By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

With more than half of its roster comprised of new players the FIU baseball team has such a different look this coming season that you might need to hand out "Hello, My Name is" stickers at the FIU ballpark. Since there are so many new faces, from now until Opening Day on Feb. 16 when Missouri comes to town for a three-game series, we'll profile the newest Panthers as well as the returning FIU ballplayers.
 
Eddie Silva, INF, Redshirt Junior

What can you say about last season?

ES: I tore my UCL and it made me not take things for granted. Since that happened I was dying to get out on the field again. I'm excited to get back. I think this year is going to be fun.

What is your best baseball experience?

ES: Probably winning the 2015 Conference USA championship my freshman year at FIU. We underachieved during the regular season and went into the conference tournament as the No. 8 seed and won it all. The first time that a No. 8 seed won the C-USA title. No one was expecting us to win that tournament.



Give me an example of a game or a moment that makes baseball such a great game.

ES: Walk-off hit by Derek Jeter in his last game ever. It was a game-winning RBI single against the Orioles to right field.

Tell me something away from baseball about you that someone might find interesting?

ES: I'm pretty sure whoever I play in ping-pong I will beat. Me and Austin Shenton go at it. There was probably two weeks where we played every night for hours. I think I won more games.

FIU coach Mervyl Melendez says about Silva:

"Eddie will be a middle infielder, most likely a second baseman. He's a middle of the lineup type of hitter. He has really gotten in a groove offensively."
 
2018 FIU PANTHERS
Logan Allen
Diandre Amion
Derek Cartaya
Adan Fernandez
Jose Garcia
Kobe Lopez
Tyler Myrick
Andres Nunez
Chandler Raiden
Javier Valdes