Good morning! Why is it when it rains we have to still do our jobs, but George Mason’s baseball team gets to go to Dave & Buster’s and play video games? Until Coach Shawn Kemp is our boss…

Here’s what’s stirring in today’s Brew…

🏀 Darius Maddox joins Patriots
⚾️ Keys to the game against Navy
​⭐ And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 On Guard. Jump on in, we’re going portal-ing! George Mason University men's basketball has added former Virginia Tech standout Darius Maddox to the roster. A dynamic 6-foot-5-inch guard with a high major pedigree following three seasons in the ACC—Darius Maddox will look to make an immediate impact in the Atlantic 10 with the Green & Gold.

Just how good is our newest Patriot? We’ll break it down for you…

📈 Trending Up: The Bowie, Maryland product is coming off a junior campaign in which he started 19 of the 20 contests he played while averaging career bests in scoring (8.5 points per game) and rebounding (3.2 rebounds per game). He also dished out 1.1 assists per contest and reached double figures in 10 games.

🔦 Shining Bright: As a sophomore in 2021-22, Maddox dazzled during the ACC Championship while leading the Hokies to the tournament crown in Brooklyn. During Virginia Tech's four wins in four days, Maddox hit the game-winning triple in second round action vs. Clemson, then followed that up with a career-best 20 points against North Carolina in the semifinals. For his efforts, he garnered a spot on the All-ACC Tournament Second Team.

💪 Built To Last: He played in 36 games overall during his sophomore campaign, scored 10+ points in eight contests and shot 50.6 percent from 3pt range (40-79) for the season. Overall, he played 67 games over his three seasons in Blacksburg while compiling 408 career points.

🔼 Ships Ahoy. George Mason baseball is squaring off against Navy tonight in a clash between the Patriots and, well… the Patriot League. It’s been one year, one month, and one day since these two teams met on the diamond, and George Mason will be looking to avenge a close 7-6 loss last season.

Need to know what to watch for in case you make the trip over to Annapolis? Here are the keys to the game to keep the Patriots in the winner’s column by night’s end.

• Alex Smith is leading the way for the Midshipmen this season, hitting .327 on the season and making a late-season push for All-Conference honors by year’s end. But (and there’s always a but) the rest of the offense isn’t exactly setting off fireworks. He’s the only player on Navy’s team batting above .300 on the season.

• Colin Smith, Kyle Rausch, and Alex Smith are tied for the team lead with four home runs a piece, slotting Navy at the bottom of the Patriot League standings when it comes to home runs per game (0.47).

• Nate Mitchell and Matthew Shirah are holding it down on the mound for the Midshipmen this year, but apart from that there isn’t a Navy pitcher with multiple starts better than a 5.94 ERA. Watch who gets announced as the starter today against George Mason and if it’s not one of the two we just mentioned, it could be a long day for Navy.

🤔 PATRIOT TRIVIA

Recency bias. George Mason and Navy will face off on the diamond today, something they’ve done 15 times in both programs’ histories.

Our question today… do you know the first time these two teams played each other?

Think you got it? Scroll on down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

⭐ ONE BIG THING

May The Fourth be with you. The seventh annual Mason Athletics Giving Day is scheduled for tomorrow, May 4, to bring Mason Nation together to pledge support for the Patriots.

Giving Day is an opportunity for every Patriot to support their favorite athletic program at Mason. Alumni, friends, and supporters interested in making their mark on Mason Athletics are encouraged to participate in the day of giving and support specific projects that resonate with their Mason experience.

In 2022, Mason Athletics had 561 donors and raised $409,424 on Giving Day, an all-time high for the department. Can we beat it this year?

📬 STICK WITH US

Did someone send you the Patriot Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

📅 THE DAY AHEAD

Wednesday 5/3:

⚾️ Baseball at Navy @ 5:00pm ET

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: April 29, 2004

In the very first game between these two teams, George Mason won 12-11 over Navy 12-11 at Spuhler Field. The Patriots bolstered their record to 29-11 at the time, while Navy was playing in their regular season finale and ended the year at 14-36.

Have a great Wednesday, y’all.