What : FAU (8-6) vs Miami (9-6, 2-1 ACC) When : March 12 & April 2 6:30 PM Boca Raton | April 9 & Apr 23 6:00 PM Miami Where : FAU Baseball Stadium | Mark Light Park Video : FAU TV | ACCNX Live Stats : Here Miami Team Site : Here Series : UM leads 71-22 all-time and tied FAU 2-2 in 2023 (5-6, 10-5, 6-7, 12-9) Projected Starting Pitchers : FAU – LHP Zach Abbey (0-0, 3.38 ERA) MIA – LHP Ashton Crowther (0-1, 6.23 ERA) Owl Notables Blowing out in-state rival FIU by 22 runs this past Sunday should give the Owls much-needed momentum heading into their first matchup against Miami this year. The Owls dominated FIU with an overwhelming 24-2 victory, tallying runs in seven out of eight innings while amassing 18 hits and six home runs. This marked the second consecutive Sunday where their offense excelled, following a 20-7 triumph over Stonehill the previous week. The pivotal moment came in an 11-run third inning, highlighted by grand slams from Jalen DeBose and John Schroeder. Tyler Murphy delivered an impressive performance, pitching nearly flawlessly for five innings, conceding only one hit and one walk while achieving a career-high eight strikeouts. Schroeder and Murphy earned recognition on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Schroeder showcased his hitting prowess throughout the series against FIU, notably hitting grand slams on both Saturday and Sunday, accumulating a team-leading 17 RBI for the season. Murphy boasts a team-best 1.93 ERA (71st in the nation) and ranks second in strikeouts with 17. As part of a formidable starting rotation for the Owls, the sophomore has established himself alongside C.J. Williams and Trey Beard, who have also been integral contributors in the team’s success during the initial month of the season. Carter Brady (pictured below via Rick Henderson) delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, belting two home runs as part of a perfect 4-for-4 outing at the plate. The outfielder has showcased himself to be a hitter capable of making key plays for his team, possessing a .297 batting average with 11 hits for 13 RBI and a team-most four home runs this year. A big performance from Zach Abbey on the mound will be crucial for FAU, especially against a Miami offense putting up 9.7 runs per game (23rd nationally). Abbey makes his second start this season, the first one taking place against North Florida as he struck out three batters in three innings. DeBose will be starting at center field this time around, as Spencer Rich is unable to take part due to injury. DeBose has six hits for 8 RBI over his last four games, looking to take advantage of his regained rhythm by facing a Miami squad that he made moments against throughout last year’s series. The Owls stay home as they host Maine for three games starting March 15th at 6:30 PM. The series will be broadcast on FAU TV. The starters (in non-batting order) for game one should be that of the below: RF Carter Brady CF Jalen DeBose LF David Alvarez 1B Emilio Gonzalez 2B Christian Adams 3B Nick Garagozzo DH Andrew McKenna SS Brando Leroux C John Schroeder P Zach Abbey Hurricane Notables Despite going through a streaky start to their season, the Hurricanes still present themselves as a strong matchup for the Owls. Over this past weekend, Miami commenced ACC play by clinching victories in two out of three contests against a Virginia squad that was ranked 13th in the country. On Saturday, the Hurricanes orchestrated a comeback from a 12-3 deficit, orchestrating a remarkable display with six runs in the seventh inning and an additional seven in the eighth, securing a 16-12 win. It was their largest comeback victory since May 1992. With this series win over a nationally-ranked team, the Hurricanes have received votes in USA Today’s latest Coaches Poll. Defensive issues aside, their offense remains potent with the sixth-most home runs in the country with 34 and the 23rd-most scored runs with 146. They are hitting .310 so far, which is the 41st-best average in the nation. Freshman infielder Daniel Cuvet has emerged as a standout performer for the team, leading the Canes in batting average (.425; 33rd nationally), home runs (8; 11th), and RBI (25; 15th). The Owls’ bullpen must figure out ways how to cool off his hot start to the season. Sophomore Blake Cyr, who was named the ACC Player of the Week, demonstrated his prowess by amassing an impressive record of eight hits in 16 at-bats, along with three home runs and 11 RBI across four games last week. He is another player FAU must not concede runs to. Redshirt freshman Ashton Crowther is slated to make his inaugural start on Tuesday. The southpaw has made appearances in three games thus far, accumulating a total of 4.1 innings on the mound while conceding three earned runs. His limited playing time on the mound could be something the Owls can exploit. The Hurricanes return to Coral Gables as they host North Carolina for three games beginning March 15th at 7:00 PM. The series will be broadcast on ACCNX.
