Baseball: Hook C looks to bounce back at Florida Atlantic after 0-3 start

After making an improbable run to the Tallahassee Super Regional in early June, the UConn baseball team (0-3) started the 2025 season poorly, losing to Stetson, Missouri and Penn State during the Puerto Rico Challenge.  

Now the Huskies aim to turn their luck around with a weekend trip to Boca Raton, Fla., to face Florida Atlantic (4-0). The Owls started the season hot, dominating Delaware for the first three games of the season before taking down Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday.  

UConn will have trouble on their hands with first baseman Jake Millan, the reigning American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Week. The senior from Springbrook, Pa., was dominant in the three-game series with Delaware, going 7-for-12 with seven runs scored, four doubles, one home run and seven runs batted in.  

He is not the only threat the Huskies will have to worry about. Sophomore pitcher Trey Beard made the AAC Honor Roll after opening the season on the mound with 10 strikeouts while allowing two runs on Friday.  

Even though no Husky made the Big East’s first round of weekly honors, the Preseason All-Big East is loaded with Huskies. First baseman Maddix Dalena is not off to a hot start, but the preseason Big East Player of the Year can help lead a loaded infield after the team’s slow start.  

It did not help that Ian Cooke, the preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year, began his season with an 8.31 earned run average. While he did strike out six batters, he gave up four runs in his season debut. Opponents are batting .368 against him.  

Despite a loss Sunday against Penn State, UConn looked like they started clicking late. They scored three runs in the ninth inning, cutting the deficit to one run off an RBI double by Dalena down the right-field line.  

The bullpen has been solid, including freshman left-hander Cayden Suchy, who slowed down the Nittany Lions’ offense after the Huskies gave up five runs in the first two innings. After Suchy’s career-high four innings, right-hander Jude Abbadessa helped Hook C strand runners at second and third with a strikeout and a groundout in the seventh inning.  

Out of the members of the Preseason All-Big East Team, outfielder Caleb Shpur has the best numbers so far. The graduate student out of East Canaan, Conn.,bats .286 and has driven in two runs so far. Shortstop Bryan Padilla, another member of the preseason team, is tied for the team lead in RBIs with four.  

UConn was picked to finish first in the Big East, while expectations were lower for Florida Atlantic. No one on FAU’s roster made the Preseason All-AAC Team and they were projected to finish sixth out of 10 teams.  

According to Massey Ratings, Florida Atlantic is ahead of UConn. While their offense is outside the top 100, their defense is not, ranking No. 76 in the country. It is early, but Connecticut has plummeted to No. 195 in the country. The good news for the Huskies is that, unlike Florida Atlantic, Hook C’s offense and defense each rank in the top 100.  

Historically, UConn has a slight edge over Florida Atlantic. They have a 5-4 advantage and swept the Owls in a three-game series in March 2023. Every game in the series, dating back to 2006, was played at the FAU Baseball Stadium.  

This weekend’s three-game series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. The next game will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The final game of the series will be at noon on Sunday.  

Following a trip to the Sunshine State, Connecticut will head out west to play a three-game series in the Dodger Classic. This is the first of two trips UConn will make to Florida, traveling to Coral Gables to face Miami (Fla.) in March.  

Each of the three games against the Owls will be available to watch on FAUSports.com.