MIAMI – FIU's baseball program prepares for its final home weekend series of the season, hosting the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a pivotal Conference USA (CUSA) matchup this weekend at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Friday, May 8 vs Middle Tennessee (23-25, 10-14 CUSA)
Saturday, May 9 vs Middle Tennessee (23-25, 10-14 CUSA)
Sunday, May 10 vs Middle Tennessee (23-25, 10-14 CUSA)
- Time / Site: Noon ET at FIU Baseball Stadium
- Starters: MTSU TBA vs FIU TBA
- Kids Day
- Senior Day | Ceremonies begin at 11:40 AM
The Panthers (15-33, 6-18 CUSA) look to bounce back following a narrow 9-8 loss to FGCU in their final midweek contest of the season on Wednesday, May 6. FIU and the Eagles traded five lead changes before the Panthers' late rally fell just short.
With six conference games remaining, FIU sits three games back of the ninth and final spot in the CUSA Championships, set for May 20–24 in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Panthers have posted a 6-6 mark in conference play at home this season, including wins in four of their last six games in Miami highlighted by a sweep of Kennesaw State from April 10-12.
The weekend will also mark FIU's final home series for its senior class, with Senior Day ceremonies scheduled for Sunday beginning at 11:40 a.m. A live stream of the ceremony will be available exclusively on FIUSports.com.
Offensively, FIU ranks fifth in CUSA with 54 home runs and has totaled 378 hits as a team. The Panthers have also been hit by 91 pitches this season, leading Conference USA and ranking 31st nationally.
Mario Trivella continues to pace the Panthers offensively, tied for the team lead with 11 home runs while leading the squad with 39 RBI and batting .271 across 46 games. The junior has recorded hits in nine of his last 10 games, totaling 13 hits, 10 RBI, three home runs, and a double during that stretch.
Andrew Ildefonso leads the team with 53 hits and owns a .272 batting average through 48 games. The redshirt sophomore has recorded hits in five of his last six games and collected his 100th career hit on Saturday, May 2. He added a two-hit performance against FGCU, including his sixth home run of the season, and has totaled 31 RBI on the year.
Samuel Fischer has provided key production in the middle of the lineup, coming off a two-hit, four-RBI performance with a home run against FGCU. Fischer has started all 48 games this season and ranks second on the team with 34 RBI while totaling 15 extra-base hits. Over his last two games, the Cali, Colombia native has driven in seven runs with two home runs. He also continues to be a force on base with 41 walks and a team-high 15 hit-by-pitches.
At the top of the lineup,
Cooper Rasmussen is tied for the team lead with 11 home runs while adding 26 RBI and six doubles. The Temecula, California native collected five hits during the Delaware series and has reached base safely in eight consecutive games.
Aidan Cohall has also swung a hot bat recently, recording hits in seven of his last eight games with nine hits, three home runs, 11 RBI, and two doubles during that span. He leads the Panthers with 17 doubles, ranking among the top five in Conference USA.
In the outfield,
Cole Cleveland has appeared in 42 games, totaling 16 RBI and three home runs. He recorded a multi-hit effort on Friday, May 2 at Delaware.
Behind the plate,
Marc Hersh enters the weekend on a six-game hitting streak, totaling eight hits and eight RBI during that stretch, including a three-run homer in the series opener at Delaware.
Enrique Alvarez Jr. has also contributed with three hits over his last three games, highlighted by a multi-hit effort on Saturday.
On the mound, FIU has logged 416.1 innings and recorded 379 strikeouts this season.
Preston Prince leads the rotation with 48 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched, adding five strikeouts in his most recent outing at Delaware.
Julian Mlodzinski leads the staff in innings pitched (51.1) and starts (11).
Out of the bullpen,
Tyrus Riley has appeared in 18 games, posting 37.1 innings with 37 strikeouts and two saves.
George Adams also turned in a strong relief performance last weekend, striking out seven batters across 4.1 innings.
HISTORY WITH MTSU
The weekend series marks the 63rd, 64th, and 65th all-time meetings between the two programs in a series dating back to 1973. Middle Tennessee holds a narrow 32-30 advantage in the all-time series.
FIU won two of three games in the teams' last meeting during the 2025 season and also claimed the series the last time the Blue Raiders visited Miami in 2024.
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee enters the weekend with a 23-25 overall record and a 10-14 mark in Conference USA play, currently sitting eighth in the conference standings. The Blue Raiders are coming off a series loss to Western Kentucky.
Offensively, Dean O'Neill leads the team with 60 hits while batting in all 48 games, totaling 11 home runs, 48 RBI, and 12 doubles. Owen Nowak is batting .331 with 30 RBI and seven home runs. Tyler Minnick and Brett Rogers have each recorded 54 hits, while combining for 88 RBI, 18 home runs, and 32 doubles.
On the mound, David Horn Jr. has made 11 starts with a 4.61 ERA across 56.2 innings and 65 strikeouts. Chandler Alderman has logged 50.1 innings over 12 starts, while Cole Torbett owns a 3.43 ERA in 21 innings. Gavin King leads the bullpen with five saves in 18 appearances, while John Michael Pickens and Landen Burch have also been key contributors in relief.
UP NEXT
FIU prepares for their final series of the season next weekend facing New Mexico State from Las Cruces from May 14 - 16 from Presley Askew Field.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit
HERE.
BAPTIST HEALTH
The 2026 FIU baseball season is 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.
