Former Patriot tosses no-hit ball in Puerto Rico

Former Francis Marion University right-hander Dylan Owen tossed the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter for Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League on Sunday (Jan. 2). Owen has spent the past four years in the New York Mets farm system.

Owen walked the lead-off batter in the second, retured 15 straight batters, and issued a lead-off walk in the seventh.  Eddy Ramos and Saul Rivera retired three batters each to complete the no-hitter as the Criollos beat the visiting Gigantes de Carolina 5-0.  Owen struck out three batters in his third appearance for Caguas.

This past season, Owen spent time with both Triple-A Buffalo (3-4 with a 7.11 ERA) and Double-A Binghamton (4-4 with a 3.94 ERA).

Owen was named the 2008 Florida State League Most Valuable Pitcher after going 12-6 with 116 strikeouts and a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts for the St. Lucie Mets, and was named MLB.com's Short-Season Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2007 while with the Brooklyn Cyclones. He was picked by the Mets in the 20th round of the 2007 draft.

In his final season (2007) at Francis Marion, Owen was 10-1 with one save and a 1.14 ERA.  He struck out 121 batters in 102.1 innings pitched, walked only 19, and opponents hit just .208 against him, including a .178 figure by right-handed batters.

In three seasons at FMU, he compiled a 28-8 record with two saves, a 2.15 ERA, and a Peach Belt Conference career-record 334 strikeouts in 323 innings. Owen was named the 2007 NCAA Division II national Pitcher of the Year by two different voting groups, twice earned first-team Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-America honors, and was selected as the Peach Belt’s Pitcher of the Year for both 2006 and 2007.

As a freshman in 2005, the Chesterfield native pitched a nine-inning no-hitter against UNC Pembroke.  FMU beat the Braves 9-0 as Owen threw 105 pitches, fanned seven, and allowed only three base runners (two walks and a hit batter).