MIAMI – The FIU baseball program hits the road for the first time this season, heading to Tampa, Fla., to take on the South Florida Bulls on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at South Florda

• Time / Site: 6 p.m. ET at Red McEwen Field at USF Baseball Stadium
• Bryce Archie (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Owen Puk (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

FIU (7-1) wrapped up an eight-game season-opening homestand, highlighted by a series victory over the Delaware Blue Hens this past weekend at FIU Baseball Stadium. The Panthers took the first two games of the non-conference series before dropping the finale in extra innings on Sunday afternoon.

The 7-1 start marks FIU's best opening to a season since 2020 and the strongest under third-year head coach Rich Witten.

FIU's offense has been red-hot to start the season, posting a team batting average of .312, ranking in the nation's top 50. The Panthers have also been prolific in run production, standing 22nd in the country with 71 runs scored. Their power at the plate has been evident, with 15 home runs—ranking eighth in the nation and first in Conference USA.

Leadoff hitter Brylan West has been a key contributor, leading the team with a .455 batting average, 15 hits (tied for third in the nation), four doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Over the weekend, he added four hits and reached base six times.

Senior slugger Kishon Frett has boosted his average to over .300 after a strong weekend against Delaware, collecting five hits, including a triple, a home run, and three RBIs. Frett has posted multi-hit performances in consecutive games and belted a go-ahead homer on Saturday.

Alex Ulloa, FIU's starting shortstop, has played in all eight games, batting .333 (12-for-36) with four doubles and four RBIs.

Freshman Cole Cleveland has been an impact player, second on the team with eight RBIs while collecting three doubles. He delivered a clutch two-run double in Sunday's matchup against Delaware.

Kareh Valentin showcased his power over the weekend, hitting home runs on both Friday and Saturday against the Blue Hens.

Javier Crespo has also impressed, hitting .467 (7-for-15) in five games, including two RBIs in Sunday's contest.

Two-way player Andrew Ildefonso made his first start of the season on Saturday, launching his first career home run in a 7-4 victory. He followed up with a double in the series finale.

FIU's pitching staff has been equally impressive, boasting a 4.01 team ERA while leading the nation in strikeouts (104). The Panthers tied a program record with 20 strikeouts in a single game on Sunday, Feb. 23 vs Delaware.

Senior Logan Runde leads FIU in innings pitched (10.0), allowing no earned runs with 10 strikeouts and no walks. In his most recent start on Sunday, he tossed four shutout innings with a career-high six strikeouts.

Owen Puk has been stellar on the mound., striking out eight batters in eight innings without allowing an earned run. He started and delivered three scoreless innings in Friday's win over Delaware.

Junior Easton Marks made his second start on Saturday, matching his career-high with nine strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He has yet to allow an earned run through 6.2 innings, striking out 13 batters.

Reliever Juan Villarreal has been dominant, striking out 11 in seven innings while earning a 2-0 record. He notched his second consecutive win on Friday, throwing three scoreless frames with four strikeouts.

Tracen Cameron recorded his first career save on Friday, escaping a jam to toss 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Additional bullpen contributors include David Eckaus, Bryce Greene, Andrew Ildefonso, Kevin Martin, Julian Mlodzinski, and Bryce Turner, who have all seen action this season.

HISTORY WITH THE BULLS
Tuesday's game marks the 37th all-time meeting between FIU and South Florida and their first matchup since 2022.

The teams split a midweek home-and-home series that season, with the Panthers dropping both contests. FIU last faced the Bulls in Tampa on March 1, 2022, falling 7-0. However, the Panthers hold a narrow 19-17 edge in the all-time series.

SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA
South Florida enters Tuesday's matchup with a 4-3 record following a series victory over Georgia Southern. The Bulls won the first two games by a combined score of 22-6 before dropping Sunday's finale in extra innings, 9-8.
USF has already faced two Power Four opponents this season, taking a series against Iowa and falling to No. 9 Florida State on Feb. 18.
 
The Bulls are led by new head coach Mitch Hannahs, who previously spent 11 seasons at Indiana State, guiding the Sycamores to back-to-back NCAA regional appearances.

Offensively, Ryan Pruitt leads the Bulls with seven RBIs, two home runs, and three doubles. Senior transfer Sebastian Greico has also been a power threat, launching two home runs while driving in seven runs. Junior Matt Rose has recorded eight hits in seven games.

On the mound, Bryce Archie is set to make his second start of the season. The right-hander delivered a strong outing against No. 9 Florida State, throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

UP NEXT
FIU will host Merrimack for a four-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 28. First pitch from FIU Baseball Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m.

BAPTIST HEALTH
Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUBaseball on Facebook and @FIUBaseball on Twitter and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.