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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Baseball Opens Conference Tournament Play on Wednesday vs. Western Kentucky
5/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 22, 2011
Boca Raton, Fla. -
Gametracker
For the second straight year, the Florida Atlantic University baseball team opens play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against Western Kentucky University. The match-up will begin noon Wednesday, May, 25 in Monroe, LA.
The Owls and Hilltoppers finished the regular season with 32-22 records and 17-13 marks in conference play - tying for fourth place in the league standings. Western Kentucky earned the fourth seed in the postseason tournament after winning the season series over FAU three weeks ago in Bowling Green, Ky.
Other Pool A teams are top-seeded Troy University and eighth seed University of Arkansas-Little Rock. FAU is scheduled to battle Troy on Thursday, May 26, at 8 p.m. and plays UALR on Saturday, May 28, at noon. The team with the best record after pool play will advance to Sunday's championship game.
FAU, the fifth seed, will send junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Garton to the mound in the opener. One of his five victories came against the Hilltoppers, scattering seven hits and two runs in six innings. Garton struck out five batters in the first meeting.
The Owls' next victory will mark the 100th career coaching victory for Head Coach John McCormack. He enters the postseason with a 99-72 mark in three seasons and a 56-percent winning mark against Sun Belt Conference teams. He also has a 6-4 record against WKU.
Junior outfielder Alex Hudak narrowly missed being the Sun Belt Conference's top regular-season hitter, losing the crown by one point. He finished with a .379 batting average in the middle of the FAU lineup.
Sophomore Mike Spano will represent Florida Atlantic in Tuesday's Family Night Home Run Derby at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. He has connected on two home runs during his career, including a solo blast against the University of Louisiana-Monroe on April 17.
The tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament. FAU received an at-large bid to the Gainesville Regional last season, advancing to the championship game. The Owls went 4-4 in postseason action last season.
Broadcast details of each game can be found at www.fausports.com.
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