ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Following its series win over rival Air Force at the 2022 Freedom Classic, the Navy baseball team (4-2) is slated to return to action Wednesday as it travels to take on George Mason (3-4) in a mid-week contest at the Patriots' Spuhler Field.
Wednesday's contest, scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., will be broadcasted on ESPN+, a subscription-based streaming service that requires users to sign up for a monthly or yearly plan prior to tuning into the game. Additionally, free, live statistics of the game will be provided via NavySports.com.
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. GEORGE MASON
In a series that dates back to the 1975 season, the Midshipmen have played to a 21-14 edge over George Mason, that includes winning each of the last five games in the series. The two programs met twice during the 2021 season with Navy earning a 7-3 win in game one, followed by a 3-2 victory in game two.
NAVY PRIMER
Overall Record: 4-2
Home Record: 2-1
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Record: 2-1
Patriot League Record: 0-0
Streak: W2
Head Coach: Paul Kostacopoulos I 17th Season at Navy, 33rd Overall (989-654-7)
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
LAST TIME OUT: Last time out, the Midshipmen earned a series victory, 2-1, over rival Air Force at the 2022 Freedom Classic hosted at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C. Navy dropped the first game of the series to the Falcons, 2-1, prior to earning a sweep of Saturday's doubleheader with a 5-1 win in game one, followed by a 2-1 victory in game two. The Mids' pitching staff was outstanding in the series, combining to allow just four runs over the three games while striking out 18 batters.
LEADING THE CHARGE: Leading the charge for Navy at the plate is
Logan Keller (So., Longwood, Fla.) with a .409 batting average along with driving in two RBI, walking five times and reaching base at a .519 clip.
Christian Policelli (Sr., Walkersville, Md.) ranks second on the team in batting average at .400 while leading the way in hits (10), doubles (2), RBI (8), runs scored (6) and slugging percentage (.680) in addition to being tied for the team lead in triples (1) and home runs (1). Rounding out the top-performing Mids at the plate is shortstop
Eduardo Diaz (So., Miami, Fla.) who is hitting .280 with a double, a triple, five RBI and five runs scored.
FINDING THEIR STRIDE: After allowing 28 earned runs on 34 hits through the first three games of the 2022 season, the Midshipmen pitching staff found their stride over the three-game set against Air Force. Over 22 innings pitched against the Falcons, Navy pitchers allowed just four runs on 12 hits while striking out 18 and walking just nine batters. Leading the Midshipmen effort on the mound through their first six games is the quartet of
Liam Golden (Fr., Springfield, Va.),
Colin Jones (Sr., Collierville, Tenn.),
Nolan Jorgenson (So., Eastvale, Calif.) and
Matthew Shirah (So., Blue Ridge, Ga.).
Shirah has pitched the most innings among the group (9.1) that includes two starts, one being an outing in which he went 4.1 innings against Air Force. In the start against the Falcons, Shirah yielded just one run on four hits while walking one and striking out three. Jorgenson follows closely behind Shirah in innings pitched this season (8.2), having allowed just two runs, one being earned, while striking out three batters.
Jones ranks third among the group in innings pitched (5.2) over which he has allowed three runs while striking out a team-high seven batters. Golden made his first career start against Air Force in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing just one hit and striking out two over three innings. On the season, Golden hasn't allowed a run, in addition to giving up a total of just two hits.
TOP OF THE HEAP: Entering the third week of its 2022 season, Navy remains at the top of the Patriot League offensive rankings. The Midshipmen enter Wednesday's contest first among league teams in triples (4) and tied for first in home runs (4) along with being second in runs scored (38), RBI (33), batting average (.255), slugging percentage (.391) and on-base percentage (.391). On the pitching side, Navy has improved to second in the league in hits allowed (46) along with being third in ERA (5.54), batting average against (.229) and fourth in runs allowed (38).
Among the individual offensive leaders in the Patriot League, Policelli is tied for second among the league leaders in home runs, triples and slugging percentage along with being third in OPS (1.144) and tied for fourth in hits. Keller is fourth in the league in batting average in addition to being fifth in on-base percentage and tied for eighth in hits (9). Among league pitchers, Jorgenson ranks third in ERA along with being tied for second in hits allowed (6) and fifth in batting average against (.188).
NAVY HITTERS vs. GEORGE MASON: The trio of Policelli,
Joe Simourian (Sr., Andover, Mass.) and
Zach Stevens (Sr., Lexington, Mass.) have seen the most action at the plate against the Patriots in their respective careers.
Stevens has made three appearances against George Mason, totaling four hits in 13 at-bats including a double and three runs scored. Simourian has also appeared in three games against the Patriots, posting a 4-for-9 showing with two runs scored, three RBI and five walks. Policelli made his lone appearance against the Patriots in 2019, going 3-for-5 with a run scored, two doubles and three RBI.
NAVY PITCHERS vs. GEORGE MASON: Three pitchers on the current roster,
Dalton Baker (Sr., Sebring, Fla.),
Reece Early (Jr., Reistertown, Md.) and
Trent Topping (Sr., Temecula, Calif.) have appeared against George Mason in their career previously.
Topping earned a win against the Patriots in 2019, pitching 1.2 innings of relief in which he allowed one run on two hits along with striking out a batter. Early appeared out of the bullpen against George Mason last season, going 2.1 innings while allowing two runs on two hits with one strikeout. Baker appeared in the second game of the 2021 series between the two programs, yielding three runs on six hits over two innings pitched.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Midshipmen boast several players among the national leaderboard, highlighted by ranking in the top-15 nationally as a team in triples and triples per game (0.67). Among the individual rankings, Shirah ranks tied for fourth among Division I pitchers in games started while Policelli is 33rd in the toughest to strike out category and tied for 45th in triples along with Diaz, Keller, Stevens and
Zane Raba (So., San Antonio, Texas). Rounding out the Mids' presence in the national rankings is Simourian, who is 49th in walks per game (1.20).
TRIPLE THREAT: The Midshipmen trio of Diaz, Keller and Policelli continued their hot streak to begin the 2022 season against Air Force. The three have combined for 15 hits this season, including a home run, two triples, three doubles and 15 RBI in addition to reaching base at a .447 clip and posting a .496 slugging percentage.
GEORGE MASON PRIMER
Overall Record: 3-4
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 2-4
Neutral Record: 1-0
Atlantic-10 Record: 0-0
Streak: L1
Head Coach: Bill Brown I 41st Season (1,063-1,027-7)
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
LAST TIME OUT: Last time out, George Mason split a doubleheader against Boston College and South Carolina-Upstate at the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic. The Patriots opened the day with a 4-1 victory over BC, in which starting pitcher Jared Lyons recorded a complete-game, 10 strikeout performance while Danny Hosley led the GMU effort at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
In the second game of the day, George Mason was bested by South Carolina-Upstate, 2-1. Hosley, after his contributions at the plate in game one, pitched a complete game and struck out 11 batters in the loss. First baseman South Trimble led the way for the Patriots at the plate in game two, going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
AT THE PLATE: Brett Ahalt leads the way for the George Mason lineup through its first seven games this season, hitting .375 with a double and a run scored while having a .438 slugging percentage and reaching base at a .474 clip. Following behind Ahalt is Trimble with a .321 batting average on a double, three RBI and five runs scored. Rounding out the top-three hitters this season for the Patriots is Connor Dykstra who is hitting .300 with a team-high two home runs along with double, five RBI and six runs scored.
ON THE MOUND: Lyons has seen the most action on the mound for George Mason this season, pitching 13.1 innings to the tune of a 3.38 ERA along with walking four batters and striking out 14. Hosley has totaled 12 innings on the mound this season, having a 3.75 ERA in addition to striking out 15 batters and yielding just a .205 batting average against. Chad Gartland rounds out the top-three pitchers for GMU this season with a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
Following its contest on Wednesday against George Mason, Navy is slated to welcome Central Connecticut State to Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium for a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., followed by a pair of 1 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday.
