LYNCHBURG, Va. – The No. 6 seed FIU baseball program will face No. 3 seed Kennesaw State in an elimination game on Friday afternoon at the Conference USA Championship.

Friday, May 23 vs No. 3 Kennesaw State (30-26, 17-9 CUSA)

• Time / Site: 2 p.m. ET at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium
• TBA vs TBA

FIU (31-26) looks to bounce back after a heartbreaker on Thursday, falling 7-6 to No. 2 seed Western Kentucky. The Panthers tied the game in the ninth inning thanks to a clutch solo home run by Alex Ulloa, but the Hilltoppers responded with a walk-off homer to clinch the win.

A victory on Friday would send FIU to the semifinal round, where it would get a rematch with Western Kentucky on Saturday, May 24, at 9 a.m.

The Panthers opened the tournament with an impressive 9-3 win over Kennesaw State on May 21, highlighted by two home runs — including a leadoff blast from Brylan West. Jaydon Bishop earned the win on the mound, while Juan Villarreal secured his fourth save of the season.

FIU is aiming to reach the CUSA semifinal round for the first time since 2015 — the same year the Panthers went on to win the conference title with an 8-2 victory over UAB in the championship game.

Through the first two games of the tournament, West has led the offense with four hits, two RBI, and a home run — including a three-hit performance against Kennesaw State. Cole Cleveland has added three hits over two games, including a two-run homer. Meanwhile, Javier Crespo recorded a two-run triple, and Austin Dearing has driven in three runs. Kishon Frett has reached base five times.

On the mound, Villarreal was dominant in his appearance against Kennesaw State, tossing three hitless innings. Bryce Turner added two innings of one-run relief, while Kevin Martin turned in a solid four-inning outing against Western Kentucky, allowing just two earned runs.

UP NEXT
With a win, FIU advances to the semifinal round vs No. 2 seed Western Kentucky, First pitch is set for 9 a.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ from Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium

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