Georgia State Baseball at Kennesaw State

Daniel Wilson

Baseball 2/24/2022 3:36:00 PM

Panthers Travel to No. 15 Florida for Weekend Series

Games will air on SECN+

GEORGIA STATE (4-1) at No. 15 FLORIDA (3-2)
Feb. 25-27, Gainesville, Fla.

THE SERIES
Friday, 6:30 p.m. (SECN+)
Saturday, 4 p.m. (SECN+)
Sunday, 1 p.m. (SECN+)

PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday: LHP Brandon Kaminer (0-0, 2.25)
Saturday: RHP Chandler Dawson (1-0, 0.00)
Sunday: RHP Dylan Matela (0-0, 3.00)

LEADING OFF

> Off to its best start since 2011, Georgia State (4-1) makes its first weekend road trip to No. 15 Florida (3-2), Friday through Sunday at Florida Ballpark. The games will air on SECN+.

> Georgia State leadoff hitter and designated hitter Max Ryerson leads the Sun Belt Conference with four home runs and seven RBI through five games. He hit two runs last Saturday vs. Purdue Fort Wayne and then slugged two more Wednesday at Kennsaw State. Ryerson is a junior college transfer from Gulf Coast State, where he was the 2021 Panhandle Conference Player of the Year.

> Super senior shortstop Griffin Cheney is also off a strong start, leading the Panthers with a .500 average, including two homers and five RBI.

> After sweeping Purdue Fort Wayne on Opening Weekend, the Panthers started 4-0 for the first time since a 7-0 start in 2011. Head coach Brad Stromdahl was a GSU assistant at that time.

> Saturday starter Chandler Dawson pitched five scoreless innings to earn a win vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, allowing three hits and striking out four. Over his last 10 appearances dating back to last April, the sophomore right-hander is 4-0 with one save and a 1.37 ERA.

> Two-way standout Cameron Jones contributed at the plate and on the mound in the weekend sweep. He started all four games at first base and hit .412 (7-for-17), and he saved Sunday's 8-7 victory, recording the final two outs with strikeouts.

> Several freshmen made strong debuts, including OF JoJo Jackson (3-for-9, 2 outfield assists); INF Jesse Donohoe (2-for-5, 1 RBI) and INF-RHP Trent Reddick (Retired 10 straight vs. PFW).

> 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.

SERIES VS. FLORIDA

> First-year assistant coach Lars Davis spent the last seven years at Florida as the volunteer coach. He helped the Gators make four straight trips to the College World Series (2015-18), highlighted by the 2017 NCAA title.

> Georgia State is playing at Florida for the second sraight year. Last season, the Gators, then ranked No. 5 by D1 Baseball, won a midweek game 5-1. Florida scored its five runs in the first three innings, but after that GSU pitchers Trey Horton (2 IP), Rafael Acosta (2 IP), Dylan Matela (1) and Joseph Brandon (1) did not allow a run.

> Last years' game was Georgia State's first against Florida 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 6-0 lead in the series, all played in Gainesville.

> Georgia State's most recent win over an SEC program was last year's 4-2 victory at No. 2 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.

GEORGIA STATE vs. RANKED TEAMS
> Georgia State played 16 games vs. ranked teams in 2021, including Florida.

> The Panthers earned four wins over ranked opponents last season: No. 14 West Virginia twice, 7-6 (10) and 20-4 (home); No. 2 Vanderbilt, 4-2 (away) for the highest-ranked win in program history; and No. 10 Georgia Tech, 10-1 (away).

WELCOME BACK
> 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 with 126 career starts. He started 121 straight games at second base, shortstop or third base from 2019-21 until he was injured on a hit by pitch late last season.

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

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#33 Rafael Acosta: RHP; 6' 3"; Junior; 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

#5 Jesse Donohoe: INF; 6' 4"; Freshman; L/R

#42 JoJo Jackson: OF-LHP; 6' 4"; Freshman; S/L

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

#19 Trent Reddick: INF; 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#33 Rafael Acosta
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#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

#5 Jesse Donohoe
: 6' 4"; Freshman; L/R
: INF

#42 JoJo Jackson
: 6' 4"; Freshman; S/L
: OF-LHP

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

#19 Trent Reddick
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R
: INF