SERIES THREAD: FAU @ #16 Rice - Mar 21-23, 2014
What: FAU (14-7, 3-3 C-USA) at Rice (15-6, 5-1 C-USA)
When: Fri, Mar 21st at 7:30 PM
Sat, Mar 22nd at 2:00 PM
Sun, Mar 23rd at 2:00 PM
Where: Reckling Park
TV: Saturday - Fox Sports
Audio: Here
Stats: Here
Series:
The teams met once previously back in 2007. Rice came away with a 4-2 bottom of the 9th win behind a two run walk-off homer.
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Fri: FAU - LHP Austin Gomber (2-2, 4.35 ERA)
Rice - RHP Zech Lemond (2-0, 1.40 ERA)
Sat: FAU - RHP Jeremy Strawn (2-3, 2.12 ERA)
Rice - LHP Blake Fox (4-0, 1.38 ERA)
Sun: FAU - RHP Drew Jackson (2-0, 2.49 ERA)
Rice - RHP Chase McDowell (3-1, 1.05)
Florida Atlantic (14-7) heads to Houston, Texas this weekend to take on a well-respected Rice program (16-6) on a six game winning streak. FAU Baseball is coming off of a series win over Louisiana Tech in which the three games were decided by a mere four runs.
The Owls will need more offensive output in support of the pitching staff, which performed very well in their last series. Drew Jackson and Austin Gomber both provided strong outings in the two most recent FAU wins.
The onus to increase the run support falls to Brendon Sanger, Tyler Rocklein, and Ricky Santiago - who will need to find their bats heading into tomorrow night.
Those men, who comprise the middle of the FAU batting order, combined for just 7 hits in 33 total at-bats in the previous series. FAU will need to find a way a manufacture runs this weekend, even if it means playing small ball, which they have done in spurts this season.
While they will be switching up the rotation served up in their last three game affair, Rice also is adept at the mound. Four pitchers in their rotation have an ERA under two. They have had little trouble producing runs this year, scoring eight or more in eight different games this season.
They scored 16 runs in their last win over Texas State, and scored twenty three runs in a win over Purdue on February 23. Rice has outscored their opponents 55-22 in their last six wins.
The first game of the series starts at 7:30 PM on Friday. The second game of the series will be televised on Fox Sports at 2:00 PM on Saturday, and the series will end on Sunday, March 23 at 2:00 PM.
FAU pitcher Kevin Alexander is dealing with an illness, and will be unavailable for tonight's game.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
FAU Owls' batting order versus Rice: Endris, Kerr, Sanger, Santiago, Rocklein, Morales, Meyer, Larsen, Chatham.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Free audio of the FAU Baseball game against Rice tonight: http://t.co/NDfqFUv4tx
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Ricky Santiago grounds out to end the top of the first inning, leaving a man stranded. Austin Gomber will head to the mound now.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Gomber gives up a double to Rice's Skyler Ewing, but retires the next batter to escape the inning unscathed. Score is 0-0 after one inning.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Tyler Rocklein singles to center field, the first hit of the game for the #FAU Owls.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Levi Meyer grounds into a double play to end the inning for the #FAU Owls. Both teams are still scoreless.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
Three up, three down: Gomber retires three straight batters to end the second inning.
— The Owl's Nest (@TheOwlsNest_ITB) March 21, 2014
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