Another Big Series at No. 17 Tennessee on SECN+

Panthers Continue String of 14 Straight Games vs. Ranked Opponents

GEORGIA STATE (4-6) at No. 17 TENNESSEE (8-2)
March 5-7 | Lindsey Nelson Stadium | Knoxville, Tenn.

SERIES SCHEDULE (Please note updated game times)
Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, 3 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m.

COVERAGE: SECN+

PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday:                   So. RHP Ryan Watson (1-0, 2.70)
Sat. or Sun.:         Jr. RHP Trey Horton (0-0, 3.68)
Sat. or Sun.:         Fr. LHP Cameron Jones (0-0, 4.76)

LEADING OFF
> Coming off a 10-1 victory at No. 10 Georgia Tech, Georgia State faces another ranked opponent on the road with a trip to No. 17 Tennessee for a three-game set at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

> Georgia State's first 10 games have been 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)

> The trip to Knoxville is a Homecoming for GSU freshman right-hander Mason Patel, a Knoxville native who attended the Webb School. Patel was outstanding in leading GSU to a win at No. 10 Georgia Tech on Wednesday. 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).

> Georgia State is facing Tennessee in baseball for the first time since 2004, but Knoxville was recently the sight of a very memorable moment for Georgia State athletics. The GSU football team scored a big upset at Neyland Stadium with a 38-30 victory on Aug. 31, 2019 in the first Power 5 victory for the football program.

> Georgia State returns to the state of Tennessee for the second straight weekend. Last weekend, the Panthers earned a Friday night, 4-2 victory at No. 2 Vanderbilt, 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.

> Before this season, Georgia State had never played more than three straight games against ranked opponents, but the Panthers are in a stretch of 14 straight games against teams that are currently ranked.

> 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 NATION with 14 double plays turned.

> Shortstop Will Mize is the Panthers' leading hitter at .412, with a Sun Belt Conference-leading 14 hits. The second-year freshman went 8-for-15 with two doubles, a homer and four RBI in the WVU series, including a double and a two-run homer in the 11-run first inning. He homered and drove in three in Wednesday's 10-1 win at No. 10 Georgia Tech.

> Facing likely the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, Georgia State opened the season with five straight home games, all against ranked, Power 5 opponents, and now faces 13 straight road games, all against SEC and ACC foes.

> 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. TENNESSEE:
> Georgia State and Tennessee are meeting for the first time since 2004, when the Volunteers swept a three-game series in Knoxville by scores of 3-1, 1-0 and 3-2.

> The Panthers' lone victory in the series came in 1999, when GSU knocked off the No. 28 Vols 13-8 in the first game of a doubleheader in Atlanta.

> Tennessee leads the series 16-1.

> This series kicks off GSU's stretch of seven straight games against SEC foes, all on the road. The Panthers have a total 13 games against SEC teams scheduled this season.

> Georgia State already has one win this season vs. the SEC with last Friday's 4-2 win at Vanderbilt. Other recent SEC wins for the program include victories at Ole Miss in 2017 and 2014 and wins over Georgia in 2013 and 2014.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#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

#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

Players Mentioned

#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

#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