#StateNotSouthern on the Diamond

Panthers Host Georgia Southern Thursday, Friday, Saturday on ESPN+

GEORGIA STATE (5-21, 1-2) vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (12-11, 3-3)

THE SERIES at the GSU Baseball Complex
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Friday, 3 p.m.
Saturday, 2 p.m.

COVERAGE: ESPN+

PROBABLE PITCHERS
Thursday: GSU So. RHP Ryan Watson (2-3, 6.15)
Friday: GSU Jr. RHP Trey Horton (0-1, 2.89)
Saturday: GSU Fr. LHP Cameron Jones (0-3, 5.25)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State returns to Sun Belt Conference play to host in-state rival Georgia Southern for a three-game set at the GSU Baseball Complex. The series will be played Thursday through Saturday due to the Easter holiday, and all three games will air on ESPN+.

> Sophomore outfielder Josh Smith is the Panthers' leading hitter at .311, including .437 over his last six games. That includes seven hits in nine at-bats in a two-game stretch vs. ULM and Mercer.

> Also heating up are DH Elian Merejo (.368 over last five games, including homers in back-to-back games vs. KSU); center fielder Kyle Riesselmann (6-game hitting streak; .393 over last eight games); and second baseman Griffin Cheney (5-for-10 over last three games).

> The Panthers are in a stretch of nine straight games against in-state foes: Mercer, Kennesaw State (4), Georgia Southern (Home, April 1-3) and Mercer (Away, April 6).

> Facing the nation's toughest non-conference schedule, the Panthers opened the season with 18 straight games against Power 5 opponents, including 14 nationally-ranked foes.

> Georgia State played its first 14 games against ranked foes, including four victories:
No. 14 West Virginia twice, 7-6 (10) and 20-4 (home)
No. 2 Vanderbilt, 4-2 (away)
No. 10 Georgia Tech, 10-1 (away)

> Georgia State opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 4-3 win at ULM as freshman right fielder Dalton Pearson led the Panthers. GSU trailed 2-1 after five innings, but Pearson's two-run single in the sixth put the Panthers up 4-2. Then in the bottom of the sixth, after ULM pulled within 4-3, he threw out the potential tying run at the plate.

> In the win over ULM, starting pitcher Ryan Watson allowed no earned runs in six innings to earn his 10th career victory, the most of any active GSU pitcher. He struck out seven and walked none.

> Freshman right-hander Mason Patel was named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week after leading GSU to a win at No. 10 Georgia Tech (March 3). He pitched six scoreless inning and allowed just four hits while striking out eight, the most strikeouts for a GSU freshman since 2013. Backing the strong pitching effort in the win at Tech were Will Mize (2-for-4, 2-run HR, 2B, 3 RBI) and Kyle Riesselmann (2-run HR, 3 RBI).

> The Panthers earned a Friday night, 4-2 victory at No. 2 Vanderbilt (Feb. 26), the highest-ranked team GSU has ever beaten. Previously, the highest ranked team GSU had ever defeated was No. 3 Georgia Tech in 2010, 10-1.

> In the win over Vandy, starting pitcher Ryan Watson threw five strong innings (1 run, 4 hits, 7 strikeouts) and Elian Merejo provided key insurance runs with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. Vandy put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Chad Treadway recorded the final two outs for the save.

> Georgia State opened the season with a four-game series split against No. 14 West Virginia. After falling 5-3 in 10 innings on Opening Day, Georgia State swept the Saturday doubleheader with a 7-6 walk-off win on Elian Merejo's two-out single in the 10th, and then a 20-4 victory in the nightcap. GSU then held WVU to just three hits in the series finale, but the Mountaineers managed a 3-2 victory.

> The Panthers' 20-4 win in Game 3 of the WVU series represents the most runs GSU has ever scored against a ranked foe. Georgia State jumped on the Mountaineers with an 11-run first inning and never looked back.

> Georgia State leads the Sun Belt and is tied for 10th in D-1 with 17 double plays turned.

> Second-year head coach Brad Stromdahl took over the Georgia State program in 2020 after seven seasons as the head coach at Georgia Gwinnett, where he started the program from scratch in 2013 and compiled a record of 328-104. He led the Grizzlies to the Avista-NAIA World Series three times, including his last two years (2018-19). Before going to Georgia Gwinnett in November 2011, Stromdahl spent five seasons (2007-11) as an assistant coach at Georgia State.

SERIES VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
> Georgia State and Georgia Southern are meeting for the first time since May 2019. The Panthers won the last meeting with a 15-7 win on May 18, 2019 at the GSU Baseball Complex.

> The two schools began playing as Sun Belt Conference rivals in 2015. During that time, Georgia Southern holds a slight edge in the series at 9-7.

> Georgia Southern leads the overall series 65-24.

> This marks the first time in the Sun Belt era that the series is not being played on the final weekend of the season.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Griffin Cheney: INF; 5' 11"; Junior; R/R

#26 Trey Horton: RHP; 6' 2"; Junior; L/R

#27 Cameron Jones: LHP/OF; 6' 1"; Freshman; R/L

#18 Elian Merejo: C; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#14 Will Mize: INF; 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#3 Kyle Riesselmann: OF; 6' 3"; Freshman; R/L

#44 Josh Smith: OF; 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#20 Chad Treadway: RHP; 6' 1"; Freshman; L/R

#25 Ryan Watson: RHP; 6' 2"; Sophomore; R/R

#2 Mason Patel: RHP; 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#9 Dalton Pearson: OF; 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Griffin Cheney
: 5' 11"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#26 Trey Horton
: 6' 2"; Junior; L/R
: RHP

#27 Cameron Jones
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R/L
: LHP/OF

#18 Elian Merejo
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: C

#14 Will Mize
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#3 Kyle Riesselmann
: 6' 3"; Freshman; R/L
: OF

#44 Josh Smith
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#20 Chad Treadway
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L/R
: RHP

#25 Ryan Watson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#2 Mason Patel
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

#9 Dalton Pearson
: 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R
: OF