April 22, 2008

The George Mason baseball team will take the field on Wednesday at 3 p.m. looking to reach the .500 mark as the Patriots (19-20) host the Radford Highlanders (16-22) in a non-conference mid-week clash. The Patriots have won seven of their past 10 games while Radford is 1-13 in its past 14 games and recently suffered through a 12-game losing streak.

The Patriots enter the game with a .305 batting average a 5.39 ERA and a .966 fielding percentage, the second-best mark in school history. During the 10-game stretch during which the Patriots have played their best baseball of the season, Mason has a .334 batting average and a 3.34 ERA. Four players are batting .440 or better over that stretch while two players have made four appearances with an ERA less than 3.00.

In those games, Chris Henderson and Justin Bour are both batting .455 with five RBI, Scott Krieger is hitting .442 with three homers and Ryan Soares is hitting .353 with three homers and 14 RBI. Ryan Brecko has not allowed an earned run in four appearances which include three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts in nine and one-third innings. Shawn Griffith also has made four appearances with a 2.84 ERA.

Kris Mengle (3-2), Mason's probable starter on Wednesday, leads the team with a 3.20 ERA with 10 walks and 26 strikeouts in 45 innings. He's holding the opposition to a .271 batting average and he's given up just 11 extra-base hits.

Radford is hitting .296 as a team led by Alex Gregory who is hitting .403 with 10 homers and 39 RBI and Reggie Keen is hitting .375 with seven steals. The Highlanders have a 5.76 team ERA and they will send J.B. Blixt to the mound. He's 0-0 with a 9.64 ERA in four and two-third innings. Shane Pysh has a 3.57 ERA in 13 relief appearances while closer Josh Hammonds has four saves and a 6.98 ERA.

Two streaks of notes heading into Wednesday's game - Bour has reached base safely in every contest this year and in the past 11 games, Mason has held the opposition to five runs or fewer, lowering the team ERA from 6.13 to 5.39.