PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers baseball will make its first trip to George Mason to play a three-game series against the Patriots at Spuhler Field. Due to a poor weather forecast for Friday, there will be a doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m. The two schools are approximately 220 miles away and have only met once previously, which took place on a neutral field in 1996.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights will be working to earn their first victory of the season after dropping three games at No. 4 Miami to open the campaign. RU was the only team in the Big Ten to take on a top-25 opponent in a true road series last weekend.

The starting pitching highlighted Rutgers' performance to begin the year, as the trio of senior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.), redshirt junior Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) and sophomore John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) combined to allow just four earned runs over 16.1 innings for a 2.20 ERA. O'Reilly did not allow an earned run in his 5.1-inning start, while Driscoll permitted one over five frames. Brey struck out seven and walked only one in his six-inning outing. The three will start in the same order once again this weekend (Brey, Driscoll, O'Reilly). Out of the bullpen, five different relievers prevented an earned run against the Hurricanes. Freshman Dante Scafidi (Washington Township, N.J.) had the longest showing of the group with 2.1 innings.

At the plate, the Scarlet Knights will be looking to increase productivity after posting two runs and 12 hits versus a formidable Miami staff. Fifth-year senior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) homered on Opening Day and finished the series with three walks.

The first game action of the season saw eight freshmen make their collegiate debuts: Luke Bowerbank (Bernardsville, N.J.), Serafino Brito (Oakland, N.J.), Jawuan Harris (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Mike Martinez (West New York, N.J.), Nick Matera (Roxbury, N.J.), Kevin Romero (Garfield, N.J.), Scafidi and Carmen Sclafani (Toms River, N.J.).

NOTABLE
The series at George Mason marks the second of six road weekends to start the year … dating back to 2014, Brey has pitched 93.0 consecutive innings without allowing a stolen base, the longest streak of its kind in the nation … he has worked 197.0 career innings, tied for 50th-most among all active NCAA Division I pitchers … the pitching staff allowed just seven earned runs last weekend for a 2.62 team ERA, fourth in the Big Ten … senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) was hit by a pitch twice in two games played at Miami to raise his career total to 28, tied for 38th-most among all active Division I players in the nation … the infield has four double plays, most in the Big Ten … the outfield had an assist in all three games at Miami, with Bowerbank recording two.

SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
A member of the Atlantic 10, the Patriots will also be looking to dot the win column after taking three losses to three different teams in Spartanburg, S.C. The weekend started with a 5-4 defeat to USC Upstate before falling to No. 25 Kentucky, 8-6, and Wofford, 11-6. Kent Blackstone led the team with four RBIs on the weekend and also hit a home run. On the mound, Tyler Zombro is slated to make the Friday start once again. The right-hander surrendered five runs over six innings last time out.

Head coach Bill Brown, who has over 900 career wins, is in his 35th season as the head coach at George Mason and 39th season overall in the program. Click here for more information on the Patriots, who went 23-27-1 (12-12 Atlantic 10) last season.

THE SERIES
The one prior meeting between Rutgers and George Mason happened on March 14, 1996 on the campus of UCF in Orlando. The Patriots won, 5-4. This weekend's series will be contested at Spuhler Field, a facility that opened in 1986. The dimensions are 320 feet down each line, 375 feet to the power alleys and 400 feet to center field.

UP NEXT
Rutgers' home opener at Bainton Field is scheduled for Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Lafayette. The next weekend series will also be in Virginia, as the Scarlet Knights will travel further south to play Old Dominion for the 20th consecutive season.

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