BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team (21-13, 7-5 C-USA) returns to action at home on Thursday against Western Kentucky (13-19, 4-8 C-USA). The three-game series has been moved up a day for Easter Sunday.
Thursday | Bingo at the Ballpark
Friday | Jackie Robinson Day Rally Towel giveaway
Sunday | Postgame Easter egg hunt in the outfield for kids
The Owls are 6-4 in the last 10 and coming off a 7-6 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Miami on Tuesday. FAU is 16-8 at home this season.
Gabriel Rincones, Jr. and
Nolan Schanuel are ranked first or second in Conference USA in nine different offensive categories. Schanuel leads in average (.406), on base percentage (.521), and is tied with Rincones in hits (52). Rincones' 51 RBI lead the league and the sophomore is second in total bases (100). The Owls lead C-USA as a team with 353 hits.
Hunter Cooley will make the Thursday start for the Owls. He went eight innings last Friday against UAB, allowing just three hits and three runs. Cooley threw 111 pitches and struck out nine.
Tyler Burnham will start Saturday's series finale. He pitched five innings on Sunday and earned a win, allowing just two hits and one run. Friday's starter has not been announced yet.
WKU fell to No. 11 Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The Hilltoppers took two of three from FIU last weekend.
Junior Tristin Garcia leads the offense with a .341 average. Ty Batusich, a freshman from Joliet, Ill., is hitting .333 with eight home runs and 28 RBI.
Devyn Terbrak will start on Thursday for the Hilltoppers. He went six innings last Friday against FIU, allowing four runs. The junior from Perryville, Mo. recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts. Luke Sinnard will be Saturday's starter. He conceded two earned runs in 5.2 innings on Sunday.
Friday | FAU - FAU
Hunter Cooley (LHP) (4-2, 4.33 ERA) vs. WKU -- Devyn Terbrak (LHP) (5-1, 6.32 ERA)
Saturday | FAU - TBA vs. WKU - TBA
Sunday | FAU -
Tyler Burnham (LHP) (2-0, 3.57 ERA) vs. WKU -- Luke Sinnard (RHP) (0-0, 2.19 ERA)
The Owls are 33-14 all-time against Western Kentucky. FAU took three of four last season in Bowling Green. The Hilltoppers have only played two games in Boca Raton since 2016. The series in 2018 was shortened to two games because of rain and the 2020 matchups were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Follow along with the team on Twitter @FAUBaseball, on Instagram and "like" FAU baseball on Facebook.
The Owls will head back on the road for a midweek trip to Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday. They'll travel to Norfolk, Va. next weekend for three against Old Dominion.
Tickets can be purchased by calling
1-866-FAU-OWLS or visiting FAU's baseball tickets website.