MIAMI – The FIU baseball program is set for a pivotal CUSA weekend showdown as they welcome in the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to FIU Baseball Stadium.
Thursday, Mar. 28 vs Louisiana Tech
Friday, Mar. 29 vs Louisiana Tech
Saturday, Mar. 30 vs Louisiana Tech
The Panthers look to continue their solid start to CUSA play as their 4-2 conference mark through six games is the best start in CUSA play since the 2014 season.
This past Tuesday, March. 26, the Panthers fell to the Miami Hurricanes, 14-7, in a crosstown clash at home. FIU led 7-6 into the seventh before Miami tallied with six runs in the inning to come away with the victory.
THOSE BATS DID THEIR THING
In the past three of four games, FIU has combined for a total of 34 hits and 25 runs in the three-game span.
Overall, on the season, the Panthers have recorded ten games with 10+ hits as a team, boasting the team batting average to .290 and a team-OPS of .870.
STAY HOT, AD!
Austin Dearing is on a tear in his past 13 games donning the Blue and Gold. The redshirt junior is currently on a 13-game on-base hit streak, while recording 16 hits in that span.
In the 13-games, Dearing is hitting .457 (16-for-35) with nine RBIs, three 2Bs, and two homers. This past Sunday, March. 24 against Western Kentucky belted a grand slam to deep centerfield to put FIU over the Hilltoppers. He has notched a pair of multi-hit performances in his past two games including two RBI and two hits vs Miami on March. 26.
MY NAME IS JEFF
The DII transfer
Jeff Liquori has been an impactful force in the Panthers lineup, having played in all 25 games primarily in right field.
He sits first with 27 RBI driven on the year and second on the team in homers (6). Liquori has bumped his batting average up to .330 after notching 16 hits,12 RBI, and two doubles in his past nine games including a pair of homers in the stretch,
The Lake Mary, Fla. native has recorded a .444 batting average in throughout his nine-game hit streak including five-multi hit games. He rang up a pair of two-hit against Western Kentucky on March. 22 and March. 23.
THEY CALL HIM THE HIT MACHINE
Ryne Guida has continued to be a pivotal piece in the top order of the Panthers lineup as the designated hitter.
In all 25 games played, the senior is hitting .311 with 3 HR and 22 RBI (second on team). Guida has reached base in his past nine games with 11 hits, five walks and three doubles. The senior logged a three-hit night vs Miami, his sixth multi-hit effort of the season.
IT'S ALEX'S WORLD AND WE ARE LIVING IN IT
Alex Ulloa has a found a groove with the Panthers in his recent stretch of hitting.
Ulloa has racked up 16 hits with six RBI in his past eight games played. The junior is currently on a eight-game hitting streak with five multi-hit games in that stretch alone.
Overall, Ulloa has nine multi-hit performances, boasting his batting average to a team lead of .386 in all 25 games played, top eight in CUSA. In his past eight games, Ulloa is hitting .500 with 16 hits in 32 at-bats. His 1.005 OPS is third on the team behind
Brylan West (1.082) and
Kishon Frett (1.066).
THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE
As a collective unit, the Panthers offense has lit up the box score with homers, 35 total as a ballclub. The 35 HRs sit second overall in Conference USA and 47th in the nation.
The power is led by
Kishon Frett, who has a homer in his past four consecutive games. He belted three in the weekend series at Western Kentucky before launching a homer vs Miami that went 467 feet. The redshirt junior now leads the pack with 10 HRs and tied for the conference lead.
Alex Ulloa sits third with four, while
Ryne Guida and
Brylan West have three each.
ONE-TWO PUNCH OUT THE PEN
The bullpen duo of Ryan Cabarcas and
Orlando Hernandez have shined out the pen for the Panthers as the seniors have allowed just 9 earned runs with 40 strikeouts and six saves in 16 games appeared.
Orlando Hernandez has yet to allow an earned run in his past 10.2 innings pitched, the best stretch for the senior in his time as a Panther, lowering his season ERA to 0.56.
Cabarcas earned the save after pitching 2.1 innings of work against Western Kentucky on March. 24 in a 7-3 win while striking out three out the bullpen. The senior leads all Panthers with four saves, already a career-high for the South Florida native.
MLB CONNECTIONS
FIU has multiple MLB connections on their roster as pitcher
Orlando Hernandez is the son of 4x World Series Champion Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and nephew of Marlins 1997 WS Champion Livan Hernandez.
Pitcher
Joel Pineiro is the son of 12-year MLB veteran
Joel Pineiro.
Pitcher
Owen Puk is the brother of current Marlins relief pitcher AJ Puk.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Louisiana Tech enter the weekend series with an 21-6 overall record and a 3-0 mark in CUSA play. The Bulldogs opened CUSA action last weekend, sweeping the Jacksonville State Gamecocks from Ruston, Louisiana, and are coming off a midweek victory vs Louisiana-Monore, 8-4, this past Tuesday, March. 26.
As an offense, Louisiana Tech is hitting .306 as a club, third in all of Conference USA. Seven players are hitting over .300 with the bat, led by senior Cole McConnell. The outfielder is leading all of CUSA with 41 RBI (leads nation) and 10 HRs while hitting .388 offensively. In addition, he has ten doubles alongside a triple to his stat sheet. In last weekend's sweep against Jacksonville State, McConnell had six hits with four HRs and eight RBI including a three-homer game on March. 23.
Ethan Bates and Dalton Davis has shined with the bat as Bates is second is batting averages (.360) and RBI (39) for the team and holds a ERA of 0.89 as the Bulldogs closer. Davis is hitting .343 with 28 runs driven in.
On the mound, Luke Nichols has started in six games with an ERA of 4.30 and three wins. Out of the pen, in addition to Bates, Sam Broderson is second in ERA (2.57), having struck out 41 batters in 21 innings of work.
SERIES HISTORY
FIU has matched up with Louisiana Tech 27 times, dating back to 2014 and their first season in Conference USA. The Panthers will look to win their first game against the Bulldogs since their matchup on May 7, 2021 in a 10-5 victory.
UP NEXT
FIU prepares for the middle game of the weekend series against Louisiana Tech on Friday, March. 28 for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch from FIU Baseball Stadium. It can be streamed live on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (
@FIU.Baseball), Twitter
(@FIUBaseball), and Facebook (
Facebook.com/FIUBaseball) for all the latest Baseball news.
General athletic news can also be found at
@FIUSports on Facebook and
@FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram
