Florida Atlantic baseball will face Rice University in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament next week after defeating Old Dominion University in two out of three games over the weekend.

After Louisiana Tech University fell to Middle Tennessee State University in its regular season finale, the Owls (33-19-1, 18-12 Conference USA) were able to move up to the third seed to set up a two-game elimination series versus the Texas-based Owls.

FAU took 2-of-3 versus Rice earlier in the regular season.

Here’s a recap of each game:

Game one: Old Dominion 1, FAU 6

The Owls scored once in each of the first two innings, beginning with a leadoff home run to right field by redshirt senior Jared Shouppe. In the second, senior Austin Langham singled and later advanced after redshirt senior Esteban Puerta hitting a ball to the deepest part of the park off the wall in center.

Langham then scored on a RBI single by freshman Pedro Pages for a 2-0 lead.

Sophomore Tyler Frank reached on an error on a line drive and later scored on a double in the gap in right-center by redshirt junior David Miranda. Miranda and Langham then both came in on a home run to left off the bat of Puerta.

On the mound, sophomore due Kyle Marman and Nick Swan each pitched two scoreless innings, later turning it over to Alex House. The junior allowed just a lone run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Puerta and Frank each had two hits, while the former knocked in three of the Owls’ six runs.

Game 2: Old Dominion 9, FAU 8

The Owls held an 8-5 lead after scoring three in the fourth and an Austin Langham seventh inning homer, but Old Dominion tied it up and then took the lead on its last at-bat. Back-to-back one-out singles preceded a game-tying three-run shot by Turner Bishop and three batters later Jared Young pushed the Monarchs ahead with an RBI single.

Monarchs pitcher Corey Klak retired the Owls in order in the ninth to record the save.

Twice the Owls used big innings to overcome deficits early. Down 1-0, a four-run second gave the team a three-run edge after an RBI double by redshirt freshman Jordan Poore and RBI singles by freshman Eric Rivera, senior Stephen Kerr and Frank. Then after consecutive two-run frames by Old Dominion in the third and fourth to take the lead 5-4, FAU pushed back ahead 7-5 after the fourth.

Poore and Rivera combined to go 4-for-8, both scoring twice, while Rivera tied his career best with three RBIs. Langham’s home run in the seventh was his third hit of the game and all nine Owls had at least one hit.

Game 3: Old Dominion 0, FAU 3

Schouppe opened up the scoring following a drive by Kerr down to right field, then Miranda would double the score in the fourth after being driven in by Puerta.

The Owls would put a bow on the game in the seventh when Schouppe reached home for the second time on a throwing error. Senior pitcher Cameron Ragsdale would retire the Monarch batters 1-2-3 in the ninth to close the game.

Schouppe and Kerr each went 2-for-3.

Junior Jake Miednik pitched eight innings and allowed six hits, but helped keep the shutout for his team.

FAU and Rice will begin their series on Wednesday, May 24 at 10 a.m.

Hans Belot Jr. is the sports editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him at @Don_Phenom_.