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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Champions Again: Softball Season Recap
6/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 20, 2018
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Florida Atlantic University softball team enjoyed another outstanding season in 2018, capped off by its second Conference USA regular season title in three years.
The Owls experienced an up-and-down first month of the season, going 12-13 in tournament play. However, FAU began C-USA play with a sweep of UTEP, then rallying from a game one losses against both Charlotte and Marshall to win both series, earning a 7-2 mark in league play, good for first place.
"I think we did a much better job of getting key hits to get runs in," said Joyce. "But again, the level of competition we played in nonconference prepared us for that."
A mid-season slump saw FAU drop seven of 11 games, including three nonconference games, and fall to 10-7 versus C-USA competition. When asked how the team kept competing during that portion of the season, Coach Joyce was direct in her response.
"We had to. We didn't have a choice," she replied. "But that's just who we are (as a program)."
After a weekend sweep of WKU, the Owls entered the final weekend of the regular season tied for second place in the conference standings. FAU took both games of a Saturday doubleheader at UTSA, and that combined with Sunday losses by La Tech and FIU clinched the regular season crown for the Owls.
FAU advanced to the championship game of the C-USA tournament for the third time in four years. In the title game, the Owls came up just short, falling to Middle Tennessee 7-6.
Although the loss brought the season to an end, there were still plenty of reasons to celebrate. In addition to the regular season title, shortstop Emily Lochten (first team), outfielder Madisyn Palmer (first team) and pitcher/third baseman Tatum Buckley were all named to the All-Conference Team.
The trio was joined by Mia Olson on the NFCA All-Region team, marking a program high for players named to the all-region team in the same year. For the eighth time in her career, head coach Joan Joyce won conference Coach of the Year and catcher Alex Miller made the C-USA All-Academic Team for the second year in a row.
As a team, the Owls received the NCAA Public Recognition Award for earning an Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent of teams in the nation. Additionally, shortly after the season's conclusion, Coach Joyce was selected for induction to the Atlantic Sun Hall of Fame, the 12th of her career and Lochten was drafted by the E1 Pro Ballers of the American Softball Association.
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