MIAMI – The FIU baseball program dropped its Conference USA (CUSA) home opener, falling 3-2 to Sam Houston on Friday evening at FIU Baseball Stadium.
FIU (7-16) struck first in the second inning as Trey Freeman launched a solo home run to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
Sam Houston responded in the third, plating two runs on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 advantage. The Bearkats added an insurance run later in the game with an RBI single to right field, extending their lead to 3-1.
The Panthers battled back, cutting the deficit to one on an RBI single from Cooper Rasmussen that scored Adonys Velez. However, FIU was unable to complete the comeback as Sam Houston held on to secure the series-opening win.
On the mound, Preston Prince turned in a solid start, allowing two earned runs over four innings while striking out six. Bryce Turner followed with three innings of relief, surrendering one run and recording three strikeouts. Mason Koczwara and Enrique Sierra each added scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.
Offensively, FIU recorded three hits, with Cole Cleveland, Freeman, and Rasmussen each contributing. Rasmussen extended his hitting streak to eight games in the loss.
UP NEXT
FIU prepare for game two of the series on Saturday, March 21 at 3 p.m. vs Sam Houston. It will be streamed live on ESPN+ from FIU Baseball Stadium.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE.
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 X and @FIU.Baseball on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUAthletics on X and Instagram.
