// Travis Ozga Senior , Infielder 6’2″, 215 Pope John Paul II Boca Raton, Florida A consistent and steady performer Travis Ozga made great strides in his junior year as an Owl infielder, with a break-out type of season. He started 53 of the 60 games at first base, and one at third, posting a .357 hitting average for a good part of the season and holding on to a .330 average heading to the final week of regulation play, where his batting average never fell below .300 for the year. Ozga’s steady performance in 2009 allowed him to string together some impressive numbers for the season: finishing the year with 56 RBIs, which happen to be some of the best numbers in school history, and of those, he managed 16 multiple RBI outings with a .326 average with runners in scoring position and compiling 71 hits and 11 HR. Entering his senior season, Ozga felt he had to work on his leadership skills. “A lot of the kids look up to me and the rest of the seniors, so being a little bit more serious and energetic” will hopefully help the transition of a new ERA in FAU baseball, he said.. And as the team embarks on a new beginning, “a new twist,” Ozga says, is part of a new approach Coach McComack brings as the team looks forward to returning to regional play. The players are aware of the three-year drought of not making an NCAA regional, something Owl fans have come to expect. Ozga adds that “we don’t necessarily put additional pressure on ourselves, but it serves as extra motivation,” striving to return to post season play. Heading into the 2009 season, Ozga mentions that “this year our team is a lot closer, we get along very well. We all are good friends and that helps a lot with the chemistry of the team. When you like each other you want everyone to do well,” he said. Combined with “a new twist,” hopefully that chemistry will help the team to a winning season. Ozga’s consistent play and outstanding performance of last season will no doubt be used as a barometer for the upcoming season. This can only be good news for Owl fans and a good indication what to expect not only form Ozga, but the rest of the team.
