MIAMI – The FIU baseball team embarks on a nine-game road swing, beginning with a midweek matchup against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday afternoon in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Tuesday, March 25 vs Bethune-Cookman (12-12)

• Time / Site: 3 p.m. ET at Jackie Robinson Ballpark
• Owen Puk (1-0, 5.49 ERA) vs Logan Wirt (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

FIU (16-9, 2-1 CUSA) enters the contest fresh off its first Conference USA (CUSA) series of the season, having taken two out of three games against Jacksonville State at home. The Panthers rallied for a 6-3 victory on Friday night before sealing the series with an 11-4 win on Sunday, March 23. FIU has won three of its last four games, marking the program's best 25-game start under third-year head coach Rich Witten.
 
The Panthers are hitting .282 as a team, ranking fifth in CUSA and third in total bases with 396. A key factor in their offensive success has been power hitting, as FIU ranks second in the conference and 25th nationally with 27 home runs. Fourteen different players have contributed at least one home run this season.
 
Kishon Frett has been a driving force for the Panthers, leading the team in home runs (8), hits (31), total bases (63), and triples (2), while ranking second in RBIs (19). The redshirt senior delivered a standout performance on March 23, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs. This marked his third career four-hit game and second this season, previously accomplishing the feat against Merrimack on March 2. His two-homer performance was the second of his career, the first coming against Western Kentucky in the 2024 CUSA Championship. Over his last five games, Frett is hitting .353 with six hits.
 
Alex Ulloa has found his rhythm, collecting five hits in his last four games. The senior tallied multiple hits against Jacksonville State, recording a double and two RBIs in Friday's win before belting a home run on Saturday, March 22. Ulloa leads the team with 20 RBIs, ranking in the top 20 in CUSA. Over his last 10 games, the Cutler Bay, Fla. native has driven in nine RBIs with two home runs and 10 hits.
 
Brylan West is second on the team with 30 hits while adding six home runs, 14 RBIs, and a team-best six doubles. Two-way standout Andrew Ildefonso continues to produce at the plate, notching four hits, six RBIs, a double, a triple, and a home run against Jacksonville State. The redshirt freshman has recorded hits in six of his last seven games, driving in 10 RBIs over his last 10 contests.
 
Javier Crespo leads the team with a .370 batting average, collecting hits in back-to-back games while driving in two RBIs. Over his last 10 games, the senior is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with six RBIs.
 
FIU's pitching staff has been stellar, racking up 270 strikeouts in 25 games, the most in CUSA and 10th in the nation. The Panthers have recorded 10 or more strikeouts in 15 games this season.
 
Easton Marks has been a force on the mound, posting a 2.25 ERA over 28 innings with a team-leading 38 strikeouts. The junior turned in a strong outing against Jacksonville State on March 21, striking out seven over five innings—his fourth straight start of five or more innings. Juan Villarreal has been a workhorse, tossing 25 innings with a 2.88 ERA and 36 strikeouts. The Panama native owns a 5-1 record with two saves and is coming off a relief win on March 21, where he struck out five over three innings, allowing just one hit.
 
Jarek Woodward has been dominant, sporting a 2.00 ERA over 18 innings and leading the team with two saves. He secured the save against Jacksonville State on March 23, throwing the final four innings while allowing just one earned run over his last 8.1 innings. David Eckaus has been a key bullpen piece, carrying a 4.43 ERA over 20.1 innings. He made his first start of the season on March 23, working three innings with one earned run and a strikeout. Tracen Cameron rebounded with a strong relief outing on March 22, tossing three innings with four strikeouts. Cameron and Eckaus are tied for the team lead with nine appearances.
 
Owen Puk will make his sixth start, having struck out 20 batters in 19.2 innings. He has not allowed an earned run in his last two innings pitched vs. Bucknell on March 16.

HISTORY WITH BETHUNE-COOKMAN 
Tuesday's game marks the 81st all-time meeting between FIU and Bethune-Cookman, a series dating back to 1978.

The Panthers hold a commanding 64-16 series lead and have won 12 of the last 13 matchups. FIU dominated the first meeting this season with a 10-0 win on Feb. 19 at FIU Baseball Stadium, shutting out the Wildcats behind three home runs and eight hits.

In their last trip to Daytona Beach, FIU fell 10-4 on Feb. 20, 2024.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS 
Bethune-Cookman enters the midweek contest at 12-12, coming off a series victory at Jackson State, including a 15-7 win on Sunday.

Darryl Lee leads the Wildcats with a .377 batting average, tallying 20 RBIs and four home runs. Junior Andrey Martinez has driven in 19 RBIs over 17 games, while Jorge Rodriguez leads the team in doubles, posting four hits in his last two games with four RBIs and a home run.
 
Logan Wirt will make his second start of the season, having yet to allow an earned run over 2.2 innings. He made his first start vs. Jacksonville on March 11. Out of the bullpen, Jean Carlos Zambrano has been reliable, posting a 1.71 ERA with two saves over 21 innings.

UP NEXT
FIU prepares for their first CUSA road series of the season, heading to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. First pitch on Friday, March 28 is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed on ESPN+.

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.