Third baseman Chase Vergason makes a play during the early innings of FAU's first game against UCF. (FAUOwlAccess.com file photo)
Focused on the beating
FAU's 14-3 loss to UCF two weeks ago serves at motivation on Tuesday.
Originally published on
5/17/2010
by
Chuck King
> Preview capsule: What you need to know for FAU-UCF
> Sun Belt Standings: Updated for Tuesday's games
BOCA RATON – Those looking for the silver lining in FAU’s 14-3 loss to UCF on May 4 can point to the Owls’ current situation.
FAU’s weekend series against FIU will go a long way toward deciding the Sun Belt conference regular season champion.
With a series that important on the immediate horizon, it would be easy to understand why the Owls might overlook a non-conference opponent.
The memory of that previous beating, however, is still too fresh to forget.
“We got spanked the first time,” FAU shortstop Nick DelGuidice said. “That’s almost embarrassing on our home field. We want to take (Tuesday’s) game.”
FAU actually started well in the first meeting, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Turns out scoring first in a loss is nothing new to the Owls. FAU has been the first team on the board in each of its last six losses.
“We score some runs early, their pitching staff makes an adjustment, we don’t adjust back,” FAU coach John McCormack said. “We end up with three or four runs in the first two or three innings then we are shut down.”
The job of shutting down the Knights this time will start with Kevin Alexander, who allowed 6 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief in the first meeting. The outing will likely serve as Alexander’s final audition to become the Owls’ fourth tournament starter.
Of course, McCormack isn’t interested in talking about that possibility, yet.
“I don’t want to hear about anything that has to do with Sun Belt play,” he said on Monday. “It’s all about Central Florida.”
FAU (31-19, 19-8 Sun Belt)
at Central Florida (31-21, 8-13 Conference USA)
Pitching probables: FAU RHP Kevin Alexander (3-3, 6.47) vs. UCF RHP Brennan Dobbins (3-0, 5.12)
Scouting the Owls: Raymond Church led the Owls with three hits in the first meeting. …McCormack intends to give several pitchers some work on Tuesday. Lou Morey, who didn’t allow a run in 1 1/3 innings last meeting, should be the first to follow Alexander. Ryan Bernall and Andy Mee will also get work. …Mee (.396) has passed Dan Scheffler (.393) for the best batting average on the team.
Scouting the Knights: UCF has won 14 consecutive non-conference games. …Tuesday’s game will be the Knights final home game of the season. …Dobbins struck out four, walked two and didn’t allow a hit or run in two innings of work in the first meeting. …Jonathan Griffin and Alex Friedrich had three RBI apiece in the game at Boca Raton. …Chris Duffy (.436) and Shane Brown (.423) are bidding to become the first UCF teammates to hit better than .400 in the same season.