George Washington University Athletics
Podcast: 2017 Baseball Season Preview w/ Gregg Ritchie
2/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| George Washington (0-0) at Auburn (0-0) - February 17-19 - Auburn, Alabama | |
| Friday, 3 p.m ET | RHP Elliott Raimo vs. RHP Keegan Thompson | SEC Network+ |
| Saturday, 12 p.m. ET | TBD vs. RHP Casey Mize | SEC Network+ |
| Saturday, 3 p.m. ET | TBD vs. RHP Gabe Klobosits | SEC Network+ |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ET | RHP Robbie Metz vs. RHP Davis Daniel | SEC Network+ |
LEADING OFF: The George Washington baseball team opens its 2017 season this weekend when it visits Auburn for a four-game series at Plainsman Park in Alabama.
The series begins with an Opening Day matchup on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET ahead of a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. ET. The series wraps with Sunday's finale at 1 p.m. ET
PODCAST PREVIEW: Fifth-year head coach Gregg Ritchie joined the GW Baseball Podcast to discuss the 2017 season. Ritchie talks about the experience throughout the lineup as his first full recruiting class enters its senior season. He also talks about GW's representation in the Cape Cod League over the summer, the pitching lineup and breaks down each position around the diamond.
EXPERIENCED LINEUP: Once the youngest team in the nation back in 2014 with seven freshman starting over half of the Colonials' games, GW is loaded with experience in 2017.
Six of GW's Opening Day position starters - Brandon Chapman, Bobby Campbell, Andrew Selby, Joey Bartosic, Robbie Metz and Eli Kashi - have individually started at least 100 games in their careers.
BARTOSIC'S BAT: Fresh off a standout campaign in the Cape Cod League, senior Joey Bartosic is ready to pick up where he left off after an outstanding junior season.
Last year Bartosic led the Atlantic 10 with 87 hits, ranked third with 19 stolen bases and fifth overall with a .349 batting average. He also hit a league-best .426 in conference games en route to a spot on both the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and the ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region First Team.
SHUT IT DOWN: Senior Eddie Muhl, who has rewritten GW's history books as the career-saves leader, single-season saves leader and an NCAA statistical champion (2015), enters his senior season tied for fifth among active NCAA players with 29 career saves. He is coming off a tremendous summer season where he was named the Cotuit Kettleers Pitcher of the Year and a West Division All-Star in the Cape Cod League.
The two-time ABCA All-East Region Second Team selection and a 2015 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Finalist, Muhl will looks to continue his record-setting career by closing the door for the Colonials in the ninth inning.
COLONIALS ON THE CAPE: GW set a program record by having five players participate in the famed Cape Cod League, the premier amateur baseball league in the nation since 1885, over the summer.
Muhl (Cotuit Kettleers) and junior Robbie Metz (Wareham Gateman) each earned All-Star honors while Bartosic (Wareham Gateman), Chapman (Brewster Whitecaps) and senior Jordan Sheinkop (Brewster Whitecaps) also competed.
DOUBLE-DIP DRAFT: The Pittsburgh Pirates have selected a GW baseball player in the MLB Draft in each of the past two seasons. In 2015 it was junior pitcher Shane Kemp getting the call while junior shortstop Kevin Mahala was picked in the 18th round of last June's draft.
LOOK AHEAD: GW will play its home opener on Wednesday, February 22, against Delaware State before traveling back south for a three-game series at Florida A&M, Feb. 24-26.
