What : FAU (4-4) vs. Stonehill (2-2) When : Fri, March 1st @ 6:30 PM Sat, March 2nd @ 4:00 PM Sun, March 3rd @ 12:00 PM Where : FAU Baseball Stadium Video : FAU TV Live Stats : Here Stonehill Team Site : Here Series : First series matchup. Projected Starting Pitchers : STO – RHP Ryan Douglas (0-1, 3.00 ERA) FAU – RHP CJ Williams (1-0, 7.20 ERA) STO – RHP Zach Gleason (0-0, 1.80 ERA) FAU – LHP Trey Beard (1-0, 3.12 ERA) STO – RHP Pierce Friedman (0-0, 15.43 ERA) FAU – RHP Tyler Murphy (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Owl Notables A rough mid-week featuring losses to UCF and UNF shouldn’t keep the Owls down for too long. But it’s especially important for them not to dwell on those losses as they need to have a resounding series against new opponent Stonehill, where a similar performance to how they played Towson could be expected. Strong batting would be anticipated from shortstop Brando Leroux and second baseman Christian Adams. Leroux has been the most impressive newcomer with a team-leading .419 average for 13 hits, 10 RBI, and a home run as he shows no signs of stopping. Recently named to the AAC’s Weekly Honor Roll, Adams has also come around as a consistent hitter for the Owls, hitting the ball 12 times for four RBI including three doubles. Emilio Gonzalez (pictured below via Rick Henderson) is another player to keep track of when it comes to the hitting unit. The designated hitter showcases a powerful swing during his at-bats, currently off to a decent start this year with a .346 average for 10 RBI and a home run. Keep a close eye on the pitchers throughout this series, especially the starters. Williams, Beard, and Murphy all impressed during their times on the mound against Towson by only giving up three runs combined as the bullpen is in need of strong momentum following the blunders against UCF and UNF. Due to injuries and inconsistent play from the bottom of the batting unit, head coach John McCormack could be moving some of his players around multiple positions until he finds the right mix and some of the injured players are back fully healthy and ready to return. After this series, the Owls will remain in-state as they head up to Gainesville to face the nationally-ranked Florida Gators on March 5th at 6:00 PM. The game will be broadcast on SECN+. The starters (in non-batting order) for game one could be that of the below: RF Jake Millan or John Schroeder CF Spencer Rich LF Carter Brady 1B Emilio Gonzalez or Jake Millan 2B Christian Adams 3B Daulton Frank or Patrick Ward DH Emilio Gonzalez or Dylan LaPointe SS Brando Leroux C John Schroeder or Andrew McKenna P CJ Williams Skyhawk Notables Stonehill is in their infancy when it comes to being a Division I program. They earned their promotion to D1 Baseball in 2022, following 42 years of competition as a D2 squad. They are led by longtime coach Patrick Boen, who has been with the program since 1998. The Skyhawks compete in the NEC conference, where they went 14-35 overall and 10-20 in league play for their inaugural campaign as a D1 program. Stonehill is off to a respectable 2-2 start for the beginning of their sophomore year. After losing two of their three games to Bethune-Cookman to begin the season, they managed to take down Bryant in a 5-3 victory this past Tuesday. One batter the Owls’ bullpen should be careful about is first baseman Trey Ciulla-Hall. He leads the batting unit with a .429 average, hitting the ball six times for three RBI including a double. The Skyhawks’ pitching is where FAU hitters should pay attention to. Ryan Douglas (five hits allowed and two strikeouts) and Zach Gleason (six hits allowed and five strikeouts) have done well limiting opponents’ runs to their team’s advantage, as getting off on fast starts would be crucial for the Owls if they were to come out of this series victorious. After this series, Stonehill’s time in Florida is not done yet as they head down to Coral Gable to play the Miami Hurricanes on March 6th at 6:00 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
