Feb. 8, 2013

Boca Raton, FL - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team has been selected by Baseball America as the favorite to win this year's Sun Belt Conference (SBC) regular-season championship. The Owls are the defending champs after posting a 19-8 league record, while being 32-22 overall.

This is the second national organization to select FAU to repeat as SBC regular-season champions. Earlier, the Perfect Game website named senior first baseman Mark Nelson and sophomore pitcher Austin Gomber as preseason all-conference selections.

Baseball America listed junior-college transfer Levi Meyer as the league's No. 7 prospect heading into the spring season. The catcher from Wichita, Kansas led Iowa Western Community College to a junior college national championship last season. He was also named the fourth-best newcomer in the SBC in the preseason publication.

The Owls return six position starters and two weekend starting pitchers for the upcoming season, which begins on Friday, February 15 against the University of Cincinnati at the FAU Baseball Stadium, 777 Glades Road on the Boca Raton campus.

Four of FAU's 2013 non-conference opponents received top 40 preseason nationally rankings, while six more teams earned votes in the poll.

Season tickets are available by contacting the FAU Ticket Office at 1-866-FAU-OWLS.