MIAMI (Feb. 11, 2021) – With a little over a week left until opening night, FIU baseball's Derek Cartaya was named to the All-Conference USA Preseason Team, the league office announced on Thursday.
 
Cartaya, a Pembroke Pines, Florida native, started all 15 games at second base in the abbreviated 2020 season while slashing a .316 average with two doubles and six RBIs for the Panthers. 
 
In 2019, Cartaya started 49 of 53 games while batting .316 with 11 doubles and 28 RBIs and placing second in all of C-USA with 20 stolen bases for FIU.

The Panthers open the 2021 season on Friday, Feb. 19, at 7:00 p.m. against Illinois-Chicago. The season-opener officially kicks off a 10-game homestand for the Blue & Gold. 
  
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