Panthers Look to Continue Momentum in Final Regular-Season Series at ODU

GEORGIA STATE (27-26, 14-13) at OLD DOMINION (31-20, 14-13)
May 18-20 | Bud Metheny Ballpark, Norfolk, Va.

Coming off a sweep of Georgia Southern, Georgia State concludes the regular season with a three-game series at Old Dominion. The Panthers enter the series needing one win (or one loss by South Alabama) to qualify for the Sun Belt Conference Championship, which begins May 23 in Montgomery, Ala.

THE SERIES
Thursday, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
Friday, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, 12 p.m. (ESPN+)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State is No. 8 in Division I with a school-record 102 home runs, led by Max Ryerson (17), Luke Boynton (16), Dylan Strickland (12) and JoJo Jackson (11). The previous GSU record was 82, set in 2010. The Panthers hit 75 homers in 2022, giving them 177 over the last two seasons.

> In the sweep of Georgia Southern, the Panthers outscored the Eagles 35-10.

> Max Ryerson is second in the Sun Belt in batting average at .383, third in slugging (.709) and on-base percentage (.495) and fourth in home runs with 17.

> Ryerson has hit 39 home run in two seasons at Georgia State, fourth on the Panthers' career chart. He is eighth among active D1 players with 48 career home runs.

> Ryan Watson is the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week. In his final home start last Friday, the fifth-year senior right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Panthers to an 11-3 win over Georgia Southern, beginning the three-game sweep. He struck out seven and allowed just five hits and one walk.

> Watson has won six straight decisions to improve to 6-1 and earn his 19th career victory, tied for third in GSU history. He also ranks third in Panther annals with 12 career saves, and he is Georgia State's career leader in combined wins (19) and saves (12) with 31.

> Cameron Jones leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 8 in Division I in stolen bases with 34. That is tied for the Georgia State season record, equaling the mark set by Jimmy Fowlkes in 1980.

> In Sunday's win over Georgia Southern, Jones had two hits and three runs scored, stole his 34th base to tie the GSU season record and earned the win on the mound. He moved from right field to the mound in the fifth inning with bases loaded and one out and struck out the next two to preserve a 5-4 lead. He pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit with four strikeouts.

> Four Panthers were named this week to the CSC Academic All-District® baseball team: Rafael Acosta, Luke Boynton, Duncan Lutz and Camren Landry. They are now eligible for the Academic All-America® team. Georgia State posted a 3.30 team GPA for the spring semester.

> Fourth-year head coach Brad Stromdahl earned his 400th career victory vs. James Madison on April 8. Stromdahl (412-201 overall) 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).

MORE ON THE PANTHERS
> Redshirt freshman catcher Colin Hynek had two home runs and six RBI in the Georgia Southern series. He has 10 homers on the season, one of five Panthers with 10 or more.

> Junior first baseman Luke Boynton hit his 16th home run in the Friday win over Georgia Southern. Boynton hit two homers in the win at Georgia, and then followed with another blast against Marshall. He hit three homers in the Clemson series and two in the Coastal Carolina series, and he belted a grand slam in the Friday win over Arkansas State. The junior first baseman has 28 career homers, 10th in GSU history.

> Cameron Jones stole four bases in Game 1 at James Madison, coming within one of the school record of five, set by Henry Reese vs. Samford in 1985.

> Dylan Strickland was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball and Sun Belt Conference POTW on March 20 after going 7-for-14 with five homers, 10 RBI and nine runs scored in four games. He hit all five homers in the Troy sweep.

> Strickland hit five homers in a span of seven plate appearances over Games 2 and 3 vs. Troy. After homering twice in his last three at-bats in Game 2, he tied the Georgia State record with three home runs in his first four at-bats in the series finale.

> Strickland hit the game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning in the 7-6 win over Marshall, in which the Panthers rallied from a 6-0 deficit with a seven-run seventh.

> Third baseman Will Mize homered and drove in four runs in the win at Georgia. He hit the go-ahead, solo homer in the fourth inning of the 5-1, sweep-clinching win over Marshall, and he hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning at Texas State. He is hitting .315 with nine home runs and a team-leading 47 RBI.

> Shortstop Matt Ruiz, the transfer from USF, has 23 extra base hits: 11 doubles, four triples and eight homers. He is hitting .301 with 44 RBI.

SERIES NOTES
> Georgia State and Old Dominion are meeting for the first time since 2013, when both schools were members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

> The Panthers have won the last five meetings, including a series sweep in Atlanta in 2013, 13-8, 12-10 and 7-4.

> Georgia State took two of three in the last meeting at ODU in 2012.

> The teams met annually from 2006 through 2013, and Georgia State holds a 14-13 lead in the series.

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Players Mentioned

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

#33 Rafael Acosta: RHP; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#3 Luke Boynton: INF; 6' 5"; Junior; R/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

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

#39 Duncan Lutz: RHP; 6' 4"; Junior; R/R

#14 Will Mize: INF; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

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

#10 Dylan Strickland: INF; 5' 11"; Junior; R/R

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

Players Mentioned

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

#33 Rafael Acosta
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#3 Luke Boynton
: 6' 5"; Junior; R/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

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

#39 Duncan Lutz
: 6' 4"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#14 Will Mize
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: INF

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

#10 Dylan Strickland
: 5' 11"; Junior; R/R
: INF

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