Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Baseball to Host Lynn in Boca Raton Showdown on Tuesday
4/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 2, 2012
Boca Raton, FL - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team looks to keep the good times rolling when it hosts cross-town opponent Lynn University on Tuesday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the FAU Baseball Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.
The Owls are coming off a three-game sweep of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette from March 30 to April 1. The team held the Ragin' Cajuns to three or fewer runs in all three games. Meanwhile, FAU's offense hit six home runs in the series.
Florida Atlantic now stands 19-10 on the season and is in first place in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) with an 8-1 league record. The team is ranked 30th in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll.
Tuesday's game is the fifth in a nine-game homestand for the team.
Individually, junior outfielder Corey Keller was named the SBC's Player of the Week after hitting .733 (11-for-15) in the four games last week. He has had multiple-hit performances in five straight games, and is hitting .336 for the season with a team-leading six home runs. Keller hit a home run in three of last week's four games.
Junior first baseman Mark Nelson leads the Owls with 23 runs batted in and hit a two-run first-inning home run in an 8-3 win on April 1 to complete the sweep over ULL. Nelson has legged out five doubles and is hitting .264.
Junior third baseman Kyle Newton has driven in 23 runs and is batting .304 in his first season as an Owl. Senior infielder Mike Albaladejo leads the conference with 41 hits and ranks second on the team with a .360 batting average. Junior catcher Mike Spano has connected on three home runs. Junior outfielder Nathan Pittman stole three bases on April 1 and leads the team with seven steals.
On the pitching mound, the staff is anchored by senior right hander Ryan Garton with a 5-2 record and a 2.20 earned run average. Sophomore Kevin Alexander has compiled a 2.01 ERA and has posted four victories. Freshman left hander Austin Gomber allowed just one hit in picking up his third straight victory on April 1. He has 3-1 record on the season, with all three victories coming in SBC games.
FAU's bullpen has recorded nine saves, led by junior R.J. Alvarez's four saves. The right hander has struck out 29 batters and has a 0.79 ERA. He also has made a team-best 14 appearances.
Senior reliever Ahmed Garcia picked up a save in the 7-3 series-opening win over ULL on March 30. The left hander is 1-0 with a 2.16 earned run average and 14 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
Meanwhile, Lynn stands 21-10 on the season and is 5-4 in the Sunshine State Conference. The Fighting Knights are led by Anthony Boza's nine home runs and 29 RBIs. He is also hitting at a solid .396 clip. Mike Diorio leads the team with a .404 batting average. Lynn has five players hitting .300 or better on the season. The team is expected to start right hander Kentrail Pierce, who stands 2-0 with a 4.62 earned run average in six starts.
This is the third straight season that the two Boca Raton-based teams will be playing. FAU defeated Lynn in 13-7 last season. FAU Head Coach John McCormack is a Lynn graduate and earned all-conference honors as a catcher and third baseman for the Boca Raton team.
Live audio and statistics of the game can be found at www.fausports.com. For tickets contact the FAU Ticket Office at 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
