Ranked Opponents Continue with Midweek Test at No. 2 Florida

14th Straight Game Against Ranked Foe

GEORGIA STATE (4-9) at No. 2 FLORIDA (9-3)
Tuesday, March 9 | 6 p.m. | Gainesville, Fla. (Florida Ballpark)

TV: SECN+
AUDIO: GeorgiaStateSports.com

PROBABLE PITCHERS: GT So. LHP Seth Clark (0-0, 10.80) vs. UF RHP Garrett Milchin (0-0, 3.60)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State faces its 14th straight ranked opponent with a midweek trip to No. 2 Florida, Tuesday at 6 p.m. on SECN+.

> Georgia State's first 13 games against ranked foes have included 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)

> Freshman right-hander Mason Patel was outstanding in leading GSU to a win at No. 10 Georgia Tech. 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.

> 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 ranked teams.

> 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 16 double plays turned.

> Shortstop Will Mize leads the Sun Belt Conference with 19 hits and is second with a .422 average. 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 10-1 win at No. 10 Georgia Tech, and then had five hits in Tennessee series.

> 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 is now in the middle off 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. FLORIDA:
> Georgia State is facing Florida for the first time since 1996, when the Gators swept a three-game series on the opening weekend. Florida also won a pair of games in 1994 for a 5-0 lead in the series, all played in Gainesville.

> GSU is in the middle of a 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 its 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.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Seth Clark: LHP; 6' 3"; Sophomore; L/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

#4 Seth Clark
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; L/L
: LHP

#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