The Florida Atlantic University baseball team already has defeated tough NCAA Division I opponents like University of Florida and Florida International on the road this season.
But the Owls (14-1) will be facing their most formidable opponent when Division II nemesis Florida Southern comes to FAU for a 3 p.m. game Monday.
FAU is 3-10 against the Moccasins. The Mocs have won six national championships, most recently in 1985.
Florida Southern swept FAU by the combined score of 48-22 in the best-of-five Division II South Regional series in 1985. Florida Southern won 9-7, 7-1 in last year’s regular season.
This game will give us an idea of what the rest of our season will be like,” first-year FAU coach Kevin Cooney said. “Even if we get blown out, it’s not the end of the world. We’ll play them a few more times — once in the regular season and hopefully in the regionals.”
Florida Southern (5-1 before a weekend series with Florida A&M;) has never had to face a more powerful FAU team.
The Owls are averaging more than 10 runs per game. The team batting average is .370, with five regulars hitting better than .400.
Dro Ormrod is batting .464 with 25 RBI. He has hit a home run to dead center in each of the last three games.
Jack Penrod has eight homers, 25 RBI and a .442 average.
Brian Covin has five homers and 26 RBI. Covin has struck out only once in 61 at-bats, an unheard-of statistic for a power hitter.
And pitcher Joe Peede, the winner against Florida and FIU, is 6-0 with a 3.57 ERA. He will start against the Mocs, who have a .478 team batting average.
“It’s going to be a war,” Florida Southern coach Jack Anderson said. “We’ve had some very interesting contests against FAU over the years. They’ve got a good, well-recognized program. I’m looking forward to it.”
— Former FAU baseball coach Steve Traylor faced ex-assistant Pat Murphy Thursday when the two made their head coaching debuts at new schools.
Notre Dame, coached by Murphy, defeated Duke University 14-11.
— Three Palm Beach Atlantic College basketball players have been named to the All-Florida Christian College Conference team.
The two first-team selections were sophomore Chris Rose (27.1 points per game) and senior Ed Mills (20.8).
Senior Chris Gryskiewicz (13.7) was named to the second team.
— Mike Lee resigned as PBAC’s soccer coach and Dan Gould resigned as volleyball coach. Lee will remain the school’s athletic director.
Lee is looking for replacements for the part-time positions. Experienced coaches can contact Lee at 650-7727.
— The FAU women’s basketball team ends the regular season at Rollins College today at 5:30 p.m.
The Owls (12-14) finished with a home record of 9-5 after a 73-57 victory over Tampa Tuesday.
“For what I consider a ‘new’ program,” coach Wayne Allen said, “I think we were able to gain a reputation of being a very competitive team under adverse conditions. We began the season with eight new players and a new coach.”
Allen had a roster of seven or eight players for most of the season. He hopes to have 15 players on next year’s roster.
— NCNB National Bank of Florida recently awarded a $1,500 scholarship to FAU senior golfer Mark McCabe, the athlete with the highest GPA (3.76) in the College of Business and Public Administration.
