What:      Rice (30-16, 17-7 C-USA) at FAU (36-11, 17-7 C-USA)

When:     Fri, May 8th at 6:30 PM
                Sat, May 9th at 1:00 PM
                Sun, May 10th at 12:00 PM


Where:    FAU Baseball Stadium

TV:           American Sports Network (Sat only)

Stream:   Here

Stats:       Here


Series:

Rice leads 4-0, and swept FAU (2-0, 14-1, 3-2) in 2014.


Projected Starting Pitchers

Fri:        Rice - RHP Jordan Stephens (5-3, 3.46 ERA)
             FAU - RHP Kyle Miller (5-2, 3.97 ERA)

Sat:       Rice - RHP Kevin McCanna (5-3, 3.44 ERA)
             FAU - RHP Drew Jackson (5-1, 2.03 ERA)

Sun:      Rice - LHP Blake Fox (5-2, 3.88 ERA)
             FAU - LHP Brandon Rhodes (3-0, 2.92 ERA)






Notes

FAU can add another sweep to their 2015 resume after knocking off UCF on Wednesday night 10-2. David McKay got his first start and performed well, tossing two innings while giving up three hits and allowing no runs.

The Owls won two-of-three games at UAB over the weekend. Saturday's 18-4 victory marked the fifth time this season that Florida Atlantic has scored 15 or more runs in a game in 2015. FAU produced a season-high 10 extra-base hits, and had 10 two-out hits which led to 11 two-out RBI.

Sophomore SS CJ Chatham hit .462 on the week with a .923 slugging percentage. He tallied two doubles and a home run in Saturday's win, driving in four runs while scoring twice. Chatham followed up that performance with an RBI double on Sunday, ending the weekend with four extra-base hits and five RBI. Chatham has batted .421 since April 8, raising his season average to .347.

FAU has more than doubled its 2014 home run total and has 34 homers, 16 triples and 96 doubles. They are 26-1 when holding opponents to four or fewer runs and 32-2 when holding teams to five or fewer runs.

Drew Jackson (pictured) will be the Owls' Saturday starter and is making his return after missing two series due to fatigue and a case of dead arm. This is certainly welcomed news, and gives the team a fully rested option for Miami on Tuesday night in that of Sean Labsan, who had been filling the gap.

Rice did not play last week due to final exams, but returns to league action this week tied for second place in the conference standings with FAU. Prior to that, the squad took three (11-4, 3-2, 3-2) from Western Kentucky in Bowling Green.

Rice is the only C-USA school to have four pitchers rank among the top 10 in the league in batters struck out. The Owls have posted 410 total strikeouts, 709 more than any other league team.

Over the last 14 games Rice senior second baseman Ford Stainback is batting 24-for-52 (.462) with two triples and two doubles for a .577 slugging percentage. He also has also drawn 11 walks for a .537 on-base average, scored a team-best 14 runs and stole a base. Stainback has hit safely in 18 of the last 19 games and reached base safely in each of the last 20 outings.

Senior OF Kirby Taylor leads all Conference USA hitters in batting average at .370, while OF Ryan Chandler leads all of the league's freshmen with 57 hits.

Sunny skies and warm temps will run throughout the series, although there is a slight chance for a stray sprinkle each day.

Saturday’s game will honor Florida Atlantic's outgoing senior class of Bo Logan, Cody Mizelle, Danny Murray, Jackson, John Sebelle, Reily Monkman, and Ricky Santiago. The contest has been selected for a live television broadcast on The American Sports Network.

This series got a big write up by Baseball America this weekend here is the link Weekend Preview: May 7-10 - BaseballAmerica.com

Hopefully we can get some decent crowds there this weekend! As big of a series as I can ever remember 

Here is a few things I noticed from the season so far. This team that was picked what to finish 3rd in the conference has proven everybody wrong that they are better than they were predicated. This team does not being down get to them, they continue to fight to stay in and win ball games. Starting rotation is decent, as well as the bullpen and the team fields decent. There are some concerns for me as a fan heading into the post season run, is our bullpen strong enough to handle a conference tourney run where they play multiply games in short days and the same thing apply's to regional play.  Yet I still have confidence in this team to make a run.

Here is a few questions I have?
1.) Even though baseball is not a money making sport, does a deep run in the NCAA tourney help the athletics department in any way? I know it could help baseball, but what about the department as a whole?

2.) What can the department do as a entity to help promote if we host a regional?

DeltAlumnus said

This series got a big write up by Baseball America…

Posted On: May 7th 2015, 6:26 PM #345065

But wait, there's more!

 

Florida Atlantic and Rice Battle for C-USA Supremacy

So they're talking about FAU on Marlins Live right now. Nothing but good things for the Owls. 

College Baseball Weekend Preview: May 8-10

Another great write up for this weekend series from D1 Baseball!

Sparse crowd right now. Hopefully people are getting off work and on their way to the game. First pitch begins in a few mins.

— FAU Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) May 8, 2015

1. Kerr, 2. Endris, 3. Sanger, 4. Santiago, 5. Collins, 6. Lashley, 7. Dicks, 8. Chatham, 9. Miller. Starting Pitcher: Kyle Miller. #GoOwls.

— FAU Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) May 8, 2015

Mid 1st: Miller allows 2 hits but gets a routine ground ball double play to get out of the inning.

— FAU Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) May 8, 2015