MIAMI – The FIU baseball program returns to the 305 this weekend as it hosts New Mexico State for a three-game Conference USA (CUSA) series at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Friday, April 11 vs New Mexico State (17-16 (5-4 CUSA)
Saturday, April 12 vs New Mexico State (17-16 (5-4 CUSA)
- Time / Site: 5 p.m. ET at FIU Baseball Stadium
- Chris Daniels (0-0, 3.52 ERA) vs Owen Puk (3.64 ERA)
Sunday, April 13 vs New Mexico State (17-16 (5-4 CUSA)
- Time / Site: 12 p.m. ET at FIU Baseball Stadium
- TBA vs TBA
The Panthers (20-12, 4-4 CUSA) are back home after an eight-game road swing that included conference matchups in Murfreesboro and Ruston, along with midweek games in Daytona Beach and Coral Gables.
FIU's 20-12 start is its best since 2014. Despite a weather-impacted series at Louisiana Tech, where the Panthers dropped both games, they opened CUSA play strong by winning back-to-back series against Jacksonville State and Middle Tennessee.
FIU boasts one of the most potent offenses in the league, batting .286 as a team—ranking fifth in CUSA. The Panthers also rank fifth in hits (307) and fourth in total bases (511). Their power at the plate is evident, with 44 home runs—second-most in the conference and 47th nationally.
The Panthers also rank seventh nationally in hit-by-pitches (80) and 13th in sacrifice flies (21), showcasing their discipline and situational awareness at the plate.
Senior
Brylan West is riding a six-game hitting streak, including five multi-hit outings and 13 total hits during that span. He recorded four hits—including a homer—on April 5 at Louisiana Tech. West leads FIU in hits (43), is second in home runs (8), and has racked up 75 total bases.
Kishon Frett paces the team with 10 home runs, including a solo shot against Louisiana Tech, and boasts a .322 batting average along with a team-best 1.115 OPS.
Shortstop
Alex Ulloa leads the team with 29 RBIs and eight doubles, having started all 32 games this season. Meanwhile,
Austin Dearing has tallied six hits, two doubles, and four RBIs over the last four games. He's hitting .292 with 20 RBIs in 26 appearances.
Javier Crespo continues to be a clutch performer, driving in 11 runs over the last eight games. He went 6-for-17 with seven RBIs and a homer in his last five games, raising his average to a team-high .365.
Redshirt freshman
Andrew Ildefonso has hits in 11 of his last 12 games, with 10 RBIs and five doubles during that stretch. He has recorded seven hits in his past seven games.
On the mound, FIU's pitching staff has tallied 328 strikeouts in 30 games, leading CUSA and ranking 15th nationally with 16 games of 10+ strikeouts.
Owen Puk has been a key arm, tossing 12 consecutive scoreless innings across his last three appearances, allowing just two hits and striking out 14. He posted a career-high eight strikeouts over five innings on March 30 at Middle Tennessee, lowering his ERA to 3.64 over 29.2 innings.
Juan Villarreal leads the team with a 3.62 ERA and a team-high 46 strikeouts over 32.1 innings.
Kevin Martin has allowed just one earned run in his last 3.1 innings of work, while
Jaydon Bishop has impressed with a 1.35 ERA over his last five outings, giving up one earned run in 9.2 innings with nine strikeouts—including four scoreless frames at Miami on April 2. He owns a 3.74 ERA over 21.2 innings this season.
Logan Runde has made 11 appearances, including nine starts, while
Easton Marks leads the team in innings pitched (38) and has compiled a 4.26 ERA with 44 strikeouts.
HISTORY WITH NEW MEXICO STATE
Friday's opener will mark the 20th all-time meeting between the two programs. Last season in Las Cruces, the Panthers swept the Aggies, outscoring them 49-26 over the three-game set. That series also featured a historic moment as
Armando Becerra hit for the cycle—the second in program history.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
New Mexico State enters the weekend at 17-16 overall and 5-4 in conference play, coming off a road series win at Sam Houston. On Tuesday, April 8, the Aggies dropped a tightly contested 11-9 game at No. 24 Arizona.
The Aggies are hitting .299 as a team, with four players batting above .300. Mitch Namie leads the club with 45 hits and a .349 average, along with 28 RBIs and 13 doubles—third in CUSA.
Sheehan O'Connor leads the team in home runs (8) and has scored 22 runs with a .304 average. Brandon Forrester ranks second in hits (44) and leads the conference in batting average (.481) in league play, also adding two triples.
On the mound, Jack Turner leads the staff with eight starts, carrying a 4-2 record and a 5.79 ERA over 42 innings. He posted a season-high nine strikeouts over six innings in his April 4 start at Sam Houston, allowing just one earned run in a 6-2 win.
Ferny Barreda has made six starts but logged just 11.2 innings this season. Two-way player Chris Daniels has made two starts, allowing three runs in 7.2 innings.
Saul Soto owns a 5.40 ERA over 25 innings with 10 appearances and one save, while Matthew Yarc has started six of his nine outings, striking out 23 in 27.1 innings.
UP NEXT
FIU travels to Fort Myers, Fla. to take on the FGCU Eagles on Tuesday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m from Swanson Stadium.
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.
