Courtesy of www.fausports.com

Mickey Storey continues making historyAfter a great freshman season, FAU pitcher Mickey Storey was named Collegiate Baseball’s Freshman-Pitcher-of-the-Year. He was also extended an invitation to try out for one of collegiate baseball’s highest honor: representing Team USA as they travel the world this summer.

“Definitely think I deserved it. I went out there and kept the team in the game. We won ten of the games [I pitched]. Top 20 in the nation in the ERA,” Storey responded when asked if his invitation for a tryout was a surprise. Unfortunately, Storey did not make the team. A total of 22 players were selected, 17 of which were freshman.

Storey finished the 2005 season with 10 wins and only one loss. He had an earned-run-average of 1.70 and also had seven saves. He threw 95 and one-third innings, posting 82 strikeouts and walking only 23 batters. He also had two complete games, including one at the Coral Gables Regional in the NCAA Tournament in early June. FAU was eliminated by Mississippi State from the NCAA Tournament

“We put a great team on the field year after year,” says Head Coach Kevin Cooney. Cooney also said that he reminds Storey that although he had a great year, next year might not be as good. “You could just as easily have a bad year,” says Cooney.

FAU Football to be televised on ESPN twice this yearFAU has moved the Sept. 24 game against conference foe Louisiana-Monroe up two days to Thurs. Sept. 22. The game will be televised on ESPNU, a network created by ESPN that is geared towards collegiate athletics. It will be FAU’s first game as an official member of the Sun Belt Conference.

According to FAU’s official athletic website, “the game will mark the completion of possibly the most difficult non-conference schedule in the country…” On ESPN.com, Minnesota is ranked no. 23 in the country in pre-season polls. Both Louisville and Oklahoma State didn’t make it into the Top 25, but did receive votes. Louisville finished seventh last season in the ESPN Top 25 poll.

FAU Football Schedule 2005 and the Sagarin RatingsJeff Sagarin of the USA Today has produced the Sagarin Ratings since 1985 for most college sports, including football. Last year, FAU’s final ranking was 85 out of 240 schools. In the schedule box, the Sagarin Rating of each opponent at the end of last year is in parenthesis.

2005 FAU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

* Sept. 3 – Kansas (Sagarin Rating, season ending 2004, 57)* Sept. 8 – Oklahoma State – ESPN2 – Dolphin Stadium (28)* Sept. 17 – Minnesota (38)* Sept. 22 — Louisiana-Monroe – ESPNU – Lockhart stadium (123)* Oct. 1 – Louisville (5)* Oct. 8 – Louisiana-Lafayette (122)* Oct. 15 – Middle Tennessee – Lockhart Stadium (119)* Oct. 22 – Arkansas State (136)* Nov. 5 – Troy (77)* Nov. 12 – North Texas-Lockhart Stadium (102)* Nov. 26 – FIU (161)

Average Non-Conference Opponents Sagarin Rating: 32Average Conference Opponent Sagarin Rating: 120Average Non-Conference and Conference Opponent Sagarin Rating: 88