Aug. 13, 2012
Boca Raton, FL -
Any championship season is filled with many dramatic moments and fantastic finishers. That certainly was the case for the 2012 Florida Atlantic University baseball team as it captured the Sun Belt Conference’s regular-season title -- the Owls’ second league crown in the last three seasons.
FAU compiled a 32-22 record, marking the 14th consecutive winning season for the program. The team had a 19-8 mark in SBC play.
FAUSports.com looks back at the top 10 highlights from the successful 2012 season. Grabbing the top spot is FAU’s come-from-behind victory over South Florida rival FIU to seal the conference’s regular-season championship.
The Scene: On the brink of capturing the title, FAU finds itself trailing FIU 3-1 entering the ninth inning.
Supporting Information: In the seventh inning the Owls load the bases with one out only to see that scoring opportunity wasted by not cutting into the deficit. The team had stranded 10 base runners heading into the ninth inning. Kyle Newton helped start three double plays to keep the Owls within striking distance.
The game was important on many levels. The team needed one victory in the last two games to clinch the Sun Belt Conference title over a surging Arkansas State team. Secondly, Arkansas State was leading UALR and ended the regular season sweeping the Trojans in a three-game series. FAU was going to have to win the conference title on the field.
The Play: With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, senior outfielder Alex Hudak tied the game with a two-run double off the right field wall. Junior outfielder Nathan Pittman and senior infielder Mike Albaladejo scored on the hit. Two more walks followed to load the bases – setting up junior outfielder Corey Keller’s critical at-bat.
Keller completed the comeback with a walk-off RBI single with one out to plate junior outfielder
Dylan Seigel.
“Winning the conference title is a big deal,” said John McCormack, FAU’s head baseball coach. “For 10 weeks we showed that we have been the best team in the conference. I think that is a big deal. This was one of the goals that we set at the beginning of the season.”
Key Stat: FAU captures its second Sun Belt Conference regular-season title in the last three years.
Schedule of 2012 FAU Baseball Highlight Countdown:
No. 10 – Spano’s walk-off single in 10th inning against Western Kentucky
No. 9 – Seigel’s Big Day against South Alabama
No. 8 – Garton’s Pitching Consistency
No. 7 – Cooney’s Jersey and Number Retirement
No. 6 – Nelson’s Performance in March FIU Series
No. 5 – Albaladejo’s Transition to Second Base
No. 4 – Alvarez’s Performance as Closer
No. 3 – Pittman’s Home Run against UALR
No. 2 – Owls Make History at Alabama
No. 1 – Ninth-Inning Rally to capture SBC Crown vs. FIU
Roster ·
Schedule ·
