What:    Florida Atlantic (5-3) at Coastal Carolina Baseball at the Beach Tournament

When:    Fri, Mar 1st at 5:00 PM vs Coastal Carolina
              Sat, Mar 2nd at 5:00 PM vs http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-basebl/ncst-m-basebl-body.html
              Sun, Mar 3rd at 1:30 PM vs West Virginia

Where:  Pelicans Ballpark

Stats:    Here

Video:    Coastal Portal PPV (vs CCU Only)


Series:  First meeting for the Owls against each program.


Projected Starting Pitchers:

Friday:      FAU - LHP Austin Gomber (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
                CCU - RHP RHP Tyler Poole (0-1, 18.00 ERA)

Saturday:  FAU - RHP Jake Meiers (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
                NCSU - TBA

Sunday:    FAU - RHP Jeremy Strawn (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
                WVU - RHP Dan Dierdorff (1-1, 7.56 ERA)


Pre-Tournament News & Notes:

Coastal Carolina

San Diego scored four runs in the third inning an escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh to claim an 8-3 victory over Coastal Carolina Thursday evening in the first game of the 14th Annual Baseball at the Beach Tournament.

The Toreros (4-4) tallied 15 hits in the first seven innings, including three from Chris Woolley and two each from Dillon Checkal, Dillon Haupt, AJ Robinson and Andrew Daniel.

Coastal Carolina (3-4) dropped its third straight, marking the program's first three-game losing streak since March 18-19, 2011 when Pepperdine swept the Chanticleers.

San Diego broke the ice with three runs in the third. Checkal had a leadoff single and moved to second on a hit and run. After a wild pitch, Haupt drove in Checkal with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Robinson singled to put runners on first and second and Daniel brought the two home with a two-run single to center.

The Toreros padded their lead in the fifth. Chris Woolley had a leadoff home run then Kris Bryant and Haupt followed with back-to-back doubles to make the score 6-0. San Diego made it a 7-0 game in the sixth. Robinson and Daniel had back-to-back singles and each moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt. Austin Green followed with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Robinson.

Coastal trimmed its deficit to four, 7-3, in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second after singles by Zach Remillard and Nick Oberg, Jacob May hit a hot shot to short, driving in Remillard. USD pitcher Max Homick would hit Ted Blackman to load the bases with two outs and Colin Hering and Chris Suseck followed with back-to-back walks to force in two runs. With the bases still loaded, Homick escaped further damage inducing an inning-ending ground ball.

San Diego added an insurance run in the ninth. Daniel drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third and scored on Green's sacrifice fly.

PJ Conlon (2-0) earned the win in relief for San Diego. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out two. Tyler Herb (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing 10 hits and six runs in four innings.

Source: CCU Media Relations


Florida Atlantic

The weekend tournament marks the first road games of the season for the Owls who are playing in their first in-season tournament since playing at Auburn’s tournament in 2010.

FAU defeated No. 23-ranked Florida Gulf Coast 9-8 on Tuesday, marking the first win over a nationally ranked since a 7-4 win at No. 15-ranked Miami on May 17, 2011. The team’s five-run sixth inning in Tuesday’s game against FGCU marked the most runs scored in an inning this season, while 21 of team’s 40 runs have come between the fourth and sixth innings collectively.

Florida Atlantic pitchers have not allowed an extra-base hit in 38 consecutive innings, and have held opponents to five or fewer runs in seven of the eight games this season. The unit has a 2.64 earned run average, highlighted by a 2.36 ERA by the starting  pitchers.

Senior outfielder Nathan Pittman leads the team with three stolen bases, while the team has recorded nine steals in 12 attempts this season. Sophomore shortstop Mitch Morales is riding a seven-game hitting streak.


North Carolina State

The 10th-ranked Wolfpack downed New Mexico State 8-3, Thursday at Doak Field at Dail Park, to extend its current winning streak to seven straight.

The Pack (7-1) jumped ahead 3-0 through two innings, but found itself in a 3-3 tie heading into the bottom of the fifth. NC State rallied for two in that inning, and another three in the seventh to drop NMSU (3-6).

Grant Clyde continued hitting it all over the park, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run, and an RBI. This week, Clyde is 6-for-12 at the plate with two homers, two doubles, and three runs.

Jake Fincher went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a double, and a run scored. Trea Turner smashed his third homer of the year in a 2-for-4 outing including a double, scoring both times he reached. Brett Williams submitted a 2-for-4 day with a double. Williams has reached base in 17 of his last 22 plate appearances.

Pack reliever Andrew Woeck (1-0) captured the win in 2 1/3 shutout innings, holding the Aggies to three hits. Starter Brad Stone lasted 3 2/3, allowing three earned on two hits. Grant Sasser and Ryan Wilkins combined to finish the final three, limiting New Mexico State to one hit. Aggie starter Adam Mott (1-1) ended up saddled with the loss on five earned over the first 5 2/3.

Turner led the game off with a double down the left field line. Williams legged out an infield single to put two on. A grounder to third pushed both into scoring position. Tarran Senay drove in the first run with a single through the right side, and Fincher pushed the next run home with a single to right. The Pack added its third run in the second thanks to a Williams grounder to short.

New Mexico State tied the game in the top fourth, but the Wolfpack responded an inning later. Turner led off the inning by crushing a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence. Williams followed with a double, and scored two plays later on Senay’s sac fly. In the seventh, the Pack separated itself with three more. Fincher hit an RBI double into the right field corner and scored on Bryan Adametz’s single to left. Adametz represented the final run, scoring on Clyde’s double over the center fielder’s head.

Source: NCSU Media Relations


West Virginia

The West Virginia University baseball team continues its 10-game season-opening road trip this weekend.

The Mountaineers will face Indiana on Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m., UMBC on Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. and Florida Atlantic on Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m.

West Virginia carries a 3-4 record into the weekend, coming off a 2-2 performance last weekend against Youngstown State and Wake Forest.

Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, outfielder Jacob Rice, leads the Mountaineers with a .458 batting average. Rice had three multi-hit games last weekend, including four hits in a win against Wake Forest. Outfielder Brady Wilson has a team high .696 slugging percentage with a .435 batting average. Wilson has one double, one triple, one homer and six RBIs. First baseman Ryan McBroom leads the team with four doubles, while outfielder Bobby Boyd is the Big 12 leader with six stolen bases.

Right-hander Dan Dierdorff (1-1) will start against Florida Atlantic. Dierdorff had a rough outing last week in a loss to Wake Forest and was unable to get out of the third inning.

Source: Grant Dovey for WVUsports.com

I thought I would wish the team luck tonight since i am working. I would like to share this.

Game One

FINAL:

FAU 1  CCU 4

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The temps were a cool 47' degrees, and so were the bats, as the Owls dropped their first and only road game of the year 1-4 to the host Chanticleers Friday evening in Myrtle Beach.

Ricky Santiago (2-of-4) was the only player with multiple hits for FAU, who tallied their second lowest count (6) on the season.

Starter Austin Gomber (1-1) threw seven innings in the loss, giving up five hits, and all four runs. Only two were earned however.

Coastal Carolina (4-4) assumed an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind a pair of mishaps from Gomber, one a throwing error and the other a wild pitch.

The mark held until the top of the third when a lead-off triple by CF Nathan Pittman set up FAU's score. Levi Meyer sent Pittman home courtesy of a sac fly to center.

Gomber struck out the side in the 5th, but not before a lead-off walk would be followed by a two-out double that notched another run for the home team.  The Chanticleers brought the night's offense to a close later in the 7th with an additional solo effort.

Kyle Miller tossed the final frame for Florida Atlantic (5-4), fanning two but also surrendering two hits in the process.

Corey Keller, Mike Spano, and Tyler Rocklein were each held hitless.

The Owls will face their highest ranked opponent of the year thus far tomorrow when taking on #10 North Carolina State at 5:00 PM in game two.

Game Two

FINAL:

#10 NCSU 2  FAU 1 (10)

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Tenth ranked North Carolina State scored in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat Florida Atlantic 2-1 on Saturday.

Owl starter Jake Meiers had five strong frames, striking out out a career-high seven batters.

The Wolfpack took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a double-steal play. With runners on the corners and two outs, Tarran Senay stole second base while Brett Austin successfully stole home for the lead run.

The Owls (5-5) were held hitless through five, but Nathan Pittman drove in Mitch Morales to tie it up in the 6th inning after Morales walked and then stole second.

Still tied through nine, NCSU began their turn in the 10th with a double before later advancing the runner to third via an Owl throwing error. After back-to-back intentional walks, a ground ball allowed the winning run to score ahead of the throw to the plate.

Kevin Alexander (1-1) took the loss after allowing one unearned run over four innings, and striking out three in the relief effort.

Carlos Rodon, a preseason All-American nominee, struck out 16 across seven innings for the Wolfpack but saw the win go to reliever Ryan Wilkins.

The contest marked the third extra inning affair for the Owls, and the second against a ranked opponent. FAU fell to #20 Miami 5-4 in 11 innings on February 20th in Boca Raton.

FAU will wrap up play tournament play against West Virginia tomorrow at 1:30 PM.

Game Three

FINAL:

WVU 5  FAU 6

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The Mountaineers outhit the Owls 11-8 on Sunday, but Florida Atlantic made the most of theirs, taking the contest 6-5 to avoid a sweep in Myrtle Beach.

After a 1-1 tie through four innings, FAU (6-5) opened up the game with a three run 6th inning. Geoff Jiminez (2-for-3) tripled to open the at bat. 1B Mark Nelson followed that with a double bagger before Corey Keller was hit by pitcher, effectively ending UWV starter Dan Dierdorff's day on the mound. Mitch Morales later drove in Keller via an RBI single to complete a three run stint that had the Owls on top 4-1.

The Mountaineers would connect for runs in the top half of both the 7th and 8th innings to pull within a score, however Florida Atlantic pushed the lead back to three runs in the bottom of the 8th.

DH Bille Endris scored courtesy of a fielders choice from third, and Mitch Morales (2-of-4) connected for his third RBI on the afternoon by smacking a double down the right field line that plated C Levi Meyer.

WVU wasn't done though, notching another pair in the top of the 9th off closer Hugh Adams.

Adams held on in the end though, enticing a pop-up to end the contest and pick up his fourth save on the season.

Michael Sylvestri took the win to improve to 2-0 on the year.

The Owls will return home briefly before making a short road trip Florida A&M on Tuesday for a double header against the Rattlers. Game times are 3:00 and 6:30 PM.