BASEBALL vs. Maryland
WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 (3 p.m.)
WHERE: Spuhler Field | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (8-14, 0-0 A-10); Maryland (18-5, 0-0 Big Ten)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads, 27-26.
LAST MEETING: The Terrapins defeated the Patriots, 13-3, on Feb. 25, 2020 in College Park, Md.
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team wraps up the month with a midweek, non-conference game against Maryland on Wednesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field.
Last time out, the Patriots (8-14) scored five unanswered runs to win the final game of the series, 6-4, over The Citadel on Sunday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. It marked Mason's first win over The Citadel in program history.
Graduate student Danny Hosley began the game at third base before taking over on the mound in the fifth inning. He allowed just two hits and tossed five scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season.
Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra went 3-for-5, drove in a run and scored three runs. Junior second baseman Brett Stallings was 1-for-4 and drove in two runs for the third straight game.
Graduate student left fielder Kamron Smith knocked in a pair of runs, while sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith and senior Scott Morgan each finished with two hits in the game.
The Patriots are 4-6 at home, 3-8 on the road and 1-0 in games played at a neutral site this season.
In the last meeting between Mason and Maryland, the Terrapins scored 10 unanswered runs in a 13-3 win on Feb. 25, 2020 at Bob "Turtle" Smith Field in College Park. Scott Morgan homered and drove in a pair of runs in the game.
The Patriots and Terrapins have met 10 times over the last 10 years, with each team posting five victories. Mason has won two straight at home against Maryland, with a 9-5 victory on Apr. 17, 2019 and an 8-5 triumph on Apr. 12, 2017.
Freshman INF/OF Brett Ahalt is batting .360 (18-for-50) with two doubles, one home run, nine RBI and six runs scored in 17 games played with 15 starts. He is fourth on the team in hits (18) and fifth in RBI (9).
Junior INF/OF South Trimble has a .354 average (23-for-65) with three doubles, eight RBI and 14 runs scored in 17 starts. He leads the team in stolen bases (14), and is second on the club in both hits (23) and runs scored (14).
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings is batting .338 (26-for-77) with five doubles, 18 RBI and 13 runs scored in 22 starts on the right side of the infield. He leads the team in hits (26) and RBI (18), is second on the club in runs scored (13) and third in stolen bases (9).
Freshman catcher Connor Dykstra is hitting .276 (16-for-58) with four doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI and 18 runs scored in 21 games played with 20 starts. He leads the team in home runs (4) and hit by pitch (12), and is fourth on the club in RBI (11).
Dykstra is tied for 11th in program history for being hit by a pitch in a single season with 12 this year.
The Patriots have a team batting average of .260 through 22 games.
On the mound, senior Jared Lyons (2-3, 4.31) leads the club in innings pitched (39.2) and is second in strikeouts (34) in six starts. Graduate student Danny Hosley (2-3, 2.87) leads the club in strikeouts (37) and is second in innings pitched (31.1) in six appearances with four starts. Sophomore Ryan Peterson (1-0, 4.70) is third on the club in innings pitched (23.0) in six appearances with four starts.
Senior Matthew Henson (1-1, 3.86) leads the team in appearances (13), while classmate Mason Posey (0-1, 7.27) is second in appearances (8) with two starts. Posey leads the team in saves (3).
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
Mason has 10 returners and 25 newcomers on the roster heading into the season under Bill Brown, who enters his 41st year as the head coach of the Patriots.
The Mason senior class includes pitchers Matthew Henson, Jared Lyons, Hugh O'Hara and Mason Posey, along with infielders Daniel Brooks and Scott Morgan.
The junior class includes outfielder Craig Miles, Jr., infielder Brett Stallings, and infielder/outfielder South Trimble. Sophomore outfielder Jordan Smith returns for his second season with the Green and Gold.
The Patriots added 25 new players, with 18 freshman, three sophomores and four graduate students.
Rookie pitchers joining the Patriots are Jackson Baird (RHP), Diego Barrett (RHP), Dylan Crowley (LHP), Konner Eaton (LHP), Chad Gartland, (RHP), Jalen Grant (LHP), Danny Hosley (INF/RHP), Thomas Little (LHP), Christian Mracna (RHP), Andrew Schaeb (LHP), Ben Shields (LHP) and Britt Yount (RHP).
New position players include Brett Ahalt (INF/OF), Tyler Cotten (C/INF), Connor Dykstra (C), Yogie Hartigan (OF), Alex Knapp (UTL), Carsen Pracht (INF) and Logan Scully (C).
The Patriots bring on sophomores Christian Mracna (RHP), Ryan Peterson (LHP), and Stephen Restuccio (RHP).
The Patriots also added four graduate student transfers, Danny Hosley (INF/RHP), Chris Ruckdeschel (RHP), Ben Shields (LHP) and Kamron Smith (OF/INF).
Mason is scheduled to play 56 games, including 24 against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, and four opponents that made a NCAA Regional appearance last season.
The Patriots played seven games on the road in February, and will play 18 games in March, 19 games in April and 12 contests in May.
Mason went 10-13 at home in 2021, including a mark of 7-9 against A-10 opponents.
The Patriots played 11 of their first 13 games in March at Spuhler Field.
The Patriots are scheduled to play 11 games at home and seven on the road in April. In the final month of the regular season, Mason will play eight of 12 games on the road in May.
The Patriots will play four home-and-home series during the 2022 season, taking on James Madison, Longwood, Maryland 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 VCU (April 1-3), Saint Louis (April 15-17), Fordham (April 22-24) and George Washington (May 13-15).
The Patriots will visit Saint Joseph's (April 8-10), Massachusetts (April 29-May 1), Richmond (May 6-8) and Davidson (May 19-21).
SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland has an overall record of 18-5, including a mark of 9-0 at home, 8-4 on the road, and 1-1 in games played at a neutral site.
The Terrapins have won nine of their last 12 games. Maryland hosts Towson on Tuesday, before making the trip to face the Patriots on Wednesday.
Last time out, Maryland dropped two-of-three at Dallas Baptist this past weekend at Horner Ballpark in Dallas, Tx. The Terrapins fell in the first game on Friday, 8-3, won the middle game on Saturday, 11-5, and lost the finale on Sunday, 5-2.
The Terrapins won their first eight games of the season, beginning with a three-game sweep against Baylor (Feb. 18-20) in Waco, Tx. by final scores of 4-0, 9-5 and 8-4.
Maryland also swept three games on the road at Campbell (Feb. 25-26) in Buies Creek, N.C. by final scores of 4-0, 3-1 and 9-2. The Terrapins took all three games against Siena (Mar. 19-20) in College Park by final scores of 14-9, 7-0 and 19-2.
Maryland is 8-4 on the road. Prior to the two losses this past weekend on the road at Dallas Baptist, the Terrapins fell at East Carolina (Mar. 6) and at Delaware (Mar. 15) by identical 6-3 scores.
Sophomore infielder Kevin Keister is batting .386 (17-for-44) with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored. Sophomore outfielder Troy Schreffler is hitting .356 (31-for-87) with six doubles, four home runs, 23 RBI and 23 runs scored.
Junior infielder Nick Lorusso has a .326 average (31-for-95) with seven doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI and 19 runs scored. Sophomore catcher Luke Shliger is batting .323 (31-for-95) with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored.
On the mound, sophomore Jason Savacool (4-2, 2.72) leads the team in strikeouts (49) and innings pitched (43.0). Junior Ryan Ramsey (6-0, 2.11) is second on the club in strikeouts (40) and innings pitched (38.1). Senior Dean Heine (1-1, 3.14) paces the Terrapins in appearances (12).
The Terrapins lead the Big Ten in home runs (37) and have a team batting average of .286 through 23 games, second in the conference behind Rutgers.
On the mound, sophomore Ben Hutchins (4-0, 3.14) leads the team in wins (4) and innings pitched (28.2), and is tied for third in strikeouts (23) in five starts.
Graduate student Devin Beckley (3-1, 1.71) is second on the club in innings pitched (26.1) and strikeouts (8) in six appearances with three starts. Senior Cameron Reeves (2-1, 3.96) leads the team in strikeouts (30) and is third in innings pitched (25.0) in four starts.
Maryland is fourth in the Big Ten with a team ERA of 3.77 through 23 games.
STRIKE ZONE
Mason and Maryland met for the first time on March 11, 1977, with the Patriots earning a 9-8 road win over the Terrapins.
The Patriots and Terrapins have played 53 games in the all-time series, with 17 games decided by a single run
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