Mason's Own Iron Man

Photo by Randy Urick.

By Broadside Staff Writer Ebad Khan

Little do we know as members of the George Mason University community that we are honored with the presence of one of the NCAA’s finest, senior Scott Krieger. As the outfielder and sometimes first baseman for the Mason baseball team, Krieger is known for breaking numerous records and setting countless milestones for future generations of Mason baseball to strive towards.

After being introduced to baseball as a child by his parents, Krieger continued his pursuit of the sport simply for the “love of the game.”

As a Baltimore native, Krieger idolized the Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. and hoped to mirror Ripken’s sportsmanship and respect for the game. Krieger’s most memorable high school moment was hitting a home run in a game that resulted in his school, Calvert Hall, walking away with the state championship.
While coming to the end of his high school career, Krieger began to look into his collegiate options for the future. Since growing up in the area, Krieger opted to participate in a Mason showcase for prospective players.

At this time, Head Coach Bill Brown was introduced to Krieger’s great skill and ability and immediately wanted him for the Patriots.

Over the last few years, Krieger has not only grown as a player, but has also grown as a leader. Brown has had the opportunity to “watch him evolve into leader and a guy that everyone respects.”

Outside of baseball, you can find Krieger in the Johnson Center enjoying a meal from La Patisserie. In his spare time, Krieger enjoys some casual golfing with his friends, snowboarding and feasting on Chipotle when there is not La Pat in the vicinity.

As a student athlete, Krieger is majoring in business finance and will be graduating this semester.

While transitioning to college baseball, Krieger’s largest task was adjusting to the outfield after playing the infield for most of his life.

In 2006, he batted .303 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs and in the following 2007 season, Krieger more than doubled his totals with 20 long balls and 68 RBIs.

His 20-home run season in 2007 tied him with former player Kevin Burke for most home runs in a single season. After starting the season hitless in his first 13 at-bats, Krieger finally broke out with a 15-game hitting streak during the season. Krieger had hit a home run in five consecutive games, which started on March 3 against the William & Mary Tribe and ended on March 10 against the Hofstra Pride.

Krieger’s play during Mason’s wins was easily differentiated from his play during the team’s losses. He batted .509, belted 18 home runs with 54 RBIs and scored 45 runs and slugged 1.074 when the team won. During the losses, he batted only .225 and hit two home runs with 14 RBIs. His breakout 2007 season immediately marked Krieger as a player to watch in the NCAA. Krieger has helped lead the Patriots to a 35-8 overall record, the best winning percentage in the country, which has established Mason as the 28th ranked team in the nation.

Krieger leads Mason with 212 career runs scored, 222 career RBIs that shattered a 23-year old record, and an NCAA-leading 66 career home runs, just to name a few.
With the amount of school records that Krieger has set for Mason, his greatest accomplishment in his collegiate career has yet to be reached.

“Hopefully it’s still to come, I want to go out on top with a conference tournament championship,” said Krieger.

Since the Mason baseball field’s opening in 1986, Brown’s most memorable moment, along with the rest of Krieger’s teammates and fans watching the game, was witnessing Krieger hammer the ball past the stadium and onto the soccer field. Brown called it a tremendous display of strength.

With the departure of Krieger closely approaching, Brown had difficulty in expressing how he, along with the rest of the Patriots would miss his presence on and off the field.

Even though Krieger may not play 2,632 consecutive games, he continues to play day in and day out for the sport he loves.