Broadside Sports

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Baseball
Not expected to follow last season’s explosion on offense, the George Mason University baseball team has found ways to remain competitive despite being picked to finish sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association in the preseason poll.

The Patriots have belted a total of 30 home runs thus far, well short of their 82 home runs from last season, but the team has been a threat on the base paths, posting a .419 on-base percentage, leading to 336 total runs scored.

Senior Ryan Soares leads the conference with 23 doubles and is among the top three in batting average and RBIs.

Soares is one of the team leaders with six home runs in his solid final season. The team’s pitching leads the conference with a 4.79 ERA. Senior Kevin Crum is the ace of the staff with a 5-1 record and a 3.81 ERA. Redshirt freshman Chris O’Grady has filled in nicely in the rotation, leading the team with a 3.57 ERA. O’Grady, who garnered the CAA Rookie of the Week award recently, has a 3-0 record in his first season.

Softball
The softball team has overcome its shaky 1-5 start to the season with a couple of winning streaks. Mason finished last season with an abysmal 2-19 conference record, but they have surpassed that total with five conference wins in their first 15 games. The Patriots recorded wins against the conference’s top teams, including the defending champion James Madison Dukes and the second-place Georgia State Panthers. Mason picked up two impressive victories against the Towson Tigers.

In the midst of a playoff race, the pitching has been exceptional, starting with the ace, senior Becky Anderson. Already throwing a perfect game and six shutouts, Anderson ranks fifth in the CAA with a 1.56 ERA and has issued the fewest walks among all starting pitchers. The team is fifth in the conference with a 2.94 ERA. The offense has struggled at times, but the team’s use of small ball has helped them win six one-run ball games. Sophomore Katie Rynex has been a key addition, leading the Patriots with eight extra base-hits, seven of which are doubles.

Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team set a new milestone with 21 wins this season. After winning all seven matches in the fall season, the Patriots started the spring season with three losses. The team quickly responded with six wins in the next seven matches to improve to 13-4 by mid-March. Mason won its record-breaking 14th win on March 27 and soon started April with six consecutive wins. The Patriots ended their season in a tough first-round loss to the Drexel Dragons in the CAA Tournament.

Freshman Kiersten Pappas and junior Lindsay Gray were named to the All-CAA Third Team for doubles, while Pappas garnered third team honors in singles play. Pappas won a total of 17 matches, 14 of which came in the No. 1 slot.

Despite posting a 10-11 record at the No. 2 slot, Gray won 6-2 as the No. 1 singles player. Sophomore Brooke Blackwell was nearly unstoppable, winning 19 of 20 matches. Junior Aryn Christman led Mason with 21 wins in singles.

The Pappas/Gray doubles team posted a 12-4 record this season.

Men’s Tennis
The men’s tennis team entered the season with seven newcomers, six of whom were freshmen. Looking to develop from a young team, the Patriots started the season 3-3, but lost six of the next eight games shortly after.

Mason had a strong finish to close out the regular season, posting a 4-3 record in April. As the No. 9 seed in the CAA Tournament, the Patriots dropped 5-0 to the Drexel Dragons in the first round.

The Patriots had major contributions from the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 players. The top three singles players combined for a record of 38-36. Sophomore Jorge Osuna, who had a solid 10-9 record at the No. 2 slot last year, posted a 10-13 record as the top singles player.

Freshman Kevin McMillen also had a strong season, having an even 10-10 season. Primarily as the No. 3 singles player, freshman Patrick Mulquin led the team with 15 wins. He won all four of his matches at the No. 2 slot.

Women’s Lacrosse
The women’s lacrosse team has been unable to consistently win games since its strong 2008 season when the team finished 12-5 and received a national ranking in the Top 25. Last year, the team went through a drop-off, posting a 6-10 record; this year, they continue to spiral downward, winning just three games to go along with 13 losses.

Prior to the regular season finale against the James Madison Dukes, the Patriots wrapped up their home schedule with a tough 10-9 loss to the Old Dominion Monarchs, falling to 2-9 at home.

Despite their lost season, however, several players have emerged and provided a big impact. Junior Madalyn Jamison set the school record with 80 career assists in the Patriots’ final home game. Jamison has been Mason’s top player with 26 goals and 37 assists. She leads the CAA with 2.47 assists and 4.2 points per game. Sophomore Emily Ellisen, who had a tremendous rookie year with 26 goals, increased her scoring with a team-high 30 goals this season. Junior Chelsea Gamble has the team’s third-highest point total with 12 goals and 13 assists.

Men’s Track and Field
The men’s track and field team started its outdoor season with a bang, placing second at the Mason Quadrangular. In that event, the men’s team had five first-place finishes. In the other meet hosted by Mason, the same five team members qualified for the IC4A. Mason had a strong showing in the Raleigh Relays with nine Patriots qualifying for the IC4A. The team recently participated in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

Sophomore Rachaunn Ruffin had two IC4A-qualifying runs in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, posting times of 10.45 seconds and 20.78 seconds, respectively.

Freshman David Verburg also qualified for the IC4A in both events after running the 100-meter dash in 10.76 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 21.65 seconds.

The 4×400-meter relay team of Verburg, sophomore Nick Vaughn, freshman George Empty, and sophomore Ja-Vell Bullard finished in a time of 3:09.40 in the Florida Relays last month. Junior Dwight Webley had the best score in the long jump event with a mark of 7.35 meters in the Mason Spring Invitational.

Men’s Volleyball
The men’s volleyball team started the season 3-2, but after hitting a four-game skid, the Patriots were unable to get back on the winning track, losing 10 of the next 11 matches. Prior to the quarterfinal win against the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, the Patriots started coming together, picking up wins against the Saint Francis Red Flash and the Juniata Eagles. Mason battled closely with Penn State in their final regular season match before falling 3-1 on Senior Night.

Sophomore Lance Rogers garnered First Team All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honors for his strong play this season. Rogers averaged 1.31 blocks per set, ranking 16th in the nation. He also tallied 152 total kills this season. Sophomore Andrew Dentler led the Patriots with 306 kills, an average of 4.43 per set.

In his first year as the team’s outside hitter, junior Eric Lucas recorded 2.04 kills per set and was among the team leaders with 14 service aces. Freshman Michael Kvidahl was part of the team’s strong recruiting class this year. Kvidahl was second on the team with 205 kills.

Women’s Track and Field
The women’s track and field team ranked fifth in their outdoor season opener at the Mason Quadrangular. Capturing three first-place finishes, the women’s team had three ECAC qualifiers.

Freshman Mandissa Marshall recorded a score of 3.8 meters in the pole vault event, and seniors Marie Fields and Tiara Swindell crossed the finish line first and second in the 200-meter dash to also record an ECAC-qualifying time.

In the Raleigh Relays, Swindell came in second with a time of 54.85 seconds in the 400-meter dash.The 4×400-meter relay had one of the best showings for Mason, placing fifth among 35 schools. The 1,600-meter sprint medley ranked second out of 23 teams.

Marshall cleared the bar with a score of 3.65 meters. Marshall was the only representative from the women’s team to compete in the prestigious Penn Relays. Her score of 3.86 meters was the sixth-highest mark in the pole vault event and her personal best.

By John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

I’ve been hard on some teams this year and I’ve been easy on others. And I’ve let readers know a little too much about my NASCAR obsession.

In the world of George Mason University sports though, we are wrapping up the spring season, the tail end of this year’s sports. So let’s take a look at what happened this year and what to look forward to in the future.

The first thing that comes to mind is the women’s soccer team and the women’s tennis team, who both enjoyed turnaround years. On the women’s soccer side, the team graduated nine seniors and won nine more games than the previous year.

The women’s tennis team improved from last year’s mark of 9-12. While the team seemed to have problems facing Drexel in the conference championship, it will be looking to beat them next year, especially if they meet in the tournament again.

I’ve been singing the praises of the track and field team. The women’s team finished second in the conference championship, and the men’s team won the championship. How can a team possibly improve on that? By winning it again, and continuing its dominance in the conference.

In the world of wrestling, Mendbagana Tovuujav (it took me a long time to get the name right) showed his dominance by being named Second-Team VaSID All-State at 174 pounds. The rest of his team needs to take his lead and back up the sophomore leader to win next year’s matches.

The softball team needs to turn themselves around though. Some of the team’s key players have been highly publicized by Broadside in the Player Spotlight section, and they need to live up to higher expectations.

The baseball team needs to show dominance in its only two remaining conference series, and especially in the championship. The team needs to get the momentum to push it into doing well in the latter part of the year.

The women’s basketball team needs to find some way to score. Even a great defensive team can’t win a game if they fail to put shots up and points on the board.

I know I’ve beat the men’s basketball horse to death, but I really am expecting great things from them, such as making it to at least the third round of the championships, if not winning it.

So look out next year for the conference predictions, and good luck to all teams, athletes and especially you, my incredible readers.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Freshman Megan Blank is not the only country music fanatic on the diamond as she walks up to the plate to her favorite artist Miranda Lambert’s song “Gunpowder & Lead.” Sophomore Katie Rynex, a self-described “country girl” herself, has been another key addition to the George Mason University softball team’s corner infield pair.

Rynex, who entered the weekend with a .247 batting average, leads the Patriots with seven doubles and 22 RBIs.

Primarily as the cleanup hitter, Rynex plays a number of roles on offense, but her main role is to execute the task.

“I’m just worried about getting the job done,” said Rynex. “When I’m leading off, my job is to get on base; if there are runners on, my job is to get a base hit.

In addition to producing runs with the bat, Rynex also helps create runs with her speed. Rynex is one of the team’s top base stealers with five stolen bases out of six attempts.

“I love the fact that [Head Coach Joe Verbanic] has a lot of confidence in me [to steal bases],” said Rynex. “It’s all about using our eyes and knowing what to do.”

Graduating from Herndon High School, Rynex attended Ball State University and missed the bulk of last year due to an ankle injury. After a year, she opted to transfer back to her home state, finding a golden opportunity with Mason, one of the growing teams in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“I mesh better with this team,” said Rynex. “I love the coaches; they’re both doing great work with me and helping me relax.”

Being closer to home, she is able to play in front of her friends and family. Rynex also finds playing at the gorgeous George Mason Softball Complex another benefit in transferring to Mason.

Rynex is an enthusiast for water-related activities, which include fishing, tubing and jet skiing. In the offseason, she stays in shape by running continuously to improve her endurance for the upcoming season.

From the very beginning, Rynex found a way to fit in with her teammates, comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores.

Rynex sees that confidence and trust are vital elements in the team’s ability to compete in the CAA and defeat some of the top teams.

“It just continues with confidence because we all need to have confidence in each other and trust one another,” said Rynex. “As a building block, what we did, coming out and beating Georgia State, we stayed pumped and that’s huge; we need to build off that.”

Rynex continues to improve her individual play. She is second on the team with 16 runs scored and has a .360 slugging percentage. While she has been able to hit the ball into the gap for doubles, Rynex was able to put the ball over the fence for the first time in her career two weeks ago.

In a stunning upset over the Georgia State Panthers, Rynex scored the game’s only run. For Rynex, her most memorable moment thus far has been rounding the bases after hitting her first collegiate home run.

“Even coming in, one of the guys said that I looked like a little kid on Christmas — I had a huge smile on my face,” said Rynex. “I knew I hit the ball well because it came off the bat well, and I heard everyone screaming; when I got to hear that it was a home run, I’m just running around with a huge smile on my face.”

Across the diamond, Blank has seen substantial playing time as the team’s regular third baseman. In 34 starts in her 35 total appearances, Blank has a .247 batting average and is one of three players with 12 RBIs. Blank has been a useful asset to the team.

However, she was not originally penciled in to play the hot corner. After playing part-time in the outfield, Blank filled in and adapted to her position, but switching from the outfield to the infield posed challenges for her.

“As an outfielder, you have a long throw, but it’s a different mentality [than at third base],” said Blank. “At third base, you have so much more time — you can field the ball and just kind of sit there if you want to and you still have time to get the girl out.”

In addition to making adjustments on the field at the collegiate level, Blank has adapted herself to her own daily life in college.

“Fall semester was very difficult [for me],” said Blank. “I thought I had no time — I wanted to put extra time in practice; I always felt like I had too much homework to do.”

Since the start of the spring semester, Blank learned how to rearrange her priorities, putting homework aside for practice time.

While softball has been a major part of her life, Blank’s journey first began when she was just a toddler.

“My dad always tells the story [of] when I was 2 years old [and] I would carry around a Wiffle ball bat and he would pitch to me,” said Blank.

Blank is one of many in her family to play softball. Her mother and father, uncles and aunts and grandparents all played slow-pitch softball. Blank was the first in her immediate family to play fast-pitch.

After four years at Conestoga High School, the Leola, Pa. native chose to attend Mason for what it offered to the history major. Blank first heard about Mason from her father, who was looking at the school online and found something intriguing on the forum about Mason.

“I was looking at a couple of different schools all along the East Coast, and I chose Mason because of my major and being in the D.C. area was a good place for internships, and I wanted to play softball too,” said Blank.

Blank’s hobbies include hanging out with friends and playing tennis.

“I’m a social butterfly,” said Blank. “I love hanging out and playing Rock Band. We go off campus sometimes, like the other night we went to watch my friend’s sister’s lacrosse game.”

While her energy is a major part of her play at third base, Blank believes that her mentality to play the position is her greatest strength.

“The mental wall that you have to build for yourself and just attack the batter; you have to want the ball,” said Blank.

“As soon as you fear the batter, that’s when you’re going to miss the ball and that’s when you’re going to mess up and make mistakes, especially at a corner position when the ball gets on you really fast.”

Blank’s exceptional defensive play has been shown by her .925 fielding percentage. Blank credits her head coach for her success on defense. Ever since she set foot on Mason, Verbanic emphasized the fielding technique of funneling the ball to her body.

In addition to continuously improving her defense, Blank hopes to progress on offense and provide more to the scoring.

“For next year specifically, I want to swing a little bigger bat,” said Blank. “I really want to improve on my offense. It’s something I think about every day — it’s how you score, it’s how you win.”

The Patriots have made great strides this season, but while the improvements have led to greater confidence, Blank looks to continue this growth for the team in the near future.

“For 2011, I think we just need to keep setting the standard,” said Blank. “This year, we set a standard, and as far as building off that, I think that we just need to take it a step higher and not just say that we want to compete with these teams, we want to beat them.”

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Mason trounces the Terrapins
The George Mason University baseball team walked over the Maryland Terrapins in College Park, Md. in their 20-6 dominating win on Tuesday.

Mason improved to 27-12 overall while the Terrapins fell to 15-29. The four-hour marathon has been the longest game for Mason thus far, but the team did not leave without winning its fourth consecutive game and 10 of its last 11.

Senior shortstop Ryan Soares went deep twice, knocking in a total of six RBIs in the game. Soares started the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning and smashed another home run in the Patriots’ seven-run inning.

The Patriots totaled 19 hits and eight walks to produce 20 runs. Mason reached the 20-run plateau for the fourth time this season.

Leading 7-1 after five innings, Mason started to pull away in the next two frames with four runs in the sixth inning and seven runs in the seventh inning.

In the sixth, redshirt junior first baseman Dan Palumbo, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, doubled in two runs.

Sophomore right fielder Dan Schafferman followed with a two-run single.

In the seventh, the Patriots got the first two runners on base, and with one out, Soares came through with a home run to right-center field.

Schafferman walked to force in a run, and junior designated hitter Shane Davis scored on a wild pitch.

After freshman second baseman Christopher Cook tallied an RBI with a walk, Palumbo scored Mason’s seventh run with another wild pitch from Terrapins sophomore pitcher Kyle Blackwell.

While the Terrapins answered with two runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning, the Patriots responded with a run in the eighth inning and another in the ninth inning to extend their lead back to 14.

Senior starting pitcher Kris Mengle, who improved to 3-1 on the season, took the hill for Mason, lasting two hitless innings, but walking three batters, which led to a run for Maryland.

Senior southpaw Darren McLean went two innings, giving up three hits without allowing a run. Redshirt sophomore Branden Bartlett was perfect in the final two innings, striking out two batters.

No. 7 Dukes dominate Mason
The women’s lacrosse team fell behind early in the game and was unable to recover as the No. 7 James Madison Dukes manhandled the Patriots in Harrisonburg on Thursday in their 17-5 win.

Mason wrapped up its 2010 schedule with a 3-14 overall record and a 0-7 record in conference play while the Dukes improved to 14-2 overall and concluded a perfect conference regular season at 7-0. The loss marks Mason’s 10th consecutive loss.

The Dukes were able to avenge last year’s 8-7 loss to Mason by scoring 17 goals on Thursday. Sophomore attacker Ariel Lane had a quick hat trick to start the game, scoring the first three goals within the first four minutes of the game.

The second goal marked Lane’s 30th goal of the season. Lane would end up scoring a total of five goals in the game to increase her season total to 33.

Junior midfielder Chelsea Gamble put Mason on the board a minute later with her 13th goal of the season. After a JMU goal, Mason cut the Dukes’ lead to one at 4-3 as senior attacker Cristina Maurizi scored back-to-back goals.

However, the Dukes went on a seven-goal rampage to end the half with an 11-3 lead. The team’s scoring spree did not end as the Dukes scored four straight goals to start the second half to take a commanding 15-3 lead.

Maurizi scored her hat trick goal at the 12:21 mark, but the insurmountable lead was too much for Mason. Sophomore midfielder Emily Ellisen scored an unassisted goal, recording Mason’s fifth goal of the game.

Aside from Maurizi’s three goals and Gamble’s two assists, no other Patriot recorded double-digit points.

The Dukes, on the other hand, received substantial contributions from a number of players. Lane totaled five goals and an assist, while sophomore attacker and midfielder Monica Zabel, who led all players with eight points, had two goals and six assists.

Sophomore midfielder Caitlin McHugh and junior attacker Mary Kate Lomady each recorded a hat trick in the game.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor; Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

From 2001 through 2005, the American League Cy Young award was all about getting wins as five different 20-win pitchers took home the hardware. But this is not necessarily the case when searching for the top pitcher in baseball.

Last year, San Francisco Giants ace pitcher Tim Lincecum picked up 15 wins, recording a lower win total than Scott Feldman of the Texas Rangers, as well as Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders of the Los Angeles Angels; Lincecum was by and large a much better pitcher than any of them or any pitcher in the National League.

Beating the St. Louis Cardinals’ duo for the NL Cy Young, Lincecum established himself as the NL’s top pitcher for the second straight year.

The competition is much stiffer this year with Roy Halladay filling in for the Philadelphia Phillies, Dan Haren continuing his solid pitching with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies’ flamethrower Ubaldo Jimenez, who already tossed a no-hitter in the first month of the season, working his way into the mix of NL elites.

In the past three years, Lincecum was valued at 17.2 WAR, the highest in all of the major leagues, with Halladay coming in second at 16.4 WAR. Lincecum also had the lowest FIP at 2.69 in that span. Ever since his rookie year, he has gradually decreased his walk total and increased his strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB); so far this year, he has a 6.14 K/BB, walking just 1.78 batters per nine innings.

It will not be easy for Lincecum to win his third consecutive Cy Young with Halladay there as a roadblock, but dominating on the mound against the hot-hitting Phillies and in front of his counterpart last week, Lincecum is the most feared pitcher in the league.

It is hard to argue that one pitcher is better than the other in the argument of whether Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum is the superior pitcher in the National League.

So far, their stats are equally stellar. It seems that Roy Halladay has been the best pitcher so far, but by only a hair.

If you look at the numbers for Halladay (4-1, 1.80 ERA, 33 strikeouts) and Lincecum (4-0, 1.27 ERA, 43 strikeouts), they are close.

What makes Halladay the better pitcher is that he is the lone ace on his team, while Lincecum is just the leader of a talented group that includes Matt Cain and former Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Halladay does not have the luxury of a dominant bullpen, while Lincecum does.

Halladay is essentially expected to go out and pitch seven-plus innings every game because the bullpen for the Phillies is that unreliable.

Although Halladay may be on the most talented offensive team in the league, he also has no one to really back him up with Cole Hamels and the ageless wonder Jamie Moyer not being too reliable as of yet.

Facing greater pressure to start the season, the Phillies have been riddled with injuries to two of their starters, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ, which just adds more pressure for Halladay.

More is asked of Halladay every game than any pitcher in baseball because of those behind him in the bullpen.

In all but one game so far this season, Halladay has been essentially unhittable and dominant every time.

Halladay has been consistent throughout his entire career, and now that he is finally a contender, he will be even better than he was in the past, pushing him ahead of Lincecum.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Sophomore second baseman Tori Dudley did not fear falling behind two strikes early in the count. Instead, she found an opportunity to put some good wood on the ball, hitting her first home run as the George Mason University softball team topped the George Washington Colonials 9-0 to sweep the season series on Wednesday at the George Mason Softball Complex.

The Patriots moved to 17-22 on the season while the Colonials dropped to 5-36 overall, losing their 11th straight game. Mason had a sluggish 1-5 start, but after going through ups and downs, the team concluded its non-conference schedule with an even 12-12 record. Mason wrapped up with a 14-16 home record.

“We knew going into this [season] that we were a young ball club, and there were going to be some growing pains early,” said Head Coach Joe Verbanic. “What I really love is the way that they have learned and embraced working hard and learning the game; they’re really starting to put it together.”

After starting slowly, the Patriots tallied their first hit in the third inning as Dudley sent a 1-2 pitch to straightaway center field and over the 225-feet sign, scoring junior right fielder Kara Weiner for a two-run home run. Dudley, who registered three home runs last season, recorded her first of the season in the team’s final home game.

“I’m actually more comfortable being deeper in the count than early in the count, so it was a way to make myself shorten up,” said Dudley. “When you swing well and you don’t get the hits you want, you shorten up; results happen when you want them to.”

In the recent weeks, Dudley has raised her batting average, finding ways for hits to drop in. She has been a vital part to Verbanic’s offense and the team’s success.

Along with the game-changing hit, Dudley also flashed the leather in the field in the fifth inning. Ranging to her right, Dudley made a solid snag on a line drive from Colonials sophomore right fielder Lauren Wilson to end the inning.

The Patriots had been relatively quiet for the first five innings, managing just three hits. But the bats suddenly erupted in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Patriots compiled a seven-run inning to pick up the team’s second straight win.

Junior pinch runner Stephanie Strother led off the inning with a stand-up double on the ninth pitch of the at-bat and moved over to third base on a single from freshman third baseman Megan Blank, who provided a multi-hit game for the Patriots, going 2-for-3 on the day. Threatening with runners in scoring position, sophomore pinch hitter India Adams walked to load the bases.

Colonials freshman starting pitcher Elaine Nescio, who gave up six runs on six hits and struck out five batters while walking four, was relieved by junior pitcher Ali Pardo. The Colonials could not get out of the inning unscathed as Weiner was hit by a pitch to score Strother. Senior left fielder Kate Bustin and freshman pinch hitter Samantha Barney walked back-to-back, prompting Pardo’s early exit.

After sophomore center fielder Alyssa See grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Weiner from third base and extend the lead to 6-0, sophomore shortstop Rachael Davies smashed a bases-clearing double into the gap in right-center field to close the game.

Davies had been quiet offensively in the last month; after going 2-for-10 in the weekend series against the Georgia State Panthers, Davies came out on Wednesday with a strong 2-for-4 line and three RBIs.

“I think she’s starting to now get relaxed a little bit, get her pitches to hit a little bit more, and she’s just as good of a hitter when she does that,” said Verbanic.

Verbanic utilized his three pitchers, each tossing two innings. Sophomore Miranda Cranford, freshman Amanda Buffington and senior Becky Anderson combined for a two-hit shutout and were economical with a total of 85 pitches.

On the flip side, Nescio threw a total of 122 pitches while Pardo gave up three runs in her 14-pitch appearance.

Entering the weekend, the Patriots sat in seventh place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings, two games behind the fourth-place Drexel Dragons and one game behind the Delaware Blue Hens and James Madison Dukes.

Mason took on the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks over the weekend.

Verbanic remains cautious about the team’s approach in Mason’s remaining games.

“You can’t take anyone for granted,” said Verbanic. “Softball at this level is very good and very competitive. The minute you start taking someone for granted, this game will humble you and they will humble you.”

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Overview:
The George Mason University softball team hosts their final home game of the season on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against the George Washington Colonials at the George Mason Softball Complex. Entering the weekend series against the Georgia State Panthers, the Patriots had a 15-20 record. The Colonials, on the other hand, were at 5-31 overall, losing six straight and 20 of their past 21 games.

Mason:
The Patriots came into the season with a new outlook despite being picked to finish last in the Colonial Athletic Association. Finishing with a dismal 2-19 conference record last season, the team has exceeded that win total with a 4-8 record in the CAA this year, which included wins against the Towson Tigers and defending champions James Madison Dukes.

The team has a chance to wrap up their non-conference schedule at .500 on Wednesday against the Colonials. Leading the offense is sophomore shortstop Rachael Davies. Despite the recent drop-off, she remains an essential piece to the lineup. Searching for answers on offense, sophomore second baseman Tori Dudley and sophomore center fielder Alyssa See have come on as of late to raise their batting averages.

See, who was batting below the Mendoza Line earlier, raised her batting average to .243 entering the weekend series. She leads the team with 19 walks and a .423 on-base percentage. Dudley has also been on a tear with the bat. In the 11-3 loss to the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers on Wednesday, Dudley stole all three bases in the first inning alone and later added her sixth double of the season.

George Washington:
The Colonials kept close with the Georgetown Hoyas, a team that shut out the Patriots in their two meetings this year, in their 2-0 loss on Wednesday. Freshman pitcher Elaine Nescio tossed one of her better games in her rookie year, allowing just four hits and two runs in seven innings. Nescio still looks to win her first career collegiate game as she currently holds an 0-9 record.

The anemic offense is batting just .184 and has been outscored 229-44 this season. Regardless, the Colonials have hit more home runs than the Patriots, holding an 8-6 advantage in that department. Sophomore catcher/outfielder Lauren Wilson, the Arlington native, leads the Colonials with a .253 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, and six RBIs. She is one of three Colonials with two home runs.

The Colonials and Patriots met a couple weeks ago in Washington, D.C. with Mason coming out on top 6-3. The Patriots were able to hold on after scoring four runs in the first inning. The Colonials battled back in the latter innings, but fell short to lose their 26th game at the time. Nescio lasted just two innings after giving up five runs on three hits, but the team’s five errors cost her four unearned runs.

Sophomore Heidi Penna had an effective appearance out of the bullpen, going five innings and allowing just two hits and one run while striking out six batters.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

When it comes to discussing about the top pitchers in the American League Central, Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander make headlines for their phenomenal season last year.

Mark Buerhle’s perfect game also receives a lot of attention. But, the one guy under the radar in the past two seasons is the 25-year-old arm John Danks of the Chicago White Sox.

Danks is off to a great start in the 2010 season, ranking in the top five in the American League in a number of pitching categories. Danks is tied for second with a 1.29 ERA, fourth with a 0.86 WHIP, and has the third lowest opponent’s batting average at .162.

Danks has two quality outings, in which he threw deep into the game against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. In each of the two games, he gave up just two hits and one run. Danks lasted eight innings against a solid-hitting Rays’ offense in the 4-1 win.

Danks is an early-season candidate for the Cy Young award, but while he has a long way to go to continue the strong start, the 25-year-old has been underappreciated in a pitch-heavy division.

Greinke was last year’s AL Cy Young winner with the lowest ERA in the majors while Verlander was one of the top candidates, leading the majors in strikeouts. While his teammate stole the spotlight with the perfect game, Danks sat in the dark, only to lead the White Sox with a 3.77 ERA.

But, it is the last two years that have made him a valuable asset, especially with his exceptional cutter. The cutter, which was added to his repertoire two years ago, has been useful to Danks in pitching away from left-handed hitters and in the hands of the righties.

In 2008, he was valued at 5.2 WAR, and last year, his WAR dropped to 2.9. Last season, he utilized the cutter nearly a fourth of the time.

Danks, however, has had trouble keeping on the ground, and the situation is not helped with a homer-friendly park in Chicago. Danks had a homerun-to-flyball ratio of 13.8 percent in 2007 and 11.5 percent in 2009. Last year, he yielded 28 homeruns. Since 2007, he has gradually induced groundballs.

Danks is still considerably young, and while Greinke and Verlander are not necessarily lights out this year, Danks is on the verge to provide the AL Central with another arm.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

The George Mason University baseball team was deadlocked at 7-7 with the Delaware Blue Hens with the bases juiced and no one out.

Sophomore right fielder Dan Schafferman stroked a single to left-center field to give Mason the 8-7 win on Friday.

Mason improved to 24-12 overall and 8-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association to preserve its position in the standings. The Blue Hens fell to 20-16 overall and 3-7 in the conference.

In a back-and-forth battle, the Patriots overcame deficits of 3-1 and 6-2 to tie the game at 6-6 in the sixth inning. But, in the seventh inning, the Blue Hens regained the lead up until the bottom of the ninth inning.

Senior first baseman Ryan Cuneo came to the plate with one out and launched his ninth homerun of the season to give the Blue Hens a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Delaware later added a run in the inning to take the two-run lead.

After Mason cut the lead in half in the fourth inning, the Blue Hens struck again in the fifth inning as junior designated hitter Steve Ulaky sent a two-run homerun to extend the Blue Hens’ lead.

While Delaware had its biggest lead at 6-2 through four-and-a-half innings, the Patriots refused to quit as they scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Redshirt junior first baseman Dan Palumbo recorded a two-run single to bring the Patriots within two runs.

In the sixth inning, Mason knotted the game up at 6 as sophomore left fielder Brig Tison doubled in two runs.

But, the two teams continued to respond to the rallies. The Blue Hens broke the tie when Ulaky hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring junior left fielder Pat Dameron from third base.

The Patriots, who had their six-game winning streak ended on Wednesday in a 10-3 loss to the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va., came to the plate in the ninth inning, determined to avoid back-to-back losses.

Senior shortstop Ryan Soared led off the inning with a double and scored on the ensuing play as senior third baseman Mark Hill had the green light on a 3-1 pitch and sent it down the right field line.

Junior designated hitter Shane Davis was intentionally walked, and Palumbo was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Schafferman, who was hitting in the low .200s earlier this year, wasted little time and hit the walk-off single to give Mason the win in the series opener.

The Patriots racked up 12 hits in the game with Tison and Schafferman posting two hits and two RBIs apiece. Soares went 2-for-3 with two runs and two doubles.

Senior starting pitcher Kevin Crum scattered nine hits and six runs in his no-decision, but the team’s two errors led to four unearned runs.
Sophomore pitcher AJ Johnson threw a scoreless ninth inning and earned the win, improving to 2-0 on the season.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Freshmen Nicole Corcoran and Amanda Buffington experienced the early-season jitters, but as the season progressed, both pitchers found a way to settle in and fit in with the other members of the George Mason University softball team.

While the ace of the staff is having the best season of her collegiate career, the team also looks to develop through its two freshmen pitchers. Mason is represented by a solid pitching staff.

Entering Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, Mason compiled a 2.84 team overall ERA, fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association. Mason ranks third in the conference with a 1.25 WHIP and has allowed the fewest walks, issuing just 1.61 free passes per seven innings.

The team has recently gone through a stretch, winning six of the past nine games and gaining confidence as they approach the latter part of the season.

“We’ve worked together very well,” said Buffington. “Everyone talks to each other, and everyone’s constantly picking you up.”

Buffington, the Virginia Beach native, provides a unique resume, being a solid pitcher and hitter in her four years at Landstown High School.

As the team captain in her senior year, she led the Beach District with 163 strikeouts and batted .396 with 15 extra-base hits, including five homeruns. In her junior year, she had an astounding .620 batting average with 18 RBIs.

While she has excelled on both sides of the field, Buffington strongly prefers pitching to hitting.

“I’m more confident in pitching, and I like having control,” said Buffington.

When not playing softball, Buffington enjoys surfing and traveling. Her next destination is Australia.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, and I want to do a lot of wildlife conversation stuff,” said Buffington.

Buffington, an undeclared major, chose Mason over several of the local schools, including Liberty University, Furman University, and Christopher Newport University.

Buffington has already made four starts and appeared in 14 total games. In that span, she has a 2-2 record with a 3.88 ERA in her 48-2/3 innings of work.

When she first arrived at Mason, Buffington lacked confidence in her transition from a high school standout pitcher to a first-year collegiate athlete.

In her debut against the Mountaineers, Buffington gave up a run on two hits and was charged with the loss as the Patriots lost in extra innings.

However, two games later, Buffington started her first career game and earned the win, tossing a complete game while striking out seven batters against the Hampton Pirates.

Her breakout game came against the James Madison Dukes last month, she threw her second complete game and held off the CAA defending champion in the win.

Despite suffering through the 12-0 trouncing to the Georgetown Hoyas, Buffington believes that her confidence level has gone up as she continues to make appearances out of the bullpen.

“[It’s important to gain] confidence definitely because I didn’t have very high confidence when I first came here and [to learn] more from the older girls like Becky [Anderson], who has taught me so much about the way you have to present on the mound,” said Buffington.

Corcoran joined the softball team as a walk-on after competing in soccer and basketball, in addition to playing softball under Head Coach Dave Conaway, at Radnor High School in Wayne, Pa.

“I loved being a three-sport athlete,” said Corcoran. “I always had something to do every season; I was never just sitting around. It just made my high school experience more enjoyable.”

Corcoran earned All-Central League honorable mention; in her senior year, she contributed to the Raiders’ 9-9 season and recorded the final putout in the outfield to win the district tournament for the first time in the school’s history in nearly three decades.

Corcoran admits that softball was not always the main sport she focused on, especially when she was heavily involved in the school’s athletic program.

“I really didn’t focus on softball until my senior year,” said Corcoran. “Injuries made me quit other sports.”

On top of the 12 years she has had at the club level in softball, Corcoran also participated in lacrosse for two years.

Corcoran comes from a town in which not many of its residents have heard of Mason. As one of the 10 freshmen on the 2010 roster, Corcoran felt that two driving factors led her to choose Mason.

“They had a good nursing program and a good softball program,” said Corcoran. “I really wanted to play sports in college, and the nursing program was ranked pretty high when I looked into it.”

In her free time, Corcoran enjoys watching medical television shows, including House, M.D. and Trauma: Life in the E.R.

Corcoran has seen limited action on the mound so far, making one start out of her four appearances. In her five innings of service, she has allowed eight runs on 10 hits.

Like Buffington, Corcoran had to overcome the pressure of making a good first impression in front of her new teammates.

“I was completely scared and very nervous,” said Corcoran. “All the girls were very intimidating at first, but after the first day, everyone was completely best friends.”

Corcoran had a solid start in her collegiate debut as she tossed 1-1/3 perfect innings against the Cornell Big Red.

“It was nerve-racking, but everyone talks in the field,” said Corcoran. “They really give you the sense to be comfortable, and you always know that they’re behind you.”

10 days later, she made her first start, lasting two innings as the Howard Bison racked up seven runs against Corcoran.

While the two pitchers have gone through the ups and downs of their freshman season, both Corcoran and Buffington feel that the growth of their confidence serves as a benchmark for their development as key pieces to the team’s future.

“Since we’re such a young team, I think it’s great because we keep growing every year, and you can tell by looking at the stats from last year and this year, we’ve improved drastically,” said Corcoran. “We’re going to hopefully, either this year or next year, make it to the [tournament]; we’re really starting to improve, and everyone’s skills are coming out more.”