MIAMI – The FIU baseball program prepares for it's final Conference USA series of the season as they host the Sam Houston State Bearkats for a three-game weekend set.

Friday. May. 10 vs Sam Houston

• Time / Site: 6:30 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium
• Watch  (ESPN+)
• Live Stats
• RHP Colin Atkinson (4-4, 4.19 ERA) vs RHP Cameron Knox (1-4, 3.53 ERA)

Saturday, May. 11 vs Sam Houston

• Time / Site: 5 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium
• Watch  (ESPN+)
• Live Stats
• LHP Michael Watson (5-1, 2.98 ERA) vs TBA

Sunday, May. 12 vs Sam Houston

• Time / Site: 12 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium
• Watch (ESPN+)
• Live Stats
• TBA vs TBA
• Senior Day, Ceremonies set to begin at 11:45 pregame.

The Panthers sit with a 25-22 overall record and a 11-10 CUSA mark, sitting fifth in the standings while one game out of second-place Dallas Baptist and third-place Louisiana Tech (12-6). FIU has officially qualified for the CUSA tournament, clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2018.
 
FIU and New Mexico stand as the only teams with 21 conference games played, and the Panthers will be on the program to play their final three conference games ahead of this weekend.
 
On Wednesday, May 8, FIU secured a midweek victory over the Miami Hurricanes in a 9-7 win from Coral Gables. Tied at five into the seventh, FIU used a four-run inning paced by a towering three-run homer from senior Jeff Liquori that just enough to earn the win. It marked the first victory against the Hurricanes since April 25, 2018.
 
This weekend will mark the first meeting between both schools.

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 32 game on-base streak, his longest active streak of the season. In his current stretch, Guida has 46 hits, 13 doubles, 35 RBIs, while playing in all 47 games played. He is currently hitting .344 (leads team), leading the pack with 16 doubles (sixth in CUSA), 50 RBI (leads team), and has belted seven homers. His 50 RBI mark the second consecutive year Guida has reached that feat.

Guida had a three-hit performance against Miami on Wednesday, logging a double and a pair of RBI.

In his past four games, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native has 10 hits with seven RBI including a trio of three-hit efforts in the stretch thus far. In CUSA play, Guida is hitting .341 with 22 RBI (sixth in CUSA).

LET'S HAVE A PARTY AT THE BWEST BACKYARD!
It has been a productive stretch at the plate for the Panther's leadoff hitter Brylan West.

West has eight hits in his past four games, including six hits in this past weekend's CUSA series at Liberty. Alongside his six hits, the redshirt junior had 4 RBI, one home run and one double. West went 3-for-6 on Saturday, May 4 with a solo home run (8th of the season), and a two-run double (12th of the year). He had a pair of hits in game two on Friday, May 3. At Miami, West went 2-for-3 from the leadoff stop including a double, his 13th of the season.

The Tampa, Fla. native is tied for the team lead in batting (.344) and is the team-leader in OPS (1.074), 16^th in CUSA..  In addition, he leads the pack in triples (2). In his past ten games.

THOSE BATS OOZE CONFIDENCE
Overall, on the season, the Panthers have recorded 23 games with 10+ hits as a team, boasting the team batting average to .300, second in CUSA and 52^nd in the nation. In addition, the ballclub has a team OPS of .886.

The team has totaled for 483 hits, third in CUSA.

As a unit, FIU's offense has been lethal with the bat in CUSA play. In 21 games, they are first in the conference in hits (250), and runs (187) and batting average of .330.

Six players are hitting well over the .300 mark, beginning with West and Guida, tied offense with a .344 average. Alex Ulloa has been hitting at a consistent .328 clip. The cycle king Armando Becerra is hitting .325. Jeff Liquori has posted a .319 average and Austin Dearing is hitting .313.

AN AFTERNOON WITH EL JEFE
Senior Jeff Liquori has got the bat rolling in his past two games, at Liberty and Miami.

The Lake Mary, Fla. native had six hits alongside two doubles, one home run and five RBI in the two games combined. Liquori went 5-for-6 (season-high) on Saturday, May 4 at Liberty with a pair of doubles. He was the hero on Wednesday, May 8 at Miami with four RBI and a home run.

The outfielder has played in all 47 games this season with 17 multi-hit efforts this season, nine coming in CUSA play.

THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE
As a collective unit, the Panthers offense has lit up the box score with homers, 65 total as a ballclub. The 65 HRs is tied for fourth in Conference USA and 79th in the nation. With over two weeks of regular season baseball left, FIU sits 12h 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.

Jeff Liquori  is second with nine. Brylan West sits third with seven. Alex Ulloa and Ryne Guida have seven while Austin Dearing has belted six.

COOL, CALM, & COLLECTED ALEX
Alex Ulloa has been calm at the plate in his past four games with six hits in that stretch. He had five hits over the weekend against the Liberty Flames including a pair of multi-hit games on May. 3 and May. 4.

LIGHT THE LAMPTON
Lefty Zac Lampton continues to build on his breakout senior season leading the pitching staff with 56 strikeouts, already a career-high with a 3.12 ERA in 40.1 innings.

He worked two scoreless frames against the Miami, shutting down the Hurricanes lineup with four punchouts closing out the night with a win. In his past 11 appearances, Lampton has given up just four earned runs in 13.2 innings with 19 strikeouts.

KEEP IT ROLLING ORLY
Senior relief pitcher  Orlando Hernandez dropped his team-leading ERA to 1.57 on Saturday, April 27 vs Dallas Baptist 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. He is having the best stretch in his college career thus far.

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 BEARKATS
The Bearkats enter the weekend's contest with an 27-21 overall record and a 7-11 mark in CUSA play. Miami is coming off a non-conference weekend sweep of Tarleton State. In their last CUSA series, they were swept on the road to first-place Louisiana Tech, dropping all three games, margins of less than two runs on average.

Currently, Sam Houston holds the seventh spot in the CUSA standings as the top eight team make the CUSA tournament and are four games out of fifth-place FIU in their first year as Conference USA members.

The Bearkats are led by junior catcher Walter Janek, who leads the team in numerous categories in batting average (.373), home runs (14), RBI (46), and triples (4), which leads the conference. Jeffery David has played in 47 games, sitting second with 30 RBI driven in.

Righty Colin Atkinson will make the Friday night start, holding a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts this season. He threw six innings against Tarleton on Friday, May 3, allowing five earned runs on five hits. Lefty Michael Watson will face the Panthers offense, sporting a 2.98 ERA in ten starts. On Saturday, May 4, Watson tied his career-high in innings pitched firing seven innings on two hits and one earned run, while striking out a career-high of 11 batters.

Chandler David is the Bearkats closer with seven saves in 21 appearances holding a 3.49 ERA in 41 innings thrown.

UP NEXT
FIU gets set for game two of the series against Sam Houston on Saturday, May 11 for a 5 p.m. first pitch. 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