Panthers open home schedule against Ivy League opponent

Eduardo almaguer / Staff Writer

eduardo.almaguer@fiusm.com

The Panthers will face Brown, who managed a 13-29 record in 2011

The boys of baseball are coming home.

After a two consecutive series on the road against two top-20 programs, the Panthers are ready to kick off their home opener against the Brown Bears tonight at 7 p.m.

Though the players return to FIU Baseball Stadium with a 1-5 record hanging over their head, they know that it is not remotely indicative of how good they are.

“Our record should be 4-2, and that’s modest,” said senior left-hander R.J Fondon.

Fondon recalled the bizarre play that unfolded on Sunday in the late innings where junior Jabari Henry hit a line drive to the Seminole third baseman that caromed off him and landed in the hands of the second baseman for a force out. A hit would have tied the game.

Head coach Turtle Thomas suspects that at the very worst his squad should be 3-3.

Part of the struggle for FIU has been the walks. With 53 in just six games, the ability to get out becomes harder. So what is the cure?

“You have to throw strike one,” said Thomas. “You don’t want to throw it down the middle because any good hitter will catch it, but you have to stop nibbling.”

 

A CLASS ACT

 

Senior outfielder Pablo Bermudez was nominated as one of the 30 finalists for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

To be eligible for the CLASS (or Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) award, one must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

Bermudez, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, has been active with the Susan G. Komen foundation, as well as the American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation and MLK Day of Service among others.

The winners will be announced during the College World Series in mid-June.

 

BEAR BEATDOWN

 

The Panthers are set to pounce on the Bears tonight and are looking to exploit Brown’s lackluster squad.

FIU’s home opener will serve as the Bears’ season opener. They are an Ivy League school, thus their games start a little later than most NCAA teams.

Brown had a forgetful 2011, posting a 13-29 record overall and an abysmal 5-23 mark on the road.

Though they did beat University of Texas and had close games with Vanderbilt, the returning players from 2011 are a few notches worse than the FSU and Rice batters FIU just faced.

Of the returning hitters, not a single one had a .300 average in 2011. The one that did, Matt Colantonio, is in the San Diego Padres’ organization.

FIU last played Brown in 2009 and split the two-game series, though the Panthers lead the all-time series 6-2.

Despite being the early favorites, FIU players are trained not to take any team for granted.

“They’re really underrated and they can hit the ball really well,” said Fondon. “Any day, any team can win a game.”

Someone who will miss the home opener will be junior Rudy Flores.

Flores was also sidelined for the FSU series with a broken jaw. According to Thomas, a ball hit him in the bating cages last week. Though Thomas casually threw out 3-4 weeks as a length to the first baseman’s absence, he said it could be longer.

Flores was the starting first baseman in the team’s first three games of the season and had a .385 average, two RBIs and one walk before the injury.

A 6 p.m. Saturday start time and a 1 p.m. Sunday first pitch will follow tonight’s game.

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