Baseball Takes Five-Game Win Streak to Presbyterian; Schedule Altered by Weather

GEORGIA STATE (6-3) at PRESBYTERIAN (5-3)
PC Baseball Complex, Clinton, S.C.

*Please note the updated series schedule due to inclement weather.
THE SERIES (*UPDATED)
Saturday (DH), 1 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m.

PROBABLE PITCHERS
Game 1: RHP Ryan Watson (0-0, 1.12)
Game 2: RHP Joseph Brandon (0-0, 2.25)
Game 3: RHP Mason Patel (0-0, 4.22)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State has won five straight games after a four-game sweep over Brown last weekend and a midweek victory at Alabama State.

> Georgia State ranks No. 9 in Division I with 19 home runs, led by JoJo Jackson with four.

> Twelve different Panthers have hit at least one homer, including three freshmen--Michael Maginnis, Colin Hynek and Jaden Anderson--whose first career hit was a home run.

> The GSU pitching staff leads the Sun Belt in WHIP while ranking second in ERA (3.65), strikeout/walk ratio and walks per nine innings.

> 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.

> Ryerson is the Panthers' leading hitter with a .360 average. He hit two homers against Cincinnati to give him 33 for his career (including one season at Charleston Southern). Ryerson is tied for 15th among active Division I players in career homers.

> 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.

> Sophomore second baseman Jesse Donohoe drove in eight run in a two-game stretch vs. Brown last week. He had a grand slam on Friday and then four more RBI in Saturday's win.

> 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.

> Among active Division I pitchers, Watson ranks among the Top 20 in career saves and Top 40 in career victories.

> 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. He hit his second homer at Alabama State.

> Starting shortstop Matt Ruiz (.278-2-5), a transfer from USF, infielder and right-handed reliever Zach Ottinger (0.00 ERA, 1 save), a transfer from West Virginia, are also key additions.

> Freshman reliever Davis Chastain has already picked up two victories in relief.

> 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.

THE SERIES
> Georgia State leads the series with Presbyterian, 7-4.
> The teams are meeting in a weekend series for the second straight year. Last season, the Panthers took two out of three in Atlanta.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

#5 Jesse Donohoe: INF; 6' 3"; Sophomore; L/R

#22 Colin Hynek: C; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

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

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

#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

#26 Davis Chastain: RHP; 5' 10"; 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

#5 Jesse Donohoe
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; L/R
: INF

#22 Colin Hynek
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: C

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

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

#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

#26 Davis Chastain
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

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