The Florida Atlantic baseball season just ended on Sunday, marking the start of the offseason for most players on the team. For a select few members of the team, their focus will shift toward the next chapter of their lives with the potential to be selected in the MLB Amateur Draft.
In a series featuring the two Owls of Conference USA, Mother Nature ultimately stood out the most, as rain lead to a postponement of one game and the cancellation of Sunday’s finale between No. 13 Rice University and No. 16 Florida Atlantic baseball.
Following a second weather postponement between the two teams this season, No. 17 Florida Atlantic baseball (30-13) traveled to Coral Gables to take on the No. 3 University of Miami Hurricanes on Thursday night. Although FAU won its previous matchup 4-3 against the Hurricanes on April 20, Miami would even the season series at one win apiece following its 5-2 victory over the Owls.
Coming off a win against Florida International University on Sunday, Florida Atlantic baseball picked up a loss against the Knights from the University of Central Florida on Tuesday night.
College baseball has reached the midway point of the season and Florida Atlantic’s team sits in a first-place tie for the Conference USA lead and is ranked No. 12 in the nation, according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
After rain caused the No. 17 ranked Florida Atlantic and No. 1 University of Miami baseball teams to have to wait three weeks later than anticipated to meet for the first time this year, the Owls took home a 4-3 victory.
Trailing by one run at the top of the ninth inning, Florida Atlantic sophomore right fielder Jose Bonilla Traverso stepped up to the plate with two outs. He laced the game-tying single to left field, pushing the No. 16 Owls into their third extra-inning game in their last five games.
Florida Atlantic senior right fielder Brett Lashley started a scoreless 11th inning by cracking a single to the left field, bringing home sophomore catcher Gunnar Lambert as part of five-run inning at the top of the 11th for FAU.
Florida Atlantic junior second baseman Stephen Kerr led off the game in an ideal way against the consensus No. 1 ranked University of Florida Gators, taking the game’s second pitch over the left field wall for a lead-off home run.
