By Pete Pelegrin 
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

There weren't any "Hello, My Name is" stickers attached to the FIU baseball team's practice shirts on Monday afternoon but it would not have been stretch to have seen them.

The Panthers began fall practice Monday at the FIU ballpark with more than half of a new team after graduation and a successful Major League Baseball draft resulted in the roster turnover.

FIU lost 18 players from last year's team, including six players taken in the MLB draft – the second most in FIU baseball history after the 1989 FIU team. In addition, 14 signees were drafted from the 2017 FIU signing class, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation by Perfect Game. Fortunately, the majority of the signees decided to come play baseball at FIU.

"One of the things that is not going to be our strongest suit is experience," FIU coach Mervyl Melendez said. "We have a lot of new players. The game doesn't change but the speed of the game changes. They have to get used to the speed of the game at the college level."

Last year in his first season at the helm of FIU, Melendez and his coaching staff produced the first winning record (31-27) in the last four years of FIU baseball. For the fall season and for three weeks in late January and early February before the 2018 season opening series against Missouri, FIU coaches will have that time to evaluate the Panthers.

"This fall we'll use it to learn about the players and them learning about us as a coaching staff and instilling our philosophy," Melendez said. "We've had a chance to evaluate them as recruits and watch them play so we kind of know what to expect. They just have to get used to our philosophy."

FIU lost six of seven regulars from the 2017 lineup, including leading home run hitter JC Escarra (15 home runs) drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and leading hitters Kenny Meimerstorf (.324) and Irving Lopez (.319), who was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The lone returning regular from last year's lineup, sophomore Javier Valdes has seen how his new teammates have acclimated themselves quite well.

"Coming back this year I thought it would be a little off with a lot of new faces," said Valdes, named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball last season. "But what has surprised me is the team has meshed pretty quickly. Everyone is doing their part to get better and I think it will be a good year."

The FIU pitching staff lost eight pitchers with six those hurlers contributing significant innings. Dominic LoBrutto, one of FIU's most effective relievers last season, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Robert Garcia, who led the staff with 81 strikeouts and was third on the team with five wins, graduated and is playing professional baseball in his native Mexico.

Nick MacDonald and Tyler Myrick -- freshman All-Americans and the Panthers top two starting pitchers from last season – will head a young pitching staff. Despite the inexperience on the mound, the Panthers do have some noteworthy arms ready to contribute. Right-hander Christian Santana (Milwaukee Brewers, 15^th round draft pick) and left-hander Logan Allen (Orioles, 16^th round pick) headline the new pitchers. FIU also gets back sophomore right-hander Andres Nunez, who missed all of last season with a back injury.