March 19, 2009
NORFOLK, VA-- The Monarchs open CAA action at home this weekend, hosting the George Mason Patriots in a three-game series. First pitch Friday is 7 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. The teams will also play on Saturday at 4 p.m. and finish the series on Sunday at 2 p.m.
ODU leads the all-time series 35-33. Last season, the Monarchs won two out of three games in Fairfax.
George Mason is 14-3 this season. The Patriots are off to their best start in school history and have won ten games in a row. Mason swept Lehigh at home last weekend and downed UMass and Marist twice at home in midweek games.
Junior Chris Henderson leads the team with 4 HR, 14 RBI and a .411 batting average. Senior Scott Krieger has also added 7 HR, 21 RBI and is batting .328. Junior Ryan Brecko (2-0, 2.51 ERA) has 4 saves and 12 strikeouts in 14 innings of work so far this season. Pitching for the Patriots on Friday will be RHP Kevin Crum (2-1, 4.30 ERA), LHP Mike Modica (3-1, 4.12 ERA) on Saturday and LHP Dan Gerjets (2-1, 7.23 ERA) on Sunday.
ODU is 5-11 on the season so far. The Monarchs downed Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday 3-1 in a rain shortened series. In midweek action, ODU downed Maryland 10-6 at home on Tuesday and fell to the Terps on the road 8-3 on Wednesday.Freshman RHP Brett Harris (2-1, 3.00 ERA) will throw for ODU on Friday, while redshirt senior Brady Burchill (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will start on Saturday. Sunday's starter will be freshman RHP Ben Tomchick (1-1, 1.71 ERA).
Jake McAloose leads the team with a .397 batting average along with 2 HR and 10 RBI. Donnie Corsner has knocked in 17 RBI with 3 HR and a .353 batting average. Freshman Ben Tomchick (1-1) has a 1.71 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 26-plus innings of work for the Monarchs.