DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman baseball embarks on its second weekend of the season still in search of win number one after an 0-4 start to the 2025 campaign. The Wildcats welcome in a UMass team seeing its first action of 2025, beginning Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark



Friday-Sunday, February 21-23
Opponent: UMass (24-29, 13-11 A10)
Time: 7 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 1 p.m. EST 
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla. | Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Watch: Youtube.com/Cateyenetwork
Live Stats: https://bcuathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary



FIU scored early and often in a 10-0 rout of Bethune-Cookman, Wednesday night at FIU Baseball Stadium. 



FIU (5-0) got on the board in a hurry as Brylan West sent the third pitch he saw to right center to put the Panthers up, 1-0. 

B-CU starter Brandon Vazquez, making his first appearance in the Maroon and Gold, settled in from there, striking out back-to-back Panthers to end the inning.

Michael Rodriguez led off the top of the second with a double, but the Wildcats could not bring him home.

FIU added two more in the bottom of the second via another homer, this time a two-run shot to make it 3-0. 

The Panthers broke things open in the third, loading the bases on a single, hit-by-pitch, and error before a B-CU call to the bullpen. 

The Cat pen fared no better, immediately allowing a two-RBI single, a walk, and finally a grand slam to make it 10-0. 

No Wildcat advanced further than second as B-CU managed just four hits in the run-rule final. 

In his first start with B-CU, Brandon Vazquez took the loss. Aaron Schaefer, Julian Carraquilla, Robert Lastra, and Carlos Jasmin each appeared out of the pen for the Cats. 



UMass finished toe 2024 season 24-29, and 13-11 in Atlantic 10 conference play before bowing out of the conference tournament - their first appearance since 2012. after back-to-back losses against Dayton and Saint Joseph's.

The Minutemen return 22 members of the 2024 squad, along with 13 newcomers. They were picked to finish 10th of 12 in the A10. 

UMass hit .266 as a team with 55 homers as a team last season. They struck out 448 times as a team to 226 walks. 

On the mound, they combined for a team ERA of 6.43 with 217 walks to 314 strikeouts. 

The Minutemen suceeded on 53 of 62 steal attempts a season ago. 


 

• B-CU hit three home runs in last Sunday's contest with Stony Brook. Each of the last three-homer game for B-CU came in Atlanta at the 2025 SWAC Tournament - they did it twice in the last postseason - in a 16-1 win over Prairie View and a 16-0 win over Texas Southern. The last three-homer game at home for B_CU came on Feb. 25, 2023 against Purdue Fort Wayne. Manny Souffrain was responsible for two of three of those homers. 
• Jesus Vanegas has recorded multiple hits in three of four games to start the year. He has hit safely in every contest.

UMass and B-CU have never met on the baseball diamond in the history of the two programs. 


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