MIAMI – The FIU baseball team returns home on Friday night to host Merrimack for a four-game weekend series at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Friday, Feb. 28 vs Merrimack
- Time / Site: 6:30 p.m. ET at FIU Baseball Stadium
- Luke Linnehan (0-,0 9.00 ERA) vs Logan Runde (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday, March 1 vs Merrimack (DH)
Saturday, March 1 vs Merrimack (DH)
- Time / Site: 45 minutes following conclusion of game one at FIU Baseball Stadium
- James Nichols (0-1, 5.59 ERA) vs TBD
Sunday, March 2 vs Merrimack
- Time / Site: 12 p.m. ET at FIU Baseball Stadium
- Harry Painter (0-0, 7.20 ERA) vs Owen Puk (0-0, 3.72 ERA)
FIU (7-2) heads back to Miami following a narrow 6-5 loss to South Florida this past Tuesday, Feb. 25, in its first road contest of the season.
The Panthers' strong start marks their best since 2020 and is the best opening under third-year head coach
Rich Witten.
FIU has been electric at the plate through nine games, boasting a .308 team batting average, ranking second in the conference. FIU has been prolific in run production, tallying 76 runs—28th in the nation.
Their power-hitting has also been on display, with 15 home runs, ranking 13th nationally and first in Conference USA.
Leadoff hitter
Brylan West has been a catalyst for the offense, leading the team in hits (16), doubles (4), and batting average (.444). Nationally, he ranks 18th in total hits and 35th in total bases (28). West extended his on-base streak to 13 games, dating back to last season, after reaching base twice against South Florida.
Senior slugger
Kishon Frett has found his groove, recording six hits in his last four games, including two multi-hit performances. In that stretch, Frett has contributed three RBIs, two doubles, one triple, and a home run. He currently boasts an OPS of 1.156 and leads the nation in hit-by-pitches with ten.
Shortstop
Alex Ulloa has been consistent, batting .341 (14-for-41) with four doubles and five RBIs. He has recorded hits in three straight games, including a two-hit performance against South Florida.
Outfielder
Albert Serrano comes off a standout three-hit performance against South Florida, where he drove in three runs with a double. Serrano currently holds a .333 average and leads the team in RBIs (12), along with seven hit-by-pitches.
Freshman
Cole Cleveland has been a key contributor, ranking second on the team with eight RBIs and three doubles. He delivered a crucial two-run double in FIU's matchup against Delaware on Feb. 23.
Javier Crespo has impressed with a .412 batting average (7-for-17) and eight RBIs in six games.
FIU's pitching staff has been just as impressive, holding a team ERA of 4.28 while leading the nation in strikeouts (118). The Panthers tied a program record with 20 strikeouts in a single game against Delaware on Feb. 23.
Senior
Logan Runde leads FIU in innings pitched (10.0) with no earned runs allowed, 10 strikeouts, and no walks. He tossed four shutout innings with a career-high six strikeouts in his most recent start.
Reliever
Juan Villarreal has been dominant out of the bullpen, striking out 16 batters in 10.1 innings while earning a 2-0 record with a 1.74 ERA. Against South Florida, Villarreal threw 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out five.
Junior
Easton Marks made his second start on Saturday, Feb. 22 matching his career-high with nine strikeouts in 3.2 innings vs Delaware. He has yet to allow an earned run through 6.2 innings, striking out 13.
Additional bullpen contributors include
David Eckaus,
Bryce Greene,
Andrew Ildefonso,
Kevin Martin,
Julian Mlodzinski, and
Bryce Turner, all of whom have seen action this season.
HISTORY WITH MERRIMACK
This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between FIU and Merrimack.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Merrimack enters the series with a 1-5-1 record, coming off a midweek tie against Bryant (9-9) on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Prior to that, the Warriors lost two of three to Wagner, securing an 8-3 victory in the middle game, and suffered a season-opening sweep against Winthrop.
Last season, Merrimack won 33 games and reached the NEC Championship before falling to LIU. This year, they joined the MAAC and were projected to finish ninth in the 13-team conference.
Junior Logan Castellano leads the Warriors with two home runs and seven RBIs. Preseason All-MAAC selection Frankie Ferrentino has recorded five hits in his last three games, while outfielder Chris Goode has driven in four runs this season.
Friday night starter Luke Linnehman has allowed two earned runs over two innings, surrendering two hits. Andrew Hefferman has made two starts, pitching nine innings while allowing five earned runs on 15 hits. He also appeared in relief against Wagner on Feb. 22, throwing 2.1 innings.
Out of the bullpen, Nick Hunkele has been a reliable arm, maintaining a 0.00 ERA over six innings with seven strikeouts.
UP NEXT
FIU prepare for a midweek contest at loanDepot Park to take on the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on
Marlins.com/UMFIU.
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.
