Series Thread: UTSA vs FAU Apr 13-15, 2018


What:      UAB (17-21, 9-9) at #16 Florida Atlantic (29-10-1, 13-5-1)

When:     Sat, Apr 28th at 1:00 PM
               Sat, Apr 28th at 4:40 PM
               Sun, Apr 29th at 11:00 AM


Where:    FAU Baseball Stadium

Stream:   CUSA.tv *FEE

Stats:      Here


Series

This Owls lead 9-5 and have never lost a series to the Blazers.


Projected Starting Pitchers

Fri:        UAB - RHP Tanner Graham (3-4, 2.26)
             FAU - LHP Jake Miednik (5-1, 3.32)

Sat:       UAB - LHP Ryan Ruggles (0-2, 5.30 ERA)
             FAU - RHP Vince Coletti (2-2, 3.25)

Sun:      UAB - TBA
             FAU - TBA


Notes

Owls

Florida Atlantic couldn't get timely hitting in a 4-2 loss to visiting FGCU on Wednesday night. However, they took their second straight series from Rice in weekend play (14-10, 5-3, 6-6) and improved to 5-4-1 in the battle of the Owls over the last 10 meetings.

The 6-6 tie in game three of the series is an anomaly for FAU. Over the last 28 seasons, dating back to 1990, there have only been three to occur. One in 2008 under then Coach Kevin Cooney, and two in the last two years under Coach McCormack including Sunday's deadlock.

The Owls will be without Kyle Marman for the remainder of the year. Marman, who was off to a fantastic start in the Saturday spot, left the rotation a few weeks ago after experiencing discomfort in his forearm region. After multiple opinions, Marman recently underwent successful surgery and is expected to return next season.

Jake Miednik will return under the lights after seeing limited action in relief last weekend, with Vince Coletti continuing his place on Saturday. Sunday is a question mark.

FAU remains just percentage points (.765 to .750) out of first place in the C-USA standings, behind Southern Miss.


Blazers

UAB is coming off of a 1-2 series loss to WKU last weekend. The Blazers turned in their fourth shutout of the season in game two, but the Hilltoppers took game one and three.

The Blazers have been successful on the road in league play this season taking all of their series 2-1. Additionally, UAB is outscoring opponents 43-33 in conference games away from Birmingham. However they are 6-7 on the road thus far for 2018 overall.

Carter Pharis is hitting .299 with a team-best four home runs and 20 RBI to go along with 60 total bases, a .455 slugging percentage and is a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts this season.

Matthew Calvert has been the person to call on out of the bullpen as of late as the junior enters the weekend riding a 10-inning scoreless streak.

Tyler Tolbert has been a force on the base paths ranking first in the league in stolen bases (19) and attempts (24).

Tonight's series opener against UAB will have to wait due to weather in the area. The teams are now scheduled to play a twin bill tomorrow at 1:00 PM.

Since we had our contest postponed tonight, updating the head-to-head action of importance.

Southern Miss (1st place) takes their series opener on the road against Old Dominion 2-0 in a pitcher's duel.

Owls need to answer to hold tow.

LA Tech (3rd place), also on the road, drops their opener at WKU 6-1.

That is good + for the Owls…

USM still has to face LaTech as well. If the Owls just take care of ourselves, we could finish the regular season back on top.

FAU takes opener of DH from UAB

OWLS WIN! Miednik returns to form in 5-2 G1 victory over #UAB. Pages 3RBI HOMER, Montes 2-3 2RBI 2B. WP Miednik 7IP, 6H, 2R, 1BB, 3K. S Schneider. G2 of DH shortly #GoOwls 👌 pic.twitter.com/OuKj7TVK9q

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) April 28, 2018

Solid pitching by Jake Miednik in his return to the rotation, and key hits by Pedro Pages and Joe Montes, led the Florida Atlantic University baseball team to a 5-2 win over UAB in Saturday’s first game.

“I thought it was a gutsy performance,” said Head Coach John McCormack of Miednik. “He really did a nice job getting us to the eighth inning. I went out there and he said, ‘no, I can get this guy.’ He did it, and we were able to put the game away.”

UAB scored the day’s first run in the top of the third, but the lead was short-lived. In the home half, with two outs, Montes and David Miranda extended the inning with back-to-back singles, and Pages lifted a 1-2 pitch just over the fence in left for a three-run home run.

Similarly, in the fourth with two outs, Jared DeSantolo singled, and Jordan Poore and Tyler Frank each drew walks. Montes brought two in with a double, and that was all Miednik would need. He allowed just one run over the next four innings, Drew Peden pitched a scoreless eighth, and Zach Schneider a perfect ninth.

FAU baseball is kind of in a situation. Early on we had one of the best starting rotations in the conference. Now , at the end of the season , we are struggling  a bit. We need a couple of guys to settle in and step up. SoMiss is on cruise control. They look like the dominant team right now.

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader went 8-2 in favor of the Blazers.

UAB (18-22, 10-10) again scored first, with one in the first, and added three more in the second.

“I thought we could have done a better job, but he threw three pitches for strikes,” said McCormack of UAB starter Ryan Ruggles. “Would I want our guys to do more with him? Yes. But you have to give him credit, he really threw well.”

FAU scrapped back to cut the deficit in half in bottom of two, on a solo home run by Eric Rivera, and Gunnar Lambert scoring on an error. But that was all the scoring they’d get.

Ruggles allowed back-to-back singles to Lambert and Richie Nizza in the fourth, but got the next two batters out to strand the duo, and was perfect in the next four innings. After retiring those 14 Owls in a row, he walked Wilson to start the ninth, and turned the ball over to reliever Carson Smith.

Though the Owls (30-11-1, 14-5-1) loaded the bases, a strikeout and groundout ended the comeback attempt.

The Owls will look to capture the series in game three tomorrow at 11:00 AM.

UPDATED SCHEDULE: UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2018 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest

My last post where I said "we are kind of in a situation", was being nice. We are hanging on by a thread. The arms are wore out.

UAB scored 10 runs in the first three innings, and took the weekend conference series with a 12-5 Sunday victory over FAU baseball.

The loss marks the first time the Owls have seen a series defeat against the Blazers and the team now has just one win in the last five attempts.

UAB (19-22, 11-10) scored two in the first, three in the second and five more in the third for a double-digit lead.

“We did not pitch well, and we had a chance to score some runs but weren’t able to,” said Head Coach John McCormack. “Right from the beginning, we didn’t pitch well and the bullpen didn’t help out. Those things are going to happen.”

FAU got four back in their half of the third, all with two outs. Eric Rivera doubled in Richie Nizza, Cody Wilson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Jared DeSantolo notched a two-run single. But with the bases loaded, a strikeout ended any more of a threat than that.

After a two-run Brett Blackwood home run in the sixth, the Owls (30-12-1, 14-6-1) scored one more on a fielding error in the bottom. But that was all they’d get, even with DeSantolo’s fourth hit of the day in the eighth, and two singles in their last at-bat, by Diamond Johnson and Jacob Pino.

DeSantolo’s 4-for-4 showing is a career high, and the freshman is now batting .400 on the season.

The next four games for FAU are on the road. First up on Tuesday night, they head to Orlando for a 6:30 game against UCF.

UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2018 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest

The Owls tumble in the standings to 3rd…a full two games behind SMiss now:



After a 1-for-4 week, all but assured they will also fall out of the polls, with the exception of perfect game, where they may hold on to a bottom rung.