The second game in the Battle of the 305 series gets underway this Tuesday at 6:00 pm. It’s been a tale of two seasons for both FIU and Miami. The FIU Panthers (10-22, 2-10) have lost 21 of its last 25 games, while the Miami Hurricanes (24-8, 6-6) were recently ranked as high as 17th in the nation.
FIU Hitting
The bats were a strength for FIU earlier this season, but they have slipped in production as of late. They rank amongst the bottom five in CUSA in runs (175), hits (246), doubles (51), RBI (166), total bases (409), slugging percentage (.388), and on-base percentage (.364).
FIU owns the lowest batting average in Conference USA at .234. The Panthers have the second-most strikeouts in the conference with 310, falling short of Sam Houston.
Amongst the positives for FIU at the dish, they lead the league with 66 hit by pitches and have the second fewest groundout double plays with 13. They are fifth in home runs with 34.
On the basepaths, FIU could use more aggression, but they have done a good job at not getting picked off too much. With 24 attempts, their 16 stolen bases are last.
Cooper Rasmussen leads the team with a .301 average, .959 OPS, and .548 slugging percentage. Rasmussen also has 20 runs, 28 hits, seven home runs, and 51 total bases.
first pitch BOMB pic.twitter.com/USThkivwcw
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 28, 2026
Samuel Fischer has maintained his consistency with a .275 average while leading his team with 30 runs, 29 walks, 12 hit by pitches, and a .483 on-base percentage. Fischer has a .914 OPS, 28 hits, five doubles, and a triple.
Andrew Ildefonso is hitting .265 with a team-leading 132 at-bats and 35 hits. Ildefonso has 19 runs, eight doubles, 21 RBI, 54 total bases, and two stolen bases.
FIU Pitching & Fielding
Pitching hasn’t been kind this season. The Panthers have the second-highest ERA (7.30) and bases on balls (191). The staff has been overworked, ranking in the top five in innings pitched (278.2), doubles allowed (28), and opponents’ batting average (.280).
It’s no secret that the mound has been the weakest spot for FIU. They have just one save all season long, the lowest in CUSA. FIU has the highest amount of hits allowed (312), runs allowed (254), earned runs (226), at-bats against (1,113), wild pitches (43), and balks (9) in the league.
Rene Lastres will make his first start of the season in seven appearances. He owns a 0-0 record, 9.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
Bringing the juice 🔥 @lastres_rene pic.twitter.com/GXozlknE7L
— Florida Baseball ARMory (@ArmoryFlorida) December 12, 2025
Another daunting statistic for them is with their catchers. They have only caught five runners stealing in 88 attempts. The .946 stolen base attempt rate for their opponents has been a big liability in their defense.
Miami Hitting
Hitting has been the team’s biggest strength this season. In the ACC, they rank first in RBI (1,114), second in runs (330), doubles (80), RBI (310), total bases (619), and sacrifice flies (26). They are third in hits (359), slugging (.556), and hit by pitches (49). Miami ranks fourth in hitting (.322) and on-base percentage (.436), while they rank fifth in other categories such as hitting (.317), home runs (54), bases on balls (195), and stolen bases (50).
The most productive player at the plate for Miami this season has been right fielder Derek Williams. He leads the Canes with a .409 average, 47 hits, 12 homers, 48 RBI, 95 total bases, .826 slugging, nine hit by pitches, and a .507 on-base percentage. Williams was named ACC Player of the Week in mid-February after an explosive start in their sweep against Lehigh to start the season.
Third baseman Daniel Cuvet is another reliable hitter for the Hurricanes as well. He has a slash line of .314/.703/.461 with a team-leading 44 runs and 30 walks along with 37 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and 83 total bases in 118 at-bats. Cuvet entered the season making several First Team All-American lists and has not fallen short of expectations.
Textbook hit and run 👏 pic.twitter.com/vulFDBpdp0
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 5, 2026
Former FIU first baseman Brylan West is hitting .364 with a 1.002 on-base plus slugging. West has 28 runs, 39 hits, four home runs, 32 RBI, and 58 total bases on the season. He’s a perfect 4-for-4 on the basepaths.
Miami Pitching & Fielding
Pitching has been the question mark for the Hurricanes, although it has improved of late. They have the second-fewest saves (2) in the ACC while allowing the fourth most home runs (37).
Make it 7 strikeouts and counting for Rob tonight! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ywrOGOgk1h
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 4, 2026
Miami is fifth in innings pitched (280.1). On the flipside, they have the second-most strikeouts with 341 and rank in the bottom-five in walks allowed (118) and wild pitches (12).
Tomorrow’s starter has not been announced yet. Defensively, UM is tied with Duke in the conference with 46 errors and has the lowest fielding percentage with a .960 rate.
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