In February 2006, William Block, then a freshman, sent a towering home run over the fence in FAU’s 6-5 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. It was his first collegiate hit, and since then, he hasn’t looked back.

Now a senior, Block has amassed 37 home runs in his three years with FAU and currently sits fifth on the Owls’ all-time home run list, just 10 behind leader Mike Ryan (1982-1984). As Block enters his final season, the newly appointed co-captain looks to not only break the Owls’ home run record, but to also help the team reach the regionals round of the postseason, a task that has not been accomplished during his tenure at FAU.

Since stepping on the baseball diamond for FAU in his rookie season in 2006, Block, with his timely power hitting, has evolved into one of the most feared hitters in the Sun
Belt Conference.

But 22-year-old Block, of Pembroke Pines, is not a one-trick pony. Besides smashing pitches out of the park, Block has also increased his stolen-base total with each passing season. In 2008, Block tallied a team-leading 13 stolen bags. During the upcoming season, he will have more freedom on the bases.
“He’s going to be left on his own in the sense of giving him the green light and letting him run the bases,” says FAU head baseball coach John McCormack. “He’s a very good base runner, and [I will] let him kind of have a green light and go as he sees fit.”

McCormack, who served as the Owls’ assistant coach the last 18 years before long-time head coach Kevin Cooney retired, looks to rely on Block for more than just home runs and stolen bases.
“Will is going to even pitch a little bit for us this year,” says McCormack, “[We will] give him a chance to come in out of second base and throw some innings in relief.”

Block, who has been throwing off the mound in intra-squads during the fall and spring, says pitching is not a new facet of the game for him even though he has never pitched for FAU.
“I always want the ball in my hand,” says Block. “It’s not new, but it will be new to me on the college level.”

The competitive blue-eyed, long-haired second baseman knows he is on the verge of potentially making FAU history but would prefer to see the team reach the postseason.
“I’d rather see the team go as far as we can. A conference title, I haven’t gotten that. I haven’t gotten to a regional yet or super regional, and as of right now, it is the only thing to look forward to,” he says.

Block’s aspirations for the 2009 season mirror coach McCormack’s.
“For him to leave here with all those records and no championships and no regionals might be a little hollow,” says McCormack. “If he could put a stamp on the record book and also lead this team to a regional, that would be something special.”

Block, who is majoring in sociology, joined FAU from Nova High School in 2006. His friend Nick Arata, who was the shortstop on Block’s high school team, was also recruited by the Owls that same year.

Arata, whose first collegiate hit was also a home run, was recently drafted by Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.

When Block was asked whether he would like to emulate his teammate’s achievement, he smiled and responded with a simple “of course.”