MIAMI – The FIU baseball program is set for a midweek showdown in Coral Gables, taking on the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday evening at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
 
FIU (19-10, 4-2 CUSA) enters the crosstown matchup having won four of its last five games, coming off a series victory at Middle Tennessee. After dropping the series opener, the Panthers bounced back to take the final two games, securing their second consecutive Conference USA series win to start league play.
 
This marks the second straight year FIU has opened CUSA play with back-to-back series wins. The Panthers' 19-10 record is their best 29-game start since 2014 and the best under third-year head coach Rich Witten.
 
Currently in the midst of a nine-game road stretch, FIU will continue its travels with a weekend series at Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La., before wrapping up the stretch at Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday, April 8.
 
FIU has been firing on all cylinders offensively, ranking fifth in CUSA in batting average (.287) and third in hits (234). The Panthers have also tallied 467 total bases, which ranks among the top three in the conference. Their power at the plate has been a key factor, launching 41 home runs in 29 games, good for second in CUSA and 39th in the nation.
 
The Panthers have also proven to be a disciplined squad, ranking fifth nationally in hit-by-pitches (76) and fourth in sacrifice flies (21).
 
Leading the charge at the plate, Alex Ulloa earned CUSA Hitter of the Week honors after recording eight hits and nine RBI over FIU's four games last week. Against Middle Tennessee, he notched six hits and six RBI. Over the last five games, Ulloa is batting .364 (8-for-22) with three doubles, a homer, and nine RBI. The Cutler Bay, Fla., native has started all 29 games at shortstop, hitting .316 with 28 RBI—ranking among the top hitters in CUSA.
 
Kishon Frett leads the team in home runs (9) while ranking second in RBI (21), including a two-run blast against Middle Tennessee on March 29. Brylan West is second on the team with 36 hits, recording six hits in the MTSU series, including a three-hit game on Sunday—his 10th multi-hit effort of the season.
 
Redshirt senior Austin Dearing has been on fire, hitting .467 (7-for-15) in his last five games with a double and three RBI. He has logged three two-hit games in his past four appearances. On the season, he's hitting .282 with 17 RBI.
 
Two-way standout Andrew Ildefonso extended his hitting streak to nine games over the weekend, tallying five hits against Middle Tennessee. Over his last 10 games, the redshirt freshman is batting .406 (13-for-32) with 10 RBIs, three doubles, a triple, and a homer. He owns a .377 average and a 1.149 OPS in 21 games this season.

Javier Crespo has been a key contributor, hitting .377 with 17 RBI in 21 games. He has eight hits in his last seven games, including a multi-hit, two-RBI performance against MTSU on March 30.
 
The Panthers' pitching staff has been stellar, racking up 307 strikeouts in 29 games, with 16 games of 10+ strikeouts—leading CUSA and ranking ninth nationally.
 
Right-hander Owen Puk delivered a dominant week, throwing nine scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and 14 strikeouts in two starts. On March 30, he set a career-high with eight strikeouts over five innings in FIU's 10-5 road win at Middle Tennessee. Puk has not allowed a run in his last 11 innings, lowering his ERA to 3.77 over 28.2 innings.
 
Juan Villarreal leads the team with a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings, tied for the team lead in strikeouts (41) with Easton Marks. Villarreal earned his second save of the season last week, pitching four scoreless innings with five strikeouts in a 6-5 win over Middle Tennessee. The junior has not allowed an earned run in his last seven appearances.
 
Logan Runde has made nine appearances, eight starts, working 3.2 innings with three strikeouts on March 28. Marks has seven starts, leading the team with 32.1 innings pitched, a 4.45 ERA, and 41 strikeouts.
 
Freshman Tracen Cameron made his first career start on March 29, pitching 3.1 innings.
 
In relief, Jaydon Bishop has been dominant, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts over his last three outings. Kevin Martin posted two scoreless innings against Middle Tennessee on March 30, while left-hander David Eckaus has allowed just two earned runs in his past 4.2 innings.

HISTORY WITH MIAMI
Wednesday's game marks the 139th all-time meeting between FIU and Miami, dating back to 1973.
 
In their first matchup of the season on March 4, FIU fell 7-3 at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. However, the Panthers won in Coral Gables last season, securing a 9-7 victory on May 8, 2024.
 
FIU and Miami will meet two more times this season, with the next matchup scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, at FIU Baseball Stadium (6 p.m.), followed by a final showdown in Coral Gables on Wednesday, May 7 (6 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING THE HURRICANES
Miami enters the contest with a 15-14 record, coming off a series loss to No. 21 North Carolina before salvaging the finale with a 4-2 win on March 30.
 
Offensively, Bobby Marsh leads the Hurricanes with 33 RBI and six home runs, while Daniel Cuvet has driven in 32 runs with five homers through 28 games.
 
On the mound, Reese Lumpkin has started Miami's last two midweek games, holding a 5.01 ERA over 23.1 innings with 25 strikeouts in five starts. Out of the bullpen, Will Smith leads the team with 11 appearances, a 4.05 ERA, and 19 strikeouts over 13.1 innings.

UP NEXT
FIU heads to Ruston, Louisiana to take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a CUSA road series. First pitch on Friday, April 4 is set for 7 p.m. from J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park 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.