6/11/2024 | Softball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic softball team has concluded a highly successful 2023-24 campaign which resulted in 41 wins, claiming the American Athletic Conference Championship regular season title in their first year with the AAC, and an NCAA Regionals appearance for the first time since 2016.
Entering the second season at the helm, Jordan Clark finishes year two with a 76-36 career record. Clark registered her 50th career win early in the season and her first NCAA Regional appearance as a head coach.
Graduate Trinity Schlotterbeck was named among the top 100 players by Softball America, ranked at No. 67. She was named NFCA First Team All-Region, Softball America, and NFCA All-American. Sophomore Jesiana Mora was named NFCA Second Team All-Region after having a stellar sophomore season.
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
Florida Atlantic played in a total of 27 non-conference games this season, competing in three tournaments at home (Paradise Classic, Owl Classic, and Joan Joyce Classic) and the Woo Pig Classic on the road. They finished the opening stretch with a 20-7 record.
Opening their season at home in the Paradise Classic, they faced Marshall, Arkansas, Penn State, Ohio, and Michigan State.
Just one week later, Florida Atlantic hosted North Florida and hosted the Joan Joyce Classic for the second tournament of the season. Taking on Louisville, Maine, Michigan, and Seton Hall, they went 4-1 over the weekend.
The following weekend the Owls went 5-1 in the Paradise Classic as they took on Boston College, Rhode Island, FGCU, and Columbia.
The Owls faced FIU and took both games on Feb. 28 and Mar. 19.
During Spring Break, the Owls took the road to Arkansas to compete in the Woo Pig Classic. Florida Atlantic went 3-1 in the tournament facing Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and South Dakota State.
Right before starting conference play, the Owls run-ruled Central Arkansas on the road with a 13-1 win in five innings.
With a couple of midweek matchups, FAU also faced Indiana, Stetson, and UCF.
CONFERENCE PLAY
FAU opened the inaugural season in the AAC on the road, winning the series against Wichita State. In the series finale, Schlotterbeck set a program record of three home runs and nine RBI in a game on the way to a 17-6 victory, the most runs by the Owls in a game since 2015 until being surpassed two weeks later against Memphis.
The Owls won the first five conference series of the year, taking from Wichita State, UAB, Memphis, ECU, and Charlotte. FAU won eight out of nine conference matchups on the season. and recorded four series sweeps.
Presley Leebrick led the Owls with a .390 batting average, 30 hits, and 24 walks in conference play. Schlotterbeck led in home runs (8) and RBI (32).
The eventful regular season closed with a sweep against Tulsa to claim the AAC Regular Season title. In the series’ last game, Megan Moll hit a three-run homer to extend the lead to 6-2.
POSTSEASON PLAY
The Owls were awarded many accolades on the season with five AAC First-Team All-Conference players (Katelynn de Leon, Kamryn Jackson, Ainsley Lambert, Presley Leebrick, Trinity Schlotterbeck) and Jesiana Mora on the Second-Team, Kiley Channell was named Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team and the coaches were named the 2024 AAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Florida Atlantic finished the regular season with a 41-16 record, 21-7 in conference play, and entered the American Athletic Conference tournament with the number one seed.
Clinching a bye for the opening two days, the Owls returned to action in the tournament’s quarterfinals to take on Wichita State for the fourth time of the season. This time around, Florida Atlantic fell short to WSU.
For the first time since 2016, the Owls were called on Selection Sunday to compete in the Gainesville Regional. FAU was one of 64 teams to compete in the postseason.
On day one in Gainesville, Florida Atlantic was set to face the Jaguars of South Alabama. The Owls lost to USA 2-1 and had to take on FGCU in the elimination game the following day. After some weather delay during day two of the regional, the first pitch was thrown at 6:30 p.m. FAU maintained the lead until the sixth inning when the Eagles tied the game. FGCU scored two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. The Owls scored one run to cut the deficit to one run. With a 3-2 final score, FAU concluded their season in Gainesville.
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