JUST IN: FAU Softball tabbed 5th in the 2024 #AAC Preseason Coaches Poll:

2024 Coaches Poll

1 Wichita State (8)
2 UNCC (1)
3 UNT (1)
4 USF
5 FAU
6 UAB
7 Tulsa
8 ECU
9 Memphis
10 UTSA

For reference, here is the 2024 member group aligned to last season's final RPI:


2023 RPI

23 Wichita State
33 Charlotte (CUSA)
65 North Texas (CUSA)
73 USF
91 Tulsa
92 FAU (CUSA)
99 UAB (CUSA)
155 ECU
246 Memphis
260 UTSA (CUSA)

FAU Softball splits on Opening Day:

G1 FAU 10, Marshall 6

G2 FAU 0, Arkansas 8

Owls (1-1) will be back on the field tomorrow at 7:00 PM vs Penn State.

Friday Final: FAU 2, Penn State 3

FAU Softball puts up a fight against Penn State, out-hitting them 7-3, but comes up short in the end.

Owls (1-2) will be back at it tomorrow at 6:00 PM against Ohio.

Saturday Final: FAU 8, Ohio 0

Gabby Sacco tossed five shutout innings in Florida Atlantic's shutout victory over the visiting Ohio Bobcats in Saturday night's softball action.

Sacco protected a 2-0 lead with zeros in the third and fourth and then watched FAU plate six runs by capitalizing on three walks, two hit batters, an error, and a Trinty Schlotterbeck double.

Florida Atlantic (2-2) will open the final day of Paradise Classic play on Sunday at 9 a.m. versus Michigan State.

Sunday Final:

FAU 4, Michigan State 2

A Zoey Jones three-run homer powered Florida Atlantic's softball team past Michigan State on Sunday morning by a 4-2 score.

The Owls (3-2) had scattered three hits through the first five innings and had used three pitchers to hold FAU within striking distance while waiting for the offense to find its momentum.

Trailing 2-0, Florida Atlantic's Presley Leebrick, who was 2-for-3 on the day, led off the inning with a single to the left. Kiley Channell followed with a single to right, giving FAU its first back-to-back hit of the game. With runners on first and second, the Spartans worked a groundout, but the game tying runs were on second and third. Sophomore Jesiana Mora, who was 1-for-3, hit a line drive just over the glove of the leaping MSU second baseman to score one.

Cue the music for left-handed hitter senior first baseman Zoey Jones, who stepped to the plate with a howling wind to right that had wreaked havoc on hitters all morning. Jones belted her second homer of the weekend, driving in three runs and putting FAU up 4-2.

Owls' reliever Ainsley Lambert then retired MSU one, two, three securing the team's third win of the season, of which Lambert has two.

FAU will host its first mid-week game of the year on Tuesday at 4 p.m. versus North Florida on Joan Joyce Field.

FAU Media relations

The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly softball awards for the week ending Sunday, February 11.

Player of the Week

Emma Jackson, So., OF, East Carolina

Jackson led the Pirates to a 6-0 opening weekend, hitting .652.  She had 15 hits, with six doubles and two home runs. Jackson scored 11 times and drove in another nine runs. She had multiple hits in five of the six games and scored a run in every game.

Pitcher of the Week

Sam Gress, Jr., P, Charlotte

Gress helped the 49ers make history on opening day as Charlotte took down No. 4 Florida State in Tallahassee. It marked the first win over a top five opponent in program history. Gress tossed six innings, striking out three batters and picking up the win. She added another 2.1 scoreless innings against Texas Tech.

Weekly Honor Roll

Jordan Hatch, Jr., P, East Carolina

Hatch finished with a 0.86 ERA in three appearances for the Pirates, striking out 12 batters in 16.1 innings pitched.

Ainsley Lambert, Jr., P, Florida Atlantic

Lambert picked up a pair of wins for the Owls, striking out seven combined batters against Marshall and Michigan State.

Kat Ibarra, Sr., INF, North Texas

Ibarra hit .500 during opening weekend, scoring three times and driving in another off a solo home run.

Payton Dixon, R-So., P/UTL, South Florida

Dixon Tossed a complete game shutout against Michigan, allowing just three hits. She finished the weekend with a 0.57 ERA in three appearances.

CC Wong, Sr., INF, Wichita State

Wong helped the Shockers to a pair of wins, batting .500 with a pair of home runs against SFA and Sam Houston.

Tuesday Final: FAU 7, North Florida 2

Trinity Schlotterbeck picked up her first win as an Owl on Tuesday night in the Florida Atlantic softball team's 7-2 victory against North Florida.

The Owls got off to an early start in the game and scored six runs in the second inning to take the lead. It started with a single by Jesiana Mora that brought in the run to put Florida Atlantic on the board. Shortly after, second baseman Camryn Orland hit a two RBI double.

Schlotterbeck went scoreless through four innings. In the fifth inning, the Ospreys scored two runs to get on the board. The Owls answered back with a run in the fifth to make the game 7-2.

In the sixth inning, Jaden Martinez went in relief for Schlotterbeck to close out the game.

The Owls will take on Louisville in game one of the Joan Joyce Classic on Thursday, Feb 15 at 6 p.m.

FAU Media relations

Baseball is baaaaack!

Thursday Final: FAU 1, Louisville 2

Florida Atlantic softball (4-3) opened the 2024 Joan Joyce Classic with a 2-1 loss to Louisville (7-0) on Thursday.

Kamryn Jackson led off the second inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the Owls' lone run on a ground out cutting Louisville's lead in half at 2-1. Jackson's run proved to be the final run of the night for either team and was the game's final.

Gabby Sacco started in the circle for FAU, took the loss and moved to 1-1 on the year. Sacco tossed four innings and scattered four hits, including the game-deciding two-run homer. Ainsley Lambert came on to pitch the final three, held the Cardinals to two hits and closed out the final inning 1, 2, 3.

The Joan Joyce Classic continues throughout the weekend. FAU will next play Louisville at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and will close out the evening by facing Maine. All games will be played on Joan Joyce Field.

FAU Media relations

Friday Finals:

G1 FAU 6, Louisville 3

The Owls snapped the 8-0 season start for the Cardinals with a 6-3 win. The Cardinals got to work early and scored in the first inning but that didn't stop the the Owls from tying the game in the bottom of the first. Outfielder Presley Leebrick hit the home run to get the bats going for the Owls. In the second inning, Florida Atlantic took the lead as junior Cameryn Orland scored an a wild pitch.

To kick off the sixth inning, it started with an RBI single from Leebrick, followed by a walk from Kiley Channell, and an RBI single from outfielder Kamryn Jackson, securing the three-run lead for the Owls.

Pitcher Trinity Schlotterbeck recorded her second win of the season to improve her overall record to 2-1. Junior Ainsley Lambert registered her first save of the season and fourth of her career as an Owl.

G2 FAU 10, Maine 2

Gabby Sacco started in the circle for the Owls as she recorded her second win of the season. Sacco now holds a 2-1 pitching record with a 2.88 ERA on the season. She threw a no-hitter through the fourth inning.

The bats were awake early as the Owls scored two runs to put themselves on the board. In the fourth inning, the Black Bears bounced back to tie the game. Freshman Kiley Channell brought in the first run of the fifth inning to get Florida Atlantic started in the eight runs that were scored. Kamryn Jackson then singled up the middle and recorded an RBI to extend the lead for the Owls. Huge at-bats by Florida Atlantic saw them continue to swing the bats and score runs.

The Owls (6-3) will face Michigan and Seton Hall in day three of the Joan Joyce Classic.

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