40-year record broken in NCAA baseball as George Mason Patriots smash 23 runs in single inning

The George Mason Patriots smashed an NCAA baseball record by erupting for 23 runs in one inning during a game against Holy Cross on Tuesday.

The feat shattered the previous NCAA baseball record shared by the 1983 Penn State Nittany Lions and the 1984 Wichita State Shockers. Both clubs scored 21 runs in a single inning to set the previous collegiate baseball mark.

George Mason’s feat occurred in the third inning of its NCAA baseball matchup against Holy Cross. While the Patriots achieved the feat thanks to timely hitting, Holy Cross didn’t help matters by surrendering eight walks, registering five hit-by-pitches and racking up three fielding errors.

Despite starting the inning with an out, Holy Cross was unable to register the second out until after 19 George Mason batters had gotten on base.

All told, the Patriots did their part, registering 11 hits in the inning. It’s worth pointing out that the 11 hits were five doubles and six singles. George Mason did not have a home run in the inning. It remains to be seen if another 40 years will be needed to break George Mason’s NCAA baseball record.

Comparing MLB to NCAA baseball single-inning run-scoring records

The MLB record for runs scored in a single inning pales in comparison to the NCAA baseball mark. The official record is held by the Boston Red Sox, who tacked on 17 runs in the seventh inning of the June 18, 1953, matchup. The Red Sox won 23-3 over the Detroit Tigers to set the MLB record for runs scored in a single inning.

The contest took place at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox beat up on the Tigers, who had the league’s worst ERA at the time. The Tigers' 5.25 ERA ballooned after the 23-3 pounding. Unfortunately for the Tigers, things didn’t get any better the following day when the Red Sox scored 17 more runs in a 17-1 shellacking.

The single-inning record for runs scored in baseball’s contemporary era belongs to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers exploded for 16 runs in the eighth inning of the April 19, 1996, matchup against the Baltimore Orioles at The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.

Since then, the Arizona Diamondbacks registered a 14-run inning last season against the Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks won the game 16-1 on March 28, 2024, making it one of the most lopsided opening day matchups ever.

Ultimately, it’s uncertain if there will ever be a Major League Baseball game that could topple the NCAA record for runs scored in a single inning. With baseball being as unpredictable as it is, the record could fall on any given night.