The first game in the Battle of the 305 series gets underway this Wednesday at 6:00 pm. It’s been a tale of two seasons for both FIU and Miami. FIU Baseball (7-14, 0-3) is in the middle of an eight-game losing streak, while the Miami Hurricanes (14-6, 2-4) were recently ranked as high as 17th in the nation.
FIU Hitting
The Panthers have hung in there with their bats. They rank amongst the top five in CUSA in doubles (42), triples (5), home runs (24), as well as sac flys (9).
FIU owns the fourth-lowest batting average in Conference USA at .251. The Panthers have the second-most strikeouts in the conference with 199, falling short of Sam Houston.
Amongst the positives for FIU at the dish, they lead the league with 49 hit by pitches and are third in walks with 101. They have the most at-bats by far, with 712.
On the basepaths, FIU could use more aggression, but they have done a good job at not getting picked off too much. With 16 attempts, their 12 stolen bases are last.
Samuel Fischer has been the biggest weapon for the Panthers at the dish. He leads the team with a .309 average, 1.010 OPS, 23 runs, 19 walks, nine hit by pitches, and has a triple under his belt.
Andrew Ildefonso has maintained his consistency with a .300 average while leading his team with 90 at-bats, 27 hits, and 42 RBI. He also has seven doubles, a triple, a .467 slugging percentage, and a .379 on-base percentage.
Ildy RBI TRIPLE to get us going 😱 pic.twitter.com/yY8LG8Ci7S
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 14, 2026
Aidan Cohall is hitting .299 with a team-leading 20 hits, 14 RBI, and 32 total bases while slashing .478 and a .434 on-base percentage.
FIU Pitching & Fielding
Pitching hasn’t been easy early on in the season. The Panthers have the second-highest ERA (7.89), innings pitched (183.2), bases on balls (127), and their opponents’ batting average is .293, which is the second highest.
It’s no secret that the mound has been the weakest spot for FIU. They are tied with New Mexico State with just one save, the lowest in CUSA. FIU has the highest amount of hits allowed (220), runs allowed (184), earned runs (161), at-bats against (750), wild pitches (28), and balks (7) in the league.
Quin McManmon will make his second start of the season in six appearances. He owns a 0-1 record, 11.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work.
that’s the stuff 😤 @quinmcmanmon pic.twitter.com/jzrAadNxQv
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) February 25, 2026
Fielding has been tricky for this team so far. They lead Conference USA in chances (760) and are second in putouts (551), but they are tied with Delaware for the most errors with 28.
Another daunting statistic for them is with their catchers. They have only caught three runners stealing in 57 attempts. The .950 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 second in runs (211), RBI (201), and sacrifice flies (17). They are third in (222), total bases (385), and hit by pitches (35). Miami is fourth in at bats (700) and doubles (44), while they rank fifth in other categories such as hitting (.317), home runs (37), and slugging (.550).
The most productive player at the plate for Miami this season has been outfielder Derek Williams. He leads the Canes with a .441 average, 1.387 OPS, 30 hits, 27 RBI, 58 total bases, seven hit by pitches, and is tied with seven homers. Williams was named ACC Player of the Week in mid-February after an explosive start in their sweep against Lehigh to start the season.
DEREK WILLIAMS GIVES MIAMI A 3-0 OVER FLORIDA EARLY!
Game two already off to a strong start.pic.twitter.com/0B4jNJ1p9e
— The College Baseball Show (@CollegeBSBShow) February 28, 2026
Third baseman Daniel Cuvet is another reliable hitter for the Hurricanes as well. He has a slash line of .314/.729/.468 with a team leading 27 runs, 19 walks, and eight doubles along with seven home runs. Cuvet entered the season making several First Team All-American lists and has not fallen short of expectations.
Catcher Alex Sosa is hitting .301 and slugging .616 with a .427 on-base percentage. He has 23 runs, 22 hits, seven home runs, 22 RBI, and 45 total bases on the season.
Miami Pitching & Fielding
Pitching has been the question mark for the Hurricanes. They have the fourth-highest ERA (5.05) in the ACC while allowing the fourth most earned runs (99), home runs (24), and at-bats (671). Miami is fifth in innings pitched (176.1), hits allowed (164), and runs allowed (113). On the flipside, they have the second-most strikeouts with 231.
Left-hander Sebastian Santos-Olson will get the start on the mound. Making his fourth start of the season in six appearances, he is 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 14.2 innings.
Sebastian Santos-Olson (@CanesBaseball) mostly 89-90 with the FB and worked the sweeping SL in the low 80s. Depth to the CH in the mid 80s as well. Fr./ 28’ elig. pic.twitter.com/pUL4sReQB5
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) March 12, 2026
Defensively, UM leads the conference with 27 errors and has converted the fewest double plays with four.
First Pitch with Gente de Zona
Known for songs such as “La Gozadera,” “Bailando,” “Háblame De Miami,” “Traidora,” “Muchacha,” and “Patria y Vida,” Cuban reggaetón duo Gente de Zona will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. Both musicians, Alexander Delgado Hernández and Randy Malcom Martínez, will make a special guest appearance.
Welcoming @GdZOficial to the ballpark this Wednesday for @FIUBaseball vs the Miami Hurricanes 🔥
🎟️ https://t.co/gguo79QDOz pic.twitter.com/sIUSy4yam5
— FIU Athletics (@FIUAthletics) March 16, 2026
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