By: Tobey Schulman
Preview: FAU vs. Wichita State
The FAU Owls travel up to Kansas this weekend for a three game series against Wichita State. This will be the first time that either of these two teams have met, and the first time that the Owls will play in the state of Kansas. Both squads have had up and down starts to AAC conference play this season, and each hold a 5-4 record through their first nine games in conference play so far. After dropping their last two games to ECU and Miami, FAU looks to get back in the win column this weekend and rise in the conference standings.
The Owls go into this weekend with their usual core three starters. C.J. Williams, Tyler Murphy, and Trey Beard have been reliable for FAU all year, and will require solid starts in order to rest the bullpen as much as they can. Out of the bullpen, Danny Trehey has continued to be dominant as ever. He now possesses a 0.72 ERA in 25.0 innings pitched on the season so far, and he’ll undoubtedly be relied upon most likely multiple times this series.
On the offensive side, the usual names will be heavily relied upon. Christian Adams and Spencer Rich look to continue to hit, and as long as Jalen DeBose can stay healthy, he seems to be one of the better hitters right now on this Owls roster. If Rich can get on base early, his ability to steal bases, and the entire offense’s ability to put the ball in play can generate runs against this Wichita State pitching staff.
FAU’s set to face Caden Favors and Tommy LaPour from Wichita State, who each hold ERA’s over 3.00. On their offensive side, Camden and Dayvin Johnson are two bats to watch. The two lead many of the offensive categories for the Shockers, and hold the two highest batting averages on the roster given their amount of games played. Beyond those two, Wichita State has five other players that also hit for a .300 average or better, and limiting hits is going to be crucial for FAU.
This will be FAU’s first away series since Memphis in late March. This will be a test for the Owls, as Wichita State is looking to move up in the AAC standings as well in this series. With series coming up against UTSA and USF, these games will be critical for FAU down the stretch as they play better conference competition later in the season.