Virginia to advance to the College World Series.
In May, the Patriots are scheduled to play 11 games, with five at home and six on the road.
The month begins with a three-game A-10 series against Saint Joseph's (May 2-4). The Patriots will then play five straight on the road with a stop at William & Mary (May 7) in Williamsburg, Va., a three-game conference series at Davidson (May 9-11) and conclude the trip against Virginia (May 13) in Charlottesville, Va.
The Cavaliers hosted and went unbeaten in three games in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional and two games in Super Regional last year to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The Cavaliers fell to North Carolina and Florida State in the College World Series.
The Patriots wrap up the regular season at home with three games against Fordham (May 15-17).
The Patriots will play three home-and-home series during the 2025 season, taking on James Madison, Towson and William & Mary both at home and on the road.
Mason plays 10 league series, five at home and five on the road.
Home series against A-10 foes include three-game weekend sets against Dayton (March 14-16), Saint Louis (April 4-6), Rhode Island (April 25-27), Saint Joseph's (May 2-4) and Fordham (May 15-17). The Patriots will visit St. Bonaventure (March 21-23), George Washington (March 28-30), VCU (April 11-13), Massachusetts (April 18-20) and Davidson (May 9-11).
The 2025 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship will be held May 20-24 at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.
