MIAMI – The FIU baseball program heads to Lynchburg, Virginia this weekend for a pivotal Conference USA weekend series against the Liberty Flames, beginning with a doubleheader set for Friday, May 3 at 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May. 3 at Liberty (DH)

• Time / Site: 4:30 p.m. at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium
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Friday, May. 3 at Liberty (DH)

• Time / Site: 45 minutes following conclusion of game one at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium
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• Live Stats

Saturday, May. 4 at Liberty

• Time / Site: 4 p.m. at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium
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FIU enters the contest 23-20 overall on the season and a 10-8 mark in CUSA play. Currently, FIU is fifth in the CUSA standings, however one of two teams in the top five (Western Kentucky) to have just six games left in conference play while the other schools have nine.
 
The Panthers hold tiebreakers advantages over first-place Louisiana Tech (11-4) and second-place Western Kentucky (13-5). In front of FIU in fourth-place is Liberty with a 9-6 mark.
 
This past Wednesday, May 1, the Panther's midweek matchup at Florida Gulf Coast was canceled due to rain, closing out their season series with the Eagles.
 
In the Panther last CUSA series, they were swept by the Dallas Baptist Patriots this past weekend at home. Both Friday and Saturday's were close contests including the Panthers falling short on Saturday, April 27 in a 5-2 decision in 11 innings.
 
This weekend's series will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools and first as CUSA members. Due to weather forecasted in the area on Sunday in Lynchburg, FIU will play a doubleheader on Friday, May 3, with game one set at 4:30 p.m. and game two following right after. No game is set for Sunday, May 5.
 
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, currently on his best stretch of the season.
 
The senior is currently on a 28 game on-base streak, his longest active streak of the season. In his current stretch, Guida has 36 hits, 11 doubles, 25 RBIs, while playing in all 43 games played. He is currently hitting .323, leading the pack with 14 doubles (seventh in CUSA), 40 RBI, and has belted six homers.
 
Guida posted three hits over the weekend against the Patriots, including a two-hit effort on Saturday, April 27 with a double.
 
CHASE IS BACK, THAT MAKES US SMILE
FIU infielder Chase Engelhard has returned to the lineup and has not lost his footing.
 
The senior is hitting .411 (7-for-17) since returning to the Panthers offense, including three multi-hit efforts. In this span, Engelhard has three doubles, four RBI and a homer. In the weekend series against DBU, the Atlanta, Ga. native had two-hit games on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. In addition, on Saturday he belted his first homer of the season out to deep left centerfield.
 
THOSE BATS OOZE CONFIDENCE
Overall, on the season, the Panthers have recorded 20 games with 10+ hits as a team, boasting the team batting average to .295 and a team-OPS of .878.
 
The team has totaled for 433 hits, fourth in CUSA.
 
As a unit, FIU's offense has been lethal with the bat in CUSA play. In 18 games, they are first in the conference in hits (212), and runs (161) and batting average of .327.
 
Six players are hitting well over the .300 mark, beginning with Austin Dearing, who leads the offense with a .327 in 35 games. The Panthers leader in triples (2) Brylan West has posted a .324 batting average, while Guida and Alex Ulloa are each hitting .323. The cycle king Armando Becerra is hitting .320 and Liquori has recorded a .314 average.
 
ROAD PLAYS BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN US
FIU heads into their fourth road weekend series of the season with momentum, having taken two of the three series on the road including a weekend sweep of New Mexico State last time out. The sweep of the Aggies was their first sweep in CUSA play and road sweep since May of 2018 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
 
In addition, FIU opened up the road CUSA slate with a weekend series win at Western Kentucky including a 11-1 run-rule victory on Friday, March 22.
 
The Panthers are tied with Dallas Baptist in most CUSA road wins this season with six.
 
THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE
As a collective unit, the Panthers offense has lit up the box score with homers, 61 total as a ballclub. The 61 HRs is third in Conference USA and 67th in the nation. With over three weeks of baseball left, FIU sits 13^th in program history in homers hit in a season.
 
The power is led by Kishon Frett, who leads the pack with 13 homers on his campaign, including a two-run homer on Friday, April 26 against Dallas Baptist.
 
Jeff Liquori sits second with eight. Brylan West and Alex Ulloa each have seven, while Austin Dearing and Guida have belted six.
 
PITCHING NOTABLES
Notable Panthers had standout performances on the bump in the weekend series against Dallas Baptist.
 
It starts with righty Joel Pineiro, who had a dazzling outing on Saturday, April 27, going six innings on just one earned run allowed and punched out four batters. It is the longest outing for the redshirt sophomore since firing 6.2 innings on one run against Seton Hall on March. 3.
 
Orlando Hernandez dropped his team-leading ERA to 1.57 on Saturday with a solid outing of three scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the Miami native. In 13 appearances, Hernandez has given up just six earned runs in 34.1 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts.
 
Lefty Zac Lampton continues to build on his breakout senior season, dominating the lethal Patriots offense on Friday, April 26, working three scoreless frames, allowing no hits and striking out four. The redshirt senior leads the pitching staff with 50 strikeouts, already a career-high with a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings.
 
David Eckaus was cruising on Saturday in the latter innings, not allowing a single earned run in two innings of work with four strikeouts. The junior has allowed just two earned runs in his past 5.2 innings of relief, dropping his season ERA to 4.68.
 
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
Liberty heads into this weekend's contest with a 19-25 record, and a 9-6 mark in CUSA play, placing them fourth in the standings. The Flames dropped a weekend series at Samford, losing two out of three. They bounced back on the midweek this past Wednesday, May 1 in a 14-9 win versus Campbell.

Offensively, Liberty has two players hitting over the .300 mark including sophomore Kane Kepley who leads the team with a .344 batting average in 44 games alongside driving in 25 runs. Sophomore power hitter Brayden Horton has belted a team-lead of 10 homers with 34 runs driven in. Macaddin Dye is the RBI leader with 41 and has 11 doubles.
 
On the mound, junior Cole Hertzler will make the start on Friday night, sporting a 4.53 ERA in 59.2 innings pitched. In his last start, Hertzler allowed six earned runs over 5.1 innings of work with six strikeouts. Garrett Mclaughlin has been solid out the bullpen with a 2,66 ERA in 17 appearances. Mclaughlin has not allowed an earned run in his past 11.1 innings dating back to April 10 at Virginia Tech.

UP NEXT
FIU closes out the series on Saturday, May 4 at 4 p.m. from Lynchburg, Va. It can be streamed 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