Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Nine NCAA Tournament Teams Highlight Challenging Baseball 2012 Schedule
9/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 29, 2011
Boca Raton, FL - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team is preparing to face the challenge of meeting nine opponents that played in NCAA regionals last season, including national runner up University of Florida. The challenging 2012 schedule was announced today by Head Coach John McCormack.
"We are certainly pleased with the quality of the schedule," said McCormack. "Having so many teams that played in the NCAA Regionals last year make it a challenge. But, we are looking forward to the season and competing against the best."
The Owls will play their first 13 games against NCAA tournament qualifiers, beginning with a three-game series at the University of Alabama on Friday, February 17. The meeting will be the team's first trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., since the Owls won the 2002 regional after defeating the No. 2 national seed. The team will face another Southeastern Conference team, Florida, on Tuesday, March 6, and will have two road games at the University of Miami.
The home opener will be against Manhattan College, defending champions of the Metro Athletic Association Conference, on Friday, February 24. Also coming to the FAU Baseball Stadium will be Miami and Boston College from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Rutgers of the Big East Conference, UCF from Conference USA, Princeton University of the Ivy League, Fordham University of the Atlantic 10 Conference and cross-town rival Lynn University.
FAU will begin Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game series at in-state rival FIU, another 2011 NCAA qualifier, starting on Friday, March 16. The two South Florida rivals will meet again in Boca Raton at the end of the league season. Other home conference series will come against University of Louisiana-Lafayette, the University of South Alabama, Arkansas State University and Western Kentucky University. The Sun Belt Conference tournament is set for Bowling Green, Ky., in late May.
The Owls were 32-25 last spring after being the league's 2010 regular season champion and advancing to the championship round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The team won the three-game season series with perennial national power Miami for the first time since 1984.
Coach McCormack's squad returns 2011 leading hitter Alex Hudak, with a .360 batting average; three-year starting catcher Mike Albaladejo, who was an all-star in the Florida Collegiate Summer League; senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Garton, last year's No. 1 starter; and relief pitcher Hugh Adams, an All-South Central Region selection last season.
View the entire 2012 schedule here.
