FIU Athletics

As a Sophomore (2013): Named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team… Earned the Sun Belt Commissioner’s Award for great achievements on the field and in the classroom…Was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award recognizing Division I baseball’s top catcher…CollegeBaseballInsider.com Honorable Mention All-American…Started in 57 games for the Panthers, all but one of them at the catcher position…Tied for the team lead with 72 hits, while batting at a .321 clip…Led team with 11 homeruns and was second in RBI with 51…Ranked fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in homeruns and eighth in RBI…Threw out a league-best 28 basestealers…Tied for second on the team with 21 multiple-hit games and 12 multiple-RBI games…Collected two hits in his first four games, but picked things up beginning against Manhattan (2/22) where he reached base three times and scored two runs…Followed that up the next day against the Jaspers with two hits, two runs one homerun and three RBI…Reached base safely four times via four hits in a two-game span against Texas Tech (2/25-2/26) to go along with one RBI in each contest…Continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-5 performance against Mississippi (3/1), including one homer, a double and one RBI…Had a big series against Rice, collecting seven hits over a three-game span…Went 3-for-4 with a homerun and three RBI against the Owls in the Saturday matchup (3/9)…Followed that up with a 3-for-4 effort with a season-high five RBI in the Sunday contest (3/10)…Roped two doubles and drove in two runs at USF (3/12)…Collected four hits in the FAU series (3/15-3/17)…Had a strong showing in the Western Kentucky Series, including a 2-for-5 effort with three RBI in the Saturday contest (3/23)…Had another three-hit game vs. Arkansas State (3/30), which capped off a 13-game hitting streak for him, marking a season-best for any FIU player during the 2013 campaign…Strung together another hitting streak of 10 games, starting with a 2-for-5 outing at South Alabama (4/6)…Went 2-for-4 with a homerun and a double vs. ULM (4/13)…Followed that up with a grand slam the next day against the Warhawks (4/14)…Capped off that 10-game hitting streak with five consecutive multi-hit games, including a 2-for-5 effort with one homerun showing at Middle Tennessee (4/20)…Also went 3-for-5 with three RBI vs. Louisiana (4/26)…Homered and drove in two runs in the series finale with the Ragin’ Cajuns (4/28)…Had one of his best showing s of the season, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and five RBI at UALR (5/10)…Continued his hot-hitting in that series by going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI and two runs scored as the Panthers took two of three from the Trojans (5/12)…Picked up two hits and two RBI in the SBC Tournament.

As a Freshman (2012): Named to the 2011-12 SBC Commissioners Honor Roll for having a 3.5 GPA or higher… Started 49 games and played in 55 as a true freshman… Made 44 starts behind the plate and five at first base… Hit .271 (52-192) with six home runs, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored, eight doubles and a triple… Doubled in his first-career start against Rice (2/18)… Had 14 multi-hit games, including five, three-hit games… Had seven multi-RBI games… Strung together a seven-game hitting streak during the year and finished the season riding a two-game hitting streak… Reached base in 11-straight games at one point in the year… Tied for third on the team with six home runs… Fifth on the team in at bats (192) and walks (19) and tied for fourth in gamed played at 55.

Prior to FIU: Attended Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Fla. where he was coached by Carlos Iglesias… Drafted in the 20th round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals… Garcia is a rarity; an athletic high school catching prospect with remarkably quick feet and fluid receiving skills… His home-to-second-base throwing times range from 1.85 to 1.95 seconds, already above major league average… 2011 Rawlings Florida Region Honorable Mention All-American… Finished his high school career a .414 hitter (106-for-256) with 15 home runs, 89 RBI and 79 runs scored… Hit .508 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and a 1.071 slugging percentage his senior year… As a senior, was named team MVP as well as All-County First-Team by the Miami Herald and the Sun-Sentinel… Also named All-Broward First-Team and All-District First-Team by BrowardHighSchoolBaseball.com in addition to being selected to numerous all-tar squads… Qualified for the Connie Mack World Series with the Florida Legends in the summers of 2010 and 2011… Was team MVP in 2011.

Personal: Born on January 12, 1993 in Pembroke Pines, Fla…. Son of Mariem and Jose Garcia… Has one brother, Derick… Enjoys going to the beach, watching television and hanging out with friends in his spare time… Likes to watch ESPN and Law and Order Criminal Minds… Also recruited by FAU and UCF out of high school.