BOWLING GREEN, KY – FIU opens a three-game series at Western Kentucky on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. EDT.
The Panthers (22-25, 11-12 Conference USA) and the Hilltoppers (21-26, 11-13 C-USA) continue the series at 2 p.m. EDT Saturday and again at 2 p.m. EDT Sunday afternoon.
The teams will play three matinees due to graduation ceremonies at WKU this weekend.
There are no video stream broadcasts for Friday's and Saturday's games due to WKU graduation, but all three games of the series can be heard on the Western Kentucky baseball radio network (Links below). Sunday's game will be broadcast on C-USA TV.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Friday, 1 pm: FIU RHP Andres Nunez (5-2, 3.25 ERA) vs. WKU LHP Ryan Thurston (4-5, 3.08 ERA) RADIO
Saturday, 2 pm: FIU RHP Tyler Myrick (2-2, 3.47 ERA) vs. WKU LHP Troy Newell (0-4, 6.39 ERA) RADIO
Sunday, 2 pm: FIU LHP Logan Allen (4-5, 4.50 ERA) vs. WKU TBA C-USA TV; RADIO
Both FIU and WKU enter the weekend in a tightly-contested C-USA race for one of the eight berths into the C-USA Tournament that takes place May 23 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Panthers (11-12) are currently in sixth place in the conference standings. The Hilltoppers (11-13) are tied for seventh with UAB.
The current fourth place (Charlotte at 13-11) through 10
th place (Middle Tennessee 9-14-1) teams in C-USA are separated by just three losses entering the weekend.
FIU is coming off splitting two games with Florida Atlantic last weekend after the Sunday series finale was washed out. After falling 11-4 last Friday, the Panthers defeated the Owls, 8-5, last Saturday.
WKU lost two of three games at Charlotte last weekend and has lost five of its last six games.
FIU is third in hitting in C-USA at .285 while WKU is 10
th with a .273 team batting average. The Panthers continue to lead the league with 59 home runs and are second with a .450 slugging percentage. WKU is eighth with 33 round trippers.
FIU is eighth with a 4.74 team ERA while WKU is ninth with a 4.89 ERA. The Panthers pitchers are tops in the league in batters struck out with 452. The Hilltoppers are sixth with 380 punchouts.
FIU swept WKU in a three-game series last season in Miami, including a 23-6 win in the series opener. The all-time series between the Panthers and Hilltoppers is tied 32-32.
