Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Baseball Headed to No. 25 UCF
4/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2005
After facing the top-seeded team in the conference last weekend, Florida Atlantic University's baseball team does not get a break this weekend when it travels to no. 25 UCF for a three-game series starting Friday. The Golden Knights stand in second in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 35-9, 14-4 A-Sun record.
With a 3.50 team ERA and 370 strikeouts, the Golden Knights' pitching staff is ranked tops in the conference. Three right-handers are slated to take the mound. Sophomore Tim Bascom holds an 8-2 record with a 3.26 ERA in 77.1 innings of work. He has recorded a team-high 84 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .233 batting average.
Darren Newlin is expected to see action on Saturday night. The senior holds a 3.65 ERA with an 8-1 record in 56.2 innings. His only loss came against Gardner-Webb on March 18 in Boiling Springs, NC.
After his last start on April 17, Mike Billek was awarded Atlantic Sun Pitcher-of-the- Week honors after throwing eight shutout innings and striking out eight Belmont batters. The junior will start of the final game of the series with a 3.52 ERA and 3-1 record.
Leading the team offensively, third baseman John-Michael Howell carries a .389 batting average. The junior transfer from Florida also leads the team with 12 home runs and is second behind Dee Brown's 48 RBI with 46.
FAU's pitching rotation for this weekend has not been set but Mickey Storey (Deerfield Beach, FL) will probably take the mound this weekend. The freshman leads the conference with a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings. He started the season as a closer but has moved into the starting rotation and has three starts this season. In his last three appearances he has picked up a win and is holding opponents to a .224 batting average.
The Florida Atlantic offense has picked up in the month of April and is hitting .326 as a team with 14 home runs in the last 11 games. Sophomore Tyler Stevens (West Palm Beach, FL) is hitting .386 for the month and outfielder Mike McBryde (N. Palm Beach, FL) has accounted for 13 of his 23 RBI in that time with two home runs.
For the season McBryde leads the team with a .361 batting average and has accumulated 29 stolen bases, second in the conference and seventh in the nation.
FAU hopes to avoid losing its third game in a row by taking a win on Friday night in the first game of the series at 6 pm. Saturday's start is also scheduled for 6 pm with an afternoon game on Sunday at 1 pm at Jay Bergman Field.
