March 3, 2008

BOCA RATON. FL - Florida Atlantic University senior outfielder Mike McKenna has been named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week. The Sun Belt's top returning hitter went 11-of-23 (.478 BA) with three homeruns, 21 total bases, nine RBI and a slugging percentage of .913 spanning five games and five FAU wins last week.

McKenna hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn FAU a 5-2 win on Friday, February 29 against reigning Mid-American Conference champs Eastern Michigan University. McKenna homered in three different games against EMU, went 4-for-6 in a 24-3 win on Sunday, March 2, had three RBI on both Friday, February 29 and Saturday, March 1, and had a multi-hit game in all five victories.

FAU (5-3) puts a five-game winning-streak on the line this week against Boston College. FAU Stadium will be the setting of a two-game midweek series, with night games scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on both Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5.

Fans donating canned food items during the Owls' two games against Boston College will receive one voucher good for one ticket per person to their choice of a Friday game against Sun Belt Conference rivals: Troy University on April 11; Western Kentucky University on April 25; or Arkansas State University on May 9. The food will be donated to Boca Helping Hands, a nonprofit organization that served more than 20,000 meals to children and adults and collected nearly 200,000 pounds of food in 2007.

TEAM NOTES: FAU is hitting .341 as a team and is scoring 10+ runs per game. The Owls have hit 16 homeruns in just eight outings. 33 of FAU's 86 runs have come with two-outs. Travis Ozga (.484 BA) went 9-for-18 (.500 BA) in five games last week. In 31 at-bats this season, Ozga had 15 hits, 12 RBI, three homeruns and three doubles. Mike McKenna is the FAU leader in batting average (.486), RBI (13), total bases (29) and hits (18). Daniel Cook is the team-leader in homeruns (4). Six different every-day players own an average above .345. Mickey Storey (0-1; 2.38 ERA) lowered his season ERA to 2.38 after throwing seven strong innings without giving up an earned run in a no-decision vs. EMU on Friday, February 29. True freshman starter Glen Troyanowski (1-0; 2.84 ERA) pitched five innings of three-hit baseball and struck out eight to pick up his first collegiate win against Mt. St. Mary's University on Wednesday, February 27.