MIAMI – The FIU baseball program travels to Gainesville, Florida for a pair of midweek matchups against #10 Florida at Condron Family Ballpark on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 at #10 Florida (7-1)

• Time / Site: 6:30 p.m. ET at Condron Family Ballpark
• RHP Quin McManmon (0-0, 2.45 ERA) vs RHP Luke McNeillie (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Wednesday, Feb. 25 at #10 Florida (7-1)

• Time / Site: 6 p.m. ET at Condron Family Ballpark
• TBA vs TBA 

FIU (6-2) will face its highest-ranked opponent since April 6, 2022, when the Panthers squared off against No. 8 Miami. The Panthers enter the week riding momentum after taking three of four games from Holy Cross this past weekend.
 
FIU opened the series with a 7-4 victory on Friday before sweeping Saturday's doubleheader in dramatic fashion — a 6-5, 12-inning win in game one and a 14-10 triumph in game two, both ending on walk-off home runs. The Panthers dropped Sunday's finale in a 20-17 slugfest.
 
The trip to Gainesville serves as a homecoming for assistant coach Brian Jeroloman and pitching coach Karsten Whitson, both former Gators. Jeroloman (2004-06) played in 182 games with 175 starts and earned All-SEC honors. Whitson (2011-14) appeared in 47 games with 38 starts, compiling a 2.95 career ERA across 168 innings with 133 strikeouts. He was named National Freshman of the Year in 2011.

As a unit, FIU erupted offensively against Holy Cross, blasting 10 home runs and driving in 44 runs on 38 hits over the four-game series.
 
Samuel Fischer led the charge, recording nine hits, three home runs, seven RBI and a triple while reaching base 16 times, including five walks. He delivered a four-hit performance Sunday and now leads the team with a .458 batting average through eight games.
 
Luca Reyes showcased his power with three home runs and 13 RBI in the series. His signature performance came in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, when he drove in eight runs, including a walk-off grand slam. The eight-RBI outing marked the most by a Panther since 2024, when Armando Becerra and Brylan West each tallied seven in a game at New Mexico State. Reyes added a two-run homer and a two-run double Sunday and now leads the team and conference in RBI (17) and home runs (4), while tying for the team lead in hits (11). His 17 RBI rank among the top five nationally.
 
Andrew Ildefonso continued his steady production with six hits, seven RBI and two doubles over the weekend, including a three-hit effort Sunday. He has recorded a hit in all eight games this season and ranks second on the team with 10 hits.
 
Aidan Cohall is batting .391 with nine hits and six RBI, while Cooper Rasmussen has homered in back-to-back games. Mario Trivella drove in six RBI during the series, including a walk-off homer in Saturday's opener and a grand slam Sunday.

FIU pitchers have combined for 76 strikeouts across 75 innings, ranking second in the conference.
 
Jeremy Urena matched a career-high with seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings Friday, while George Adams allowed one run over four innings in Saturday's opener.
 
Out of the bullpen, Julian Mlodzinski has allowed just one run over six innings with eight strikeouts. Tyrus Riley has yet to allow a run in 5.1 innings, and Enrique Sierra earned his second win of the season with two hitless innings in Saturday's 6-5 victory. Freshman Brennan Confreda and Quin McManmon also contributed scoreless outings over the weekend.

HISTORY WITH FLORIDA
The midweek series marks the fourth and fifth all-time meetings between FIU and Florida and the first matchup since 1998. FIU holds a 1-2 record in the series. The Panthers' last meeting resulted in an 11-3 loss on May 5, 1998, while FIU earned a 3-1 victory on Feb. 25, 1990.

SCOUTING THE GATORS
The #10 Florida Gators enters the week at 7-1 overall and riding a seven-game winning streak, most recently sweeping Kennesaw State at home.
 
The Gators are batting .351 as a team with 14 home runs and 68 RBI. Kyle Jones is hitting .500 with nine RBI, while Blake Cyr has three home runs and nine RBI. Ethan Surowiec leads the team with 11 RBI.
 
On the mound, Aidan King has not allowed an earned run in 12 innings with nine strikeouts. Liam Peterson has recorded 15 strikeouts in 8.2 innings, and Cooper Walls has made two starts totaling 9.2 innings.

UP NEXT
FIU returns home for a five-game homestand, hosting Stony Brook for a three-game series from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 1 from FIU Baseball Stadium. It will all be streamed live 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.