Panthers Host Brown in 4-Game Weekend Series

GEORGIA STATE (1-3) vs. BROWN (0-0)
Feb. 24-26 at the GSU Baseball Complex

THE SERIES
Friday, 3 p.m.
Saturday DH, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Noon

PROBABLE PITCHERS
Game 1: RHP Ryan Watson (0-0, 1.80)
Game 2: RHP Camren Landry (0-0, 2.45)
Game 3: RHP Joseph Brandon (0-0, 4.50)
Game 4: RHP Mason Patel (0-0, 3.86)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State picked up where it left last season by hitting eight home runs on the opening weekend. Last season, behind a school-record 22 home runs from Max Ryerson, the Panthers hit 75 homers, the third-highest season total in program history and the most with the current bats.

> Sophomore outfielder JoJo Jackson is tied for the Sun Belt lead with three homers, along with a team-leading five RBI.

> Ryerson hit two homers against Cincinnati to give him 33 for his career (including one season at Charleston Southern). He its tied for 11th among active Division I players in career homers.

> Max Ryerson was named to Collegiate Baseball's Preseason All-America third team as well as the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference first team. The super senior outfielder was honored as Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt in 2022, when he hit .335 with 22 homers and 62 RBI.

> Joining Ryerson on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team is junior outfielder and pitcher Cameron Jones, a two-time, first-team all-conference selection and one of five national finalists for the 2022 John Olerud Award as the nation's top two-way player. He achieved the rare feat of leading the Panthers in batting average (.374) and ERA (3.00) in 2022.

> Panthers pitchers lead the Sun Belt and rank No. 7 in Division I with 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Last season, the GSU staff set a school record in 2022 with 505 strikeouts.

> Super senior right-hander Ryan Watson is the Panthers' active leader with 12 career saves (third in GSU history) and 13 career victories (T-11th). Justin Malone (14 saves, 13 victories from 2009-12) is the only pitcher in GSU history with more combined wins and saves.

> Third baseman Michael Maginnis, a transfer from Samford, made an immediate impact in his first game for the Panthers. On Opening Day vs. Cincinnati, with the game tied 2-2 in the seventh inning, Maginnis hit the go-ahead, 3-run homer and sent the Panthers on to a 12-2 win.

> Starting shortstop Matt Ruiz, a transfer from USF, infielder and right-handed reliever Zach Ottinger, a transfer from West Virginia, are also key additions.

> Georgia State is coming off a 30-win season in 2022, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time since 2015 (ninth time overall). The Panthers' 15 Sun Belt wins equalled the program record, set in 2015.

> Fourth-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.

> Former Major League pitcher Chad Bell is in his first season as the Panthers' pitching coach. Bell played 10 seasons of professional baseball, reaching the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers in 2017-18.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Joseph Brandon: RHP; 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R

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

#42 JoJo Jackson: OF; 6' 2"; Sophomore; S/L

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

#18 Camren Landry: RHP; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#27 Mason Patel: RHP; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#23 Max Ryerson: OF; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#21 Matt Ruiz: INF; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#24 Michael Maginnis: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#37 Zach Ottinger: RHP; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R

Players Mentioned

#7 Joseph Brandon
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

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

#42 JoJo Jackson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; S/L
: OF

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

#18 Camren Landry
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#27 Mason Patel
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#23 Max Ryerson
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#21 Matt Ruiz
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#24 Michael Maginnis
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: INF

#37 Zach Ottinger
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R
: RHP