April 27, 2009

Sun Belt Conference Standings

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: The Owls (24-18; 7-13 Sun Belt) proved they can still be a dangerous team come tournament time, beating league-leading Western Kentucky on Friday night 3-1 behind an outstanding pitching performance from senior Adam Morrison. The Owls had their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped by Western Kentucky on Saturday and were edged in Sunday's series finale to slip to 7-13 within league play. The Owls are in 10th place in the 11-team league. Despite its 24-18 overall record, if the Sun Belt Tournament were to start today FAU would not receive an invitation as only the top eight teams qualify.

Nine conference games remain on the Owls' 2009 schedule, including a pivotal home series with the University of New Orleans this weekend, beginning Friday night, May 1st at FAU Stadium. The UNO series will be followed by a road date with Arkansas State University - both UNO and ASU are battling FAU for the eighth and final spot in the SBC Tournament. FAU is still in position to post the school's 11th-straight winning season.

LAST FIVE/NEXT FIVE:
W, 5-4 vs. BRYANT (SUN 4/19)
W, 5-4 @ Bethune-Cookman (TUE 4/21)
W, 3-1 @ Western Kentucky (FRI 4/24)
L, 8-3 @ Western Kentucky (SAT 4/25)
L, 4-3 @ Western Kentucky (SUN 4/26)
------------------------------------
vs. NEW ORLEANS (FRI 5/1)
vs. NEW ORLEANS (SAT 5/2)
vs. NEW ORLEANS (SUN (5/3)
@ Florida Gulf Coast (TUE (5/5)
@ Arkansas State (FRI 5/8)

AS OF LATE: Senior LH Adam Morrison (2-2; 5.44 ERA) kept Western Kentucky scoreless into the seventh in FAU's 3-1 Friday night win, shutting down a team which entered the week in top 10 among all NCAA DI teams in hits (420) and runs (349). The Toppers managed just three hits and one run against Morrison through 6 2/3. 1B Travis Ozga (.352 BA) was 3-for-4 in Sunday's walk-off loss to WKU and has 8 hits in his last 16 at-bats (.500 BA). 2B William Block (.312 BA) has tripled, doubled twice and drove in four runs in FAU's last five games. The FAU offense out-hit WKU in each game over the weekend despite losing two of three. FAU has won 7 of its last 9.

CLOSE GAMES: 22 of FAU's 42 games this season have been decided by two runs or less. The Owls can rely on RH Glen Troyanowksi (2-3; 6.23 ERA) who has converted each of his last four save opportunities to bring his season save total to six. The sophomore from St. Thomas Aquinas High School threw a perfect ninth in support of Morrison Friday. Troyanowski, who was 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA as a true freshman last season has emerged as the staff's closer.

OFFENSE: Under the direction of first-year head coach John McCormack the Owls continue to be known for its offense. 8 of the 9 FAU batters in the lineup Sunday had an average of .300 or better... Senior's 2B William Block (.312 BA) and 1B Travis Ozga (.352 BA) hit two and three in the Owls' order and have combined to provide 77 RBI's... Ozga is the team-leader in hits (56) and Block has scored 38 runs... Block, a four-year senior from nearby Pembroke Pines, has established new FAU records for doubles (54), runs (211), ranks 2nd in hits (271), 4th in HR (42) and 6th in RBI (174)... Cleanup hitter DH Tom Hatcher (.307 BA) hit two doubles Saturday to bring his season total to 12... Hatcher leads the club in homeruns (8) and slugging % (.564)... SS Nick DelGuidice (.317 BA) is the only player to start in all 42 games... DelGuidice is the team-leader in multiple-hit games (19)... OF Colby Gratton (.330 BA) stole his team-leading ninth base Saturday, he is 9-for-10 swiping bags on the year... C Nick Criaris (.308 BA) doubled twice Saturday and finished the day 3-for-4... 3B Troy Bubley (.305 BA) went 3-for-4 in Friday night's series-opening win.

PITCHING: Several impressive true freshmen pitchers are being developed by first-year pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Jason Jackson... LH Brent Adheen (0-3; 6.56) has allowed just 13 hits in his last four starts, spanning 18-plus innings - with two of those starts coming against nationally-ranked Miami and another this Sunday against Western Kentucky... LH Ahmed Garcia (2-1; 4.68 ERA) won his first start of the year last weekend, throwing 6 1/3 innings of four-hit baseball against Bryant... Garcia, who was 9-1 with 0.98 ERA as a senior at South Miami High School last spring, held WKU scoreless in four-straight innings of relief Sunday... 6-foot-5 freshman reliever RH Hugh Adams (3-1; 4.50 ERA) has allowed just 15 hits in 20 innings and has three saves... If the starters can turn in quality starts, FAU has a pair of durable set-up men in seniors LH Alex Pepe (3-0; 2.70 ERA) and Chris Schmitt (5-2; 5.14 ERA) bridging the gap for Troyanowski who has saved four straight.