Feeling good for FGCU
The Florida Atlantic baseball team begins an important week with a non-conference game vs. Florida Gulf Coast. The Owls are riding high after winning an emotional series at Arkansas State.
Originally published on 5/11/2009
by
Marcus Nelson
Last week when Florida Atlantic played an out-of-conference game against Florida Gulf Coast, the Owls were hoping to reverse a trend before playing an important Sun Belt Conference series the following weekend.
This week FAU is hoping to keep momentum going when it faces the Eagles again in a midweek game. The Owls play host to FGCU at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at FAU Stadium.
FAU is riding an emotional high after rallying to defeat Arkansas State 10-6 Sunday. FAU trailed 6-4 after seven innings but a bases loaded triple by William Block gave FAU the lead for good in a crucial game in FAU’s chase to make the post-season.
“That was as excited as I have seen our guys in a couple of weeks,” FAU coach John McCormack said. “The emotion just showed.”
The Eagles defeated the Owls last week 7-3 in Fort Myers, but FAU was able to shake the defeat off quickly and take two out of three games at Arkansas State.
After FAU faces Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday, the Owls will likely need to repeat the feat to make it into the eight-team Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Currently the Owls are in ninth place, but if they win all three games against Florida International in a series beginning Thursday, they will make it to the post-season. The Owls could still qualify if they win two games, but they would need some help from other teams playing on the last weekend of the regular season.
But, McCormack is happy the Owls still control their own destiny in the race to make it to the Sun Belt tournament.
“We have some things going for us,” McCormack said. “There are a lot of people jumbled around us, but we hold some tiebreakers, so we have some things in our favor.”
vs. 
Florida Gulf Coast (33-17, 21-6 Atlantic Sun)
at Florida Atlantic (27-22, 10-16 Sun Belt)
When: Tuesday 6 p.m.
Where: FAU Stadium
Pitching plans: FAU LHP Ahmed Garcia (3-2, 5.29) vs. FGCU TBA
Scouting the Eagles: Florida Gulf Coast only needs a victory this weekend vs. Stetson to win its second consecutive Atlantic Sun championship…Even with the championship the Eagles won’t qualify for the post-season as FGCU is still in transition to Division I…The Eagles had an 11-game winning streak snapped in their last game, a 6-5 loss at Kennesaw State.
Scouting the Owls: Nick Criaris had a home run as FAU lost to FGCU 7-3 last week…FAU plans to throw many pitchers, including junior Kenny Gray who hasn’t pitched since 2006 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.