Francisco Rivero/Staff Writer
Having to play Stony Brook University, who won the most games in college baseball last year with 52, was bad enough. The Seawolves were the underdogs of the 2012 College World Series, stunning the world game after game. Top that off with a rainout on FIU baseball’s opening night and having to play a double-header as your first two games is just a recipe for disaster.
However, FIU and its 22 new faces didn’t seem to care about the Seawolves’ past success as they completed not only the double-header sweep on Feb. 16, but also the series sweep on Feb. 17.
FIU’s impressive pitching led the team to success, which at one point held the Seawolves to 23 straight scoreless innings. FIU pitching combined for a total of four earned runs while recording 34 strikeouts.
FIUSM File Photo
“Twenty-three innings in a row that they didn’t score, that’s pretty good,” said Head Coach Henry Thomas. “Now you know a lot of that is, yes, our pitching staff, but also it’s about them coming from up North and it snowed three feet a week ago up there.”
This dominant performance now gives the Panthers a total team earned run average of 1.33 which is number one in the Sun Belt Conference, almost half that of University of South Alabama’s 2.67.
In the series’ third game, starting pitcher Mike Franco, who made his first start after coming off Tommy John surgery only 10 months ago, went only 2.2 innings but recorded four strikeouts while not allowing a run in his first division one win.
“It felt great, first start for the FIU Panthers. I just felt excited to be back on the mound,” Franco said. “They had me on a pitch count, but everything was just coming together little by little. I can honestly say that I’ve felt a lot better in this first game then I’ve felt in intra-squad games so that’s a good sign.”
Franco also realized the importance in sweeping such a high caliber opponent in Stony Brook.
“Truthfully, this team, there’s some potential, everyone wants to win and we’re all pushing each other because our main goal is to make it to Omaha,” Franco said. “I feel we have a really good chance to win with this team because everyone is pushing each other and no one is downing each other. Like I should be playing this or that, everyone wants to win so everyone is in it together.”
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers’ bats were led by shortstop Julius Gaines who ended up with seven hits, leading his team. Not too far behind Gaines was right fielder Nathan Burns who ended the series with six hits and five RBI’s.
FIU’s first strong game against the Seawolves, where they ended up winning by a score of 10-4, placed them as the fifth best team in the sunbelt SBC when it comes to batting average.
The Panthers (3-0) now play Bethune-Cookman (1-2) in a one-game stand today Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. The Wildcats are coming off a series loss against No.16 ranked Arizona State University in where they were heavily outscored 26-18.
FIU last season went 2-1 against the Wildcats with their last stop in Daytona Beach, Fla., being a 15-3 rout of Bethune-Cookman.
One player to keep an eye on for the Wildcats is outfielder David Lee, who ended last season with a .306 batting average while collecting three home runs and 47 RBIs.
