Shot of the Week
FAU’s Anthony Mesa makes a diving catch during the Owls’ win over Stony Brook University on Saturday.
Cooney’s Blue Wave Goodbye
Sunday was FAU head baseball coach Kevin Cooney’s final home game, and the few dozen usual die-hard fans showed up to say goodbye. In fact, an army of red ants probably outnumbered the fans 100-1. The ants certainly made themselves known to me as I was shooting down the first base line, as they tried to climb up on top of me to get a look at the game.
Cooney is retiring after 21 seasons at the helm of Owls Baseball. Actually, Cooney’s club was more often referred to as the Blue Wave, but that nickname disappeared a few years ago when University President Frank Brogan unified the entire athletic department’s nickname as the Owls.
Since Cooney’s hiring in 1988, the team formerly known as the Blue Wave have risen from Division II to national significance on the Division I level. The Owls were 54-9 in 1999, and won the Tuscaloosa Regional in 2002.
As Cooney was sweeping the basepaths before Sunday’s home finale, he said to me, “I’ll bet you don’t have a shot of Coach Morris doing this!”
Perhaps I should email him this shot below, then maybe he won’t feel so bad about his groundskeeping…
