Baseball 2/16/2022 9:00:00 AM

Let the Games Begin! Opening Day Friday

GEORGIA STATE vs. PURDUE FORT WAYNE
Feb. 18-20, GSU Baseball Complex

THE SERIES
Friday, 3 p.m.
Saturday DH, 1 & 4 p.m.
Sunday, 12 p.m.

PROBABLE PITCHERS (2021 Stats)
Friday: LHP Brandon Kaminer (Transfer)
Saturday: RHP Chandler Dawson (3-2, 4.80)
Saturday: RHP Trey Horton (0-2, 4.15)
Sunday: RHP Dylan Matela (0-6, 5.48)

Georgia State (18-37, 12-12 Sun Belt in 2021) opens the 2022 season on Friday, Feb. 18 by hosting Purdue Fort Wayne (11-35, 8-28 Horizon) at 3 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex. The four-game series continues with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a noon game Sunday.

QUOTING HEAD COACH BRAD STROMDAHL
"We go into the 2022 season with high optimism in our third year, and it will be really exciting to get this thing going Friday. Being able to return the majority of our team from last year that played such a tough schedule, there is definitely a quiet optimism surrounding our program.

"We played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country last season. The overall record from a distance doesn't look very good, but inside of us, we know that we can compete at the highest level with the best players and the best teams in the country. I think we are taking what we learned last year into this season."

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State is opening the season at home for the 12th straight year, and the Panthers have won their Opening Day game in seven of the last nine years.

> GSU has played extra innings on Opening Day three straight years and five times in the last eight seasons, winning three of those games.

> The Panthers return seven of eight position starters as well as every pitcher who started a game or earned a victory last season.

> Junior outfielder Josh Smith was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA, which tabbed him to the third team. Smith is the Panthers' top returning hitter after leading the team in average (.324), homers (10), RBI (35) and stolen bases (10) in a breakout 2021 season.

> Smith and pitcher-first baseman Cameron Jones were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team selected by the league head coaches.

> This year's team features five "super seniors" who are playing their fifth season. Infielder Griffin Cheney and pitcher Trey Horton are five-year Panthers who joined the program as freshmen in 2018., while INF DeAngelo Abboud, C Chase Wullenweber and LHP Brandon Kaminer are transfers.

> Cheney, the Panthers' starting shortstop, is one of the nation's most experienced players. He started 121 straight games at second base, shortstop or third base until he was injured on a hit by pitch late last season.

> Third baseman Will Mize is rated the Sun Belt Conference's No. 2 prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft by both Perfect Game and D1 Baseball.

> Third-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.

> Georgia State is 4-0 against Purdue Fort Wayne. Then known as IPFW, the Mastodons came to Atlanta in 2008, and the Panthers swept a four-game series, 12-2, 13-2, 6-4 and 5-4. Head coach Brad Stromdahl was a GSU assistant coach at the time.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#44 Josh Smith: OF; 6' 3"; Freshman; R/R

#8 DeAngelo Abboud: INF; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#34 Chandler Dawson: RHP; 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R

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

#40 Dylan Matela: RHP; 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#14 Will Mize: INF; 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#45 Brandon Kaminer: LHP; 6' 3"; Graduate Student; L/L

#0 Chase Wullenweber: C; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

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

#44 Josh Smith
: 6' 3"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#8 DeAngelo Abboud
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#34 Chandler Dawson
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

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

#40 Dylan Matela
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#14 Will Mize
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#45 Brandon Kaminer
: 6' 3"; Graduate Student; L/L
: LHP

#0 Chase Wullenweber
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R
: C