By: Tobey Schulman
FAU travels up to Orlando to take on Big-12 conference opponent UCF for the second time this season. The Owls have won five straight dating back to the final game against FIU, and secured wins over Miami and Maine last week to extend their record to 12-6. FAU fell to UCF in the first matchup between these two teams earlier this year by a score of 11-6. The Owls will look to be ready to swing the bats against the UCF pitching staff, and take the second game heading into conference play.
The Owls are coming off of a sharp series at the plate. The Owls scored 31 runs, including a 10-0 run-rule game in the seventh inning of game three. The offense has been highlighted by John Schroeder, Christian Adams, and Brando Leroux. The three are hitting for a batting average of at least .333 and have combined for seven home runs and 51 RBIs.
While those three will undoubtedly be relied on against UCF, the bottom of the order can make a big impact as well for the Owls. Jalen DeBose had a great series against Maine. He tallied five hits including a double and a home run, while recording four RBIs in the process.
UCF is coming fresh off of a series win against Oklahoma State, and will host the Owls before traveling to Lawrence for the Kansas Jayhawks this weekend. Matt Prevesk has been the highlight of this UCF offense, hitting .371 with a team leading 26 hits. Jack Zyska is another bright spot in this offense, hitting for a .339 average with a team leading 1.033 OPS.
The Owls look to keep the bats hot against the Golden Knights on Tuesday. The UCF rotation kept the Owls quiet for a majority of the game earlier in the season, and they’ll look to get off to a hotter start at the plate this time around.
On the pitching side, the Owls just need to limit giving up large amounts of runs in a single inning. If the pitching staff can hold up, the bats for the Owls are more than capable of providing the run support needed for a win.