Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Baseball Begins Nine-Game Homestand on Tuesday against UCF
3/26/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Boca Raton, FL - After opening Sun Belt Conference play with two road series victories, the Florida Atlantic University baseball team kicks off a nine-game homestand with a non-conference in-state battle against nationally ranked UCF on Tuesday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the FAU Baseball Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.
The Owls are coming off winning last weekend's league series at Middle Tennessee State University, capturing the series finale with a 3-0 shutout. The team now stands 16-9 on the season and has won five of its six league games - all on the road. This season's five road league victories already match last year's road conference total.
Tuesday's game with the Knights is the first of two meetings between the Florida rivals this spring.
FAU is led by a pitching staff that allowed just five earned runs in the three-game series at Middle Tennessee. All three games saw the team's starting pitcher go at least six innings and allow two or fewer earned runs. For the season, the pitching staff has compiled a 4.14 earned run average.
Anchoring the pitching rotation is senior right hander Ryan Garton, who stands 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA. Garton also has recorded a team-best 36 strikeouts. Sophomore Kevin Alexander has posted a 4-0 record with a 2.01 earned run average and tossed seven strong innings in a victory over the Blue Raiders on March 24. Rounding out the rotation has been freshman left hander Austin Gomber, who has won both of his starting assignments in SBC action and stands 2-1 with an impressive 2.45 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
Offensively, junior third baseman Kyle Newton leads the conference with 34 hits and tops FAU with 22 runs batted in. Newton is hitting at a .340 clip to tie senior infielder Mike Albaladejofor second on the team. Albaladejo has scored a team-best 20 runs from the No. 2 spot in the batting lineup.
Junior catcher Mike Spano rounds out the .300 hitters with a .314 average at the plate. Junior first baseman Mark Nelsonhas connected on four home runs while driving in 20 runs. Nelson and Newton have each hit four home runs to tie for team-high honors.
Freshman shortstop Mitch Morales had a two-out single in the seventh inning to drive in an insurance run in the win at MTSU on March 25. Junior outfielder Corey Kellerhas scored 17 runs and hit three home runs this season.
FAU ranks 17th nationally in home runs (23) and home runs hit per game (0.92).
UCF stands 19-6 on the season, is ranked 19th nationally by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper this week and is coming off capturing a home series over East Carolina University on March 23-25 to begin Conference USA action. Tuesday's game will be only the fourth road game of the season for the Knights. Senior infielder Travis Shreve leads the team with a .371 batting average, while junior infielder D.J. Hicks has hit seven home runs and driven in a team-best 37 runs on the season. Hicks also is hitting at a solid .341 clip. Senior outfielder Alex Friedrich is batting .368 with 24 runs scored. UCF is hitting .293 on the season. Meanwhile, the Knights' pitching staff has posted a 3.21 earned run average. Senior 6-foot-7 right hander Ray Hanson, with a 1-1 record and 1.40 ERA, is expected to start against the Owls.
Florida Atlantic will resume SBC play with a home series against Louisiana-Lafayette on March 30 to April 1. Home games against crosstown rival Lynn University, on April 3; South Alabama, on April 6-8; and Florida Gulf Coast, on April 10, will road out the homestand.
Live audio and statistics of all games can be found at www.fausports.com. For season tickets contact the FAU Ticket Office at 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
