View source for 2002 Florida Atlantic Blue Wave baseball team

{{short description|American college baseball season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA team season
|mode = baseball
|year = 2002
|team = Florida Atlantic Owls
|image =
|image_size = 155 px
|conference = Atlantic Sun Conference
|division =
|short_conf = Atlantic Sun
|CoachRank =
|APRank = 15 (Collegiate Baseball)
|record = 46-21
|conf_record =22-8
|head_coach = [[Kevin Cooney (baseball)|Kevin Cooney]]
|hit_coach =
|pitch_coach =
|stadium = FAU Baseball Stadium
|champion = Tuscaloosa, AL Regional Champions
|bowl =
}}
{{2002 Atlantic Sun Conference baseball standings}}
The '''2002 Florida Atlantic Blue Wave baseball team'''<ref>From 1981-2006, the FAU baseball team was called the "Blue Wave."</ref> was the intercollegiate baseball team of [[Florida Atlantic University]] for the 2002 [[NCAA]] baseball season.  It competed on the [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]] level in the [[Atlantic Sun Conference]].  The 2002 team became the first in school history to clinch a Regional championship and earn an appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals, by defeating [[Alabama Crimson Tide|Alabama]] in the Regional Championship game, 6-5.

==2002 schedule and results==
{| class="wikitable" width="68%"
! Date !! Opponent !! Location !! Result !! Record !! Notes
|-
| || || || ||  ||
|-
| May 15, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=FIU Golden Panthers|title=FIU}} || Boca Raton, Florida || '''W''' 17-8 ||  ||
|-style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 17, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Georgia State Panthers|title=Georgia State}} || Boca Raton, Florida || L 3-2 ||  || 10 innings
|-style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 18, 2002 || vs. Georgia State || Boca Raton, Florida || L 5-4 ||  || 11 innings
|-style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 18, 2002 || vs. Georgia State || Boca Raton, Florida || '''W''' 11-4 ||  ||
|- style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 22, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Jacksonville Dolphins|title=Jacksonville}} || DeLand, FL || '''W''' 4-2 || 1-0 || A-Sun Tournament
|- style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 23, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Stetson Hatters|title=Stetson}} || DeLand, FL || L 3-0 || 1-1 || A-Sun Tournament
|- style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 24, 2002 || vs. Jacksonville || DeLand, FL || '''W''' 6-4 || 2-1 || A-Sun Tournament
|- style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 24, 2002 || vs. Stetson || DeLand, FL || '''W''' 10-3 || 3-1 || A-Sun Tournament
|- style="background: #ddffdd;"
| May 25, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=UCF Knights|title=UCF}} || DeLand, FL || L 8-6 || 3-2 || A-Sun Tournament Championship
|- style="background: #abcdef;"
| May 31, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Auburn Tigers|title=Auburn}} || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 16-11 || 1-0 || NCAA Regional
|- style="background: #abcdef;"
| June 1, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Southeast Missouri State Indians|title=Southeast Missouri State}} || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 12-6 || 2-0 || NCAA Regional
|- style="background: #abcdef;"
| June 2, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Alabama Crimson Tide|title=Alabama}} || Tuscaloosa, AL || L 7-2 || 2-1 || NCAA Regional
|- style="background: #abcdef;"
| June 2, 2002 || vs. Alabama || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 6-5 || 3-1 || NCAA Regional Championship
|-style="background: #E68FAC;"
| June 7, 2002 || vs. {{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|title=Georgia Tech}} || Atlanta, GA || L 14-3 || 0-1 || NCAA Super Regional (Best-of-3)
|-style="background: #E68FAC;"
| June 8, 2002 || vs. Georgia Tech || Atlanta, GA || L 11-5 || 0-2 || NCAA Super Regional (Best-of-3)
|-
| colspan="6" | <small>* Atlantic Sun Conference games in <span style="color:#33cc33;">'''GREEN'''</span>.  * Regional games in <span style="color:#039;">'''BLUE'''</span>.  * Super Regional games in <span style="color:#8B0000;">'''RED'''</span>.</small>
|}

==Regionals==
The 2002 season saw FAU receive its third bid to the [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship]] tournament; its first since 2000.  As an at-large selection, FAU was placed in the Regional bracket with the [[Alabama Crimson Tide baseball|Alabama Crimson Tide]], the [[Auburn Tigers baseball|Auburn Tigers]], and the [[Southeast Missouri State Redhawks baseball|Southeast Missouri State Indians]].  The top seed of the Regional was the national #3 seed, Alabama, who hosted in [[Tuscaloosa, AL]].  FAU pulled off an impressive win in the opening game against Auburn, as both underdogs in FAU and SE Missouri State, won their first games.  Beating the Indians of SE Missouri State in the second round allowed FAU to roll right into the Regional championship game free of losses and avoiding the "Loser's Bracket" of the Regional.  Host Alabama played itself back into the Regional by defeating Auburn and SE Missouri State, eliminating both en route to the Regional championship game.  The Regional Final was set as the FAU Blue Wave and the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.  FAU, winning its first two games, dropped the first meeting to Alabama, 7-2, forcing a second game in the Regional Final for the championship.  FAU pulled off the upset and clinched its first-ever Regional championship by defeating Alabama, 6-5.  The win sent FAU to its first-ever Super Regional appearance, placing FAU in the final 16 teams.

{{4Team2ElimBracket | RD1= Tuscaloosa, AL Regional
| RD2= Regional
| RD3= Regional Final

| RD1-seed1=1
| RD1-team1={{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Alabama Crimson Tide|title=Alabama}}
| RD1-score1=4
| RD1-seed2=4
| RD1-team2='''{{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Southeast Missouri State Indians|title=SE Missouri State}}'''
| RD1-score2=7

| RD1-seed3=3
| RD1-team3={{CBSB link|year=2002|team=Auburn Tigers|title=Auburn}}
| RD1-score3=11
| RD1-seed4=2
| RD1-team4='''Florida Atlantic'''
| RD1-score4=16

| RD1-seed5=1
| RD1-team5='''Alabama'''
| RD1-score5=6
| RD1-seed6=3
| RD1-team6=Auburn
| RD1-score6=3

| RD2-seed1=4
| RD2-team1=SE Missouri State
| RD2-score1=6
| RD2-seed2=2
| RD2-team2='''Florida Atlantic'''
| RD2-score2=12

| RD2-seed3=1
| RD2-team3='''Alabama'''
| RD2-score3=7
| RD2-seed4=2
| RD2-team4=SE Missouri State
| RD2-score4=4

| RD3-seed1=2
| RD3-team1='''Florida Atlantic'''
| RD3-score1-1=2
| RD3-score1-2='''6'''
| RD3-seed2=1
| RD3-team2=Alabama
| RD3-score2-1='''7'''
| RD3-score2-2=5

}}

==Super Regionals==
After clinching their first-ever Regional championship, FAU moved on to the round of the final 16 - the Super Regionals. The Blue Wave faced the [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]], the #1 seed in the Super Regional bracket.  FAU and Georgia Tech met at Tech's historic [[Russ Chandler Stadium]] in [[Atlanta, GA]] in a best-of-3 series, with a birth to the [[2002 College World Series]] on the line. Unfortunately for the Blue Wave, the heavily favored and top-ranked Yellow Jackets proved to be too much, pounding the Blue Wave in a two-game sweep.

:'''Game 1'''
{{Linescore|
|Road=[[Florida Atlantic University|Blue Wave]]|RoadAbr=FAU
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=2|R7=1|R8=0|R9=3|RR=3|RH=9|RE=1
|Home=[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball|Yellow Jackets]]|HomeAbr=GT
|H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=6|H5=5|H6=0|H7=1|H8=1|H9=X|HR=14|HH=18|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=Kyle Bakker (12-2)|LP=Danny Core (8-6)|SV=
|RoadHR=none|HomeHR=Parker, Remole (4th inning)|HRH=yes
|}}

:'''Game 2'''
{{Linescore|
|Road=[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball|Yellow Jackets]]|RoadAbr=GT
|R1=1|R2=0|R3=3|R4=2|R5=2|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=3|RR=11|RH=13|RE=1
|Home=[[Florida Atlantic University|Blue Wave]]|HomeAbr=FAU
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=1|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=4|HR=5|HH=7|HE=2
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=Chris Goodman (8-1)|LP=Chris Pillsbury (10-3)|SV=
|RoadHR=none|HomeHR=Fiorentino (9th inning)|HRH=yes
|}}

==Awards and honors==
===Freshman All-American===
*OF [[Jeff Fiorentino]]
*2B Derek Hutton

===All-Conference===
*First Team All-Atlantic Sun Honors
**RP Tim McNab (Senior)
**SP Danny Core (Junior)
**SP Chris Pillsbury (Sophomore)
**SP L.J. Biernbaum (Senior)
*Second Team All-Atlantic Sun Honors
**3B Mike Cox (Junior)
**SS Bobby Spano (Senior)
*Freshman Team All-Atlantic Sun Honors
**OF [[Jeff Fiorentino]]
**2B Derek Hutton

==2002 MLB First-Year Player Draft==
FAU players selected in the [[2002 Major League Baseball Draft|2002 MLB First-Year Player Draft]]:

{| class="wikitable" width="45%"
! Player !! Class !! Round !! Pick !! Team
|-
| L.J. Biernbaum || Senior || 10 || || [[San Diego Padres|San Diego]]
|-
| Tom McLane || Senior || 19 || || [[Boston Red Sox|Boston]]
|-
| Chris Kroski || JC Transfer Signee || 19 || || [[Seattle Mariners|Seattle]]
|-
| Nelson Lopez || Senior || 22 || || [[San Francisco Giants|San Francisco]]
|-
| Tim McNab || Senior || 22 || || [[New York Mets]]
|-
| David Hayes || HS Signee || 41 || || [[Atlanta Braves|Atlanta]]
|-
| Jim Cooney || Junior || 45 || || [[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore]]
|-
| Gabe Somarriba || Senior || 47 ||  || [[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore]]
|-
|}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.atlanticsun.org/images/pdf/Records-Baseball.pdf Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship Record Book]{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Florida Atlantic Owls baseball navbox}}

[[Category:Florida Atlantic Owls baseball seasons]]
[[Category:2002 Atlantic Sun Conference baseball season|Florida Atlantic]]
[[Category:2002 in sports in Florida|Florida Atlantic Blue Wave baseball]]
[[Category:2002 NCAA Division I baseball tournament participants|Florida Atlantic]]