FIU Athletics

2007: The Golden Panthers’ top-returning hitter (.342) who led the team in home runs (7) and RBI (56) his first year with FIU... led all infielders with a .981 fielding percentage at first base and batted .391 with runners in scoring position...led the team in putouts (435), sacrifice flies (5) and hit 10 doubles and a triple...started 52 of the 53 games he played in, including 50 at first base...tied for the team lead with 14 multiple-RBI games, including a career-high six RBI against Wagner (3/2)...enjoyed a 19-game hitting streak from 2/9-3/14...ended the season on a seven-game hitting streak in which he went 13-for-30 (.433) and struck out only once...led the team in hitting against Florida Atlantic (5/17-19), going 7-for-14 with four RBI and two runs scored...went 2-for-5 in the series finale with a two-run home run in the ninth inning...opened the series going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI...went 5-for-14 (.357) against Middle Tennessee (5/11-13) with a pair of doubles and two RBI...closed out the series going 3-for-4 and scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning...slumped in the South Alabama series (5/4-6), going 1-for-13 with an RBI...drove in the three runs against New Orleans (4/28), two on sacrifice flies...went 5-for-13 at Arkansas-Little Rock, including a 3-for-4 performance in the series-opening win...hit .375 (3-for-8) in two games against Louisiana at Monroe (4/13-14), including a leadoff home run in the third inning of the series opener...went 2-for-4 with a double and two-run single in the first inning against Miami (4/11)...went 2-for-12 (.167) at Arkansas State (4/6-7)...hit .417 (5-for-12) against Louisiana-Lafayette (3/30-4/1) and tied a career high with three runs in the series finale win, including the game-winning run in the seventh inning...drove in four runs in a 3-for-5 effort against Harvard (3/28)...hit .250 (3-for-12) at Troy (3/23-25)...drove in five runs in the final two games of the Western Kentucky series (3/16-18) after going hitless in the series opener...hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning of the second game of the WKU series...hit a solo home run in the sixth inning against Manhattan (3/13)...went 7-for-12 (.583) against Rutgers (3/9-11) with six RBI...closed out the series going 4-for-5 with three RBI...sparked a four-run seventh inning in the second game of the series with a leadoff home run...drove in a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly and RBI single in the series opener...hit .642 (9-for-14) with eight RBI and five runs scored against Wagner (3/2-4)...opened the series going 5-for-5 with six RBI, two doubles and a home run...collected a hit in all four games against Rhode Island (3/23-25)...went 5-for-13 (.385) with seven RBI against Florida A&M (2/16-17)...doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in the second game of the series...hit his first career home run, a two-run shot in the fourth inning of the series opener against the Rattlers...made his first three starts of the season against Missouri (2/9-11), going 4-for-11 (.364) with three RBI...collected his first career hit at FIU in the series opener with a second-inning single...also drove in a run in the the third inning...came off the bench to make his FIU debut against Central Florida (2/4) and went 0-for-2.

Prior to FIU: Played two years alongside current FIU teammate Ryan Mollica at Central Florida CC...named team MVP and an All Mid-Florida Conference selection in 2006 after leading the team with 44 RBI and a .389 average, and leading the team with four saves while compiling a 4.11 ERA on the mound...two-sport star at Clearwater Central Catholic HS, earning four letters, earning all state honors and serving as a captain for the football and baseball teams...hit .390 as a senior on the diamond and single-season and single-game school records for tackles on the gridiron, totaling 134 tackles for the season...helped lead the baseball team to the state championship in 2002 and runner-up finish in 2003.

Personal: Born February 21, 1986...son of John and Linda Petika...has a younger brother, James, and a younger sister, Deeann...sports management major...selected FIU after receiving consideration from Miami, LSU, North Carolina State and Clemson.

Petika’s Career Highs