What:      Maine (4-11, 0-0 AE) at FAU (11-5, 1-2 C-USA)

When:     Tue, Mar 11th at 6:30 PM
                Wed, Mar 12th at 6:30 PM


Where:    FAU Baseball Stadium

Audio:      None

Stats:       Here


All-time Series

FAU owns a 7-3 all-time mark in the series, but the two schools met twice last season, splitting a pair of midweek games. Jake Marks, a 2012 New York Mets 28th round selection, shut down the Owls in the first game of the series, tossing a complete game shutout. FAU responded the following night, with 17 hits to nab a 15-6 win at home.


Projected Starting Pitchers


Tue:       UM -  RHP Jeff Gelinas (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
              FAU - LHP Sean Labsan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Wed:      UM - TBA
              FAU - LHP Brandon Rhodes  (1-0, 1.98 ERA)





For the first time all season, FAU will open the week looking in on the Top-25 polls, after a pair of losses to UTSA moved the Owls outside of the national rankings.

In FAU’s inaugural Conference-USA series, the bats couldn't capitalize on quality starts from the top half of the rotation, which resulted in back-to-back losses. FAU was able to rally and shutdown the Roadrunners in game three of the weekend, but the damage was already done.

The Owls will now return home to face a struggling Maine squad while they themselves remain in search of answers. The club has produced just five home runs this season, and leads the conference with 122 strikeouts at the plate.

Tyler Rocklein has a team-high 12 RBIs to his name, but has also struckout 19 times. Rocklein (pictured) was a mere 1-for-13 hitting in the UTSA series, with a lone RBI. His play will need to improve, before FAU welcomes Louisiana Tech to Boca Raton this weekend.

Maine travels to FAU, having lost four of it’s last five games. The Black Bears, who are in the running for one of the greatest nicknames on the schedule, opened the season at Miami and took one game from the ‘Canes. Outside of that, the Black Bears have managed just three other wins on their near month-long Florida-swing.

Shortstop Troy Black leads the American East Conference with a .404 batting average, and outfielder Colin Gay sports a .357 average of his own. Both players were second-team all-conference selections last season and anchor the lineup.

Maine has nine players on it’s roster from Canada, but also third baseman Shane Bussey, who played high school ball with FAU pitcher Brandon Rhodes at nearby Park Vista High School. Rhodes is scheduled to throw on Wednesday.

$5.00 tickets and $1.00 food items tonight.

Looking for a deal tonight? Then come out to tonight's game! Tickets are $5 & select food and merchandise are only $1 pic.twitter.com/Jkz7ViSGO5

— FAU Baseball (@FAU_Baseball) March 11, 2014

Baseball: Owls underway against Maine. M1 Labsan retires the Black Bears with three K's.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

E1 Sanger reaches on an error, but the Owls go quietly. Maine 0 #FAU 0.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

M2 Maine leaves one on, and Labsan registers his fourth strikeout.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

E2 The Owls put two off a pair of walks (Labsan, Meyer), but can't cash in. Maine 0 #FAU 0.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

T3 Labsan finds himself in a jam. Maine has tallied three straight hits and have the bases loaded with no outs.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

M3 A 4-6-3 double play retires the side, but not before the Black bears notch a run. Maine 1 #FAU 0.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014

E3 Sanger connects for a two out SGL to give the Owls their first hit. Nothing doing otherwise. Maine 1 #FAU 0.

— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 11, 2014