Kent State (3-0) vs. FIU (1-2)
 
Friday, February 24: 7 p.m. (PantherVision/C-USA TV broadcast, CLICK HERE)
KSU LHP Eli Kraus (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. FIU RHP Chris Mourelle (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 

Saturday Doubleheader
Game 1 – Feb. 25: 3 p.m. (NO broadcast, Follow on Twitter: @FIUBaseball)
KSU RHP Zach Willeman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. FIU LHP Dominic LoBrutto (0-0, 4.15 ERA) 
Game 2 -- Feb. 25: 7 p.m. (NO broadcast, Follow on Twitter: @FIUBaseball)
KSU TBA vs. FIU LHP Andrew George (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 

Sunday, Feb. 26: 1 p.m. (PantherVision/C-USA TV broadcast, CLICK HERE)
KSU RHP Joey Murray (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. FIU TBA 
 
Series History: Kent State leads 1-0
Only meeting: March 22, 1998, KSU won 11-8 in Miami, Fla.
 
Series Preview
FIU was rained out against Miami Wednesday in its lone midweek game. . .The Panthers are coming off a 1-2 weekend against Jacksonville State where FIU won on opening day 5-0 before dropping the last two games of the series to the Gamecocks. . .Christian Khawam (.500) and Kenny Meimerstorf (.462) led the Panthers at the plate. . .Chris Mourelle started a combined shutout for the Panthers' win in the opener. . .Left-hander Andrew George pitched the final inning in Friday's victory and will make his first start in an FIU uniform in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader. . .Kent State did not play a midweek game. . .The Golden Flashes swept Belmont last weekend in Tennessee outscoring the Bruins 23-4 in the three-game set. . .KSU hit five home runs against Belmont among its 16 extra-base hits. . .With a win in its only meeting with FIU, Kent State is the only team from the Mid-American Conference that leads a series with the FIU Sunblazers/Panthers. . .FIU is 59-11 all-time against teams from the MAC.
 
FIU Notes
-- After missing most of 2016 with a back injury, Christian Khawam returned for Opening Day and hit his first career FIU home run Sunday. Khawam was 5 for 10 last weekend, including a pair of doubles.
-- Chris Mourelle notched his 23^rd career win to place him fifth all-time at FIU breaking a tie with former FIU right-hander Edwin Franco. R.J. Fondon is fourth on the FIU wins list with 24. Raul Garcia (37 wins) is FIU's career wins leader.
-- Freshmen Javier Valdes and Kobe Lopez picked up their first college hits last weekend. In Sunday's game Valdes was 4 for 5 and Lopez was 1 for 4.
-- A late-inning reliever his first two seasons at FIU, left-hander Dominic LoBrutto made his first start since high school against Jacksonville State (2/18) in a 6-5 loss. LoBrutto went 4 1/3 innings, allowed seven hits and two runs but did not receive a decision.
-- Ten players made their FIU debuts last weekend, including six freshmen.
 
2017 Leaders 

Kent State
Team stats:
Average: .328
ERA: 1.00
Fielding pct.: .971
 
Individual leaders:
Average: Tim Dalporto .417
Home runs: Five tied with 1
RBI: Dom Iero 6
Stolen bases: Luke Burch, Mason Mamarella 2
Wins: Three tied with 1
ERA: Eli Kraus, Zach Willeman 0.00
Strikeouts: Zach Willeman 10
Saves: Zach Spangler 2
 
FIU
Team stats:
Average: .277
ERA: 5.67
Fielding pct.: .974
 
Individual leaders:
Average: Christian Khawam .500               
Home runs: Christian Khawam, Irving Lopez 1                          
RBI: Javier Valdes 3
Stolen bases: Five tied at 1
Wins: Chris Mourelle 1
ERA: Chris Mourelle 0.00
Strikeouts: Chris Mourelle 7
Saves: None