Local Rivalry Preps FAU for Postseason :: Owls travel down I-95 for weekend set in Miami

May 15, 2008

Florida Atlantic University will be trying to solidify a top-four seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament when it travels down I-95 this weekend to play a three-game series with league and local rival Florida International University. Game One is scheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m. at FIU's University Park.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC (27-24-1; 13-11-1 SBC): Led by national player of the year finalist Mike McKenna, FAU hits .323 as a team and scores nearly nine runs per game. McKenna is on pace to hit over .400 for the second straight season and needs just two RBI to become FAU's career-leader in runs batted in. FAU is just 2-7-1 in its last 10 games. The Owls dropped to 6-13 on the road after a 5-1 setback at Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (19-34; 11-16 SBC): FIU needs to sweep the series to qualify for the SBC Tournament and extend its season. The Golden Panthers have a team ERA of 7.07. Junior Ryan Mollica, a product of Lake Worth's Wellington High School, is hitting .407 with a team-best 20 doubles. Jorge Castillo, a senior transfer from Louisville, leads the club with 57 RBI. Castillo had a go-ahead double in FIU's Sunday 7-4 win over the University of South Alabama, allowing the Golden Panthers to take the series 2-1.

Florida Atlantic (27-24-1) @ Florida International (19-34)
May 15-17 | University Park (2,000) | Miami, Fla.
THU - 7 p.m. RH Michael Obradovich (4-4; 6.11 ERA) LH Corey Polizzano (5-6, 6.04 ERA)
FRI - 7 p.m. RH Mike Gipson (4-1; 5.50 ERA) RH Chris Allen (4-4, 4.53 ERA)
SAT - 2 p.m. TBA vs. RH Eric Horstmann (2-2, 5.90 ERA)

THE SERIES: After the weekend series the Owls and Golden Panthers will have played 70 times, more times than any other school in the Owls' 27-year baseball history. FIU holds a slim 35-32 all-time edge. The Owls swept FIU in a late-season series a year ago in Boca Raton by scores of 17-9, 5-0 and 11-10.

TV/RADIO/INTERNET: Live audio and play-by-play scoring for all three games versus FIU will be available via Florida Atlantic's official athletics website (FAUSPORTS.com). The live audio broadcast will be handled by FAU's Steve Bishop (play-by-play). Additionally, live play-by-play scoring for every FAU game this season will be provided via GAMETRACKER on FAUSPORTS.com.

HEAD COACH Kevin Cooney: ...17 winning seasons in 20 years... Florida Atlantic's Kevin Cooney - now in his 21st and final season at FAU, and 25th overall - owns an 881-519-9 all-time record as a head coach (741-469-4 at FAU). Cooney announced on April 24, 2008 that he will retire after the 2008 season. He ranks 23rd among active Division I coaches for career victories. Cooney has been remarkable in transitioning the FAU program into one of the top Division I-A teams in the country. Since taking over at FAU in 1988 (leading the Owls into Division I play in 1994) FAU has enjoyed 17 winning campaigns in 20 seasons. Under Cooney FAU has posted 9 consecutive winning seasons, averaging an exceptional 41 wins per year since 1999. In just 14 years as a Division I program, Cooney has guided FAU to six NCAA Regional appearances, including an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2002.

NOTES: Sunday was the final home game for ten final-year players, including RH Mickey Storey (3-5; 7.47 ERA) who ranks second all-time in career victories (23) at FAU and second in career strikeouts (291).

Senior All-America candidate, RF Mike McKenna (.401 BA), went 4-for-4 and hit his 16th home run on 'Senior Day'. McKenna hit .413 as a junior in 2007. McKenna needs just two more RBI to become FAU's all-time RBI leader. He is currently tied for second on the all-time RBI list with 181. He also ranks 2nd all-time at FAU in hits (258), 4th in home runs (41) and 10th in doubles (41).

2B William Block (.322 BA) hit three homers and drove in 11 runs last week. Block had 12 hits in just 27 at-bats (.444 BA) and totaled 24 bases in six games. He had two doubles in FAU's 20-3 win over ASU Saturday and posted a .889 slugging percentage on the week.

Four FAU hitters have 10 or more home runs. The Owls entered last week 4th nationally among all Division I teams in home runs per game (1.73).

Junior DH Tom Hatcher (.332 BA) hit a two-run homer Sunday, his eighth. LF Jeremy Griffiths (.347 BA) had a season-high five RBI Saturday. SS Nick Arata (.374 BA) drove in four runs and went 3-for-4 in Game Two against BCU Tuesday. Arata has 22 multi-hit games this season. Arata has 47 RBI, 20 better than his total as a sophomore a year ago.

FAU right-hander Michael Obradovich (4-4; 6.11 ERA) cruised through six innings and beat ASU Saturday. Obradovich has walked just ten batters in 45-plus innings this season.

LH Jeff Beliveau (4-3; 3.71 ERA) has limited opponents to a .209 batting average in 70-plus innings- that ranks him 8th all-time in opponent's batting average FAU single-season pitching history. Beliveau is allowing just 6.4 hits per nine innings, that is 4th-best in FAU single-season history. Beliveau is 4-1 in eight Sun Belt starts. League hitters are batting just .182 against him.

Freshman RH Mike Gipson (4-1; 5.50 ERA) threw his first complete game in beating MEAC champs Bethune-Cookman Tuesday. Gipson struck out seven and needed just 104 pitches in going the distance.

Florida Atlantic's 5-1 loss to FGCU Tuesday night at Swanson Stadium spoiled the outing of FAU's Nick Melendres (2-2; 7.06 ERA). The junior lefty faced just two over the minimum through five innings in his first start. Melendres, a junior transfer from Miami, had been used in short-relief in 16 previous appearances. He was impressive in his first start as an Owl, pitching into the sixth and allowing five hits.

FAU is hoping to get its two top relievers back for SBC Tournament play next week... Freshman closer RH Glen Troyanowski (3-1; 2.70 ERA) and junior LH Adam Morrison (2-2; 5.44 ERA) have both been temporarily inactive due to injury.