MIAMI — Bethune-Cookman will make the trek down south to Miami for the second time this season, as they face Florida International at FIU Baseball Stadium. The Wildcats will look to even the season series against the Panthers, with Tuesday's action set to begin at 6 p.m EST.



Tuesday, April 28
Opponent: FIU (14-29, 6-15)
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Miami, Fla. | FIU Baseball Stadium
Watch: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401858156?gameId=401858156&sourceLang=en&om-navmethod=espn%3Aglobalsearch%3Aresults
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=645328#google_vignette
Tickets: https://fiutickets.com/tickets/events/fiu-baseball-vs-bcu-17774136005000-94766

Bethune-Cookman (31-13, 17-4) struck first in the opening inning. After a leadoff walk by Darryl Lee, Andrey Martinez launched a two-run home run to right field to give the Wildcats an early 2-0 lead.

Florida A&M quickly answered in the bottom half of the first. The Rattlers strung together three hits, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Ethan Miller and a two-RBI single by Alex Monile, to take a 4-2 lead.

The Rattlers added to their advantage in the second inning. Jay Campbell delivered an RBI triple before Jackson McKenzie followed with a two-run home run, extending the lead to 7-2.

Bethune-Cookman chipped away in the third inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues to plate two runs and cut the deficit to 7-4. The Wildcats continued their comeback in the fourth, as RBI hits from Jorge Rodriguez and Darryl Lee helped B-CU score three runs and trim the lead to 8-7.

Florida A&M pushed the lead back to three runs with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, taking a 10-7 advantage.

The Wildcats responded with their biggest inning of the day in the seventh. Taking advantage of walks and hit batters, Bethune-Cookman scored six runs, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Jose Fernandez, to take a 13-10 lead.

Florida A&M answered once again in the eighth inning. The Rattlers rallied for five runs, fueled by a three-RBI double from William Brown and an RBI double by Jay Campbell, to reclaim a 15-13 lead.

Bethune-Cookman was unable to mount another comeback in the ninth as Florida A&M closed out the win. Cody Williams earned the victory in relief, while Pablo Torres was charged with the loss.

After a 6-1 start to the season, the Panthers have struggled to maintain the success as they've stumbled to a 14-29 record overall. FIU has undergone multiple long losing-streaks, including an 11-game skid in March. They are 13-14 at FIU Baseball Stadium.

Offensively, the Panthers are well-below average. The team batting average of .237 currently ranks in the bottom ten in all of Division I. They are heavily reliant on home runs to manufacture offense, they strikeout at a high clip, and are essentially a non-factor in the run game (300th in steals).

Cooper Rasmussen and Mario Trivella each have 10 home runs to lead the team. Trivella also leads in RBI. Andrew Ildefonso tops the Panthers in hits despite batting just .266.

Pitching has also been a struggle this season for FIU. The Panthers have accumulated a 7.36 team ERA with ranks 255th overall. They are allowing a .287 batting average to opposing hitters and have one of the highest walks rates in the country.

Julian Mlodzinski leads the team in innings with 48.2. He is 3-6 with a 5.73 ERA. However, FIU is likely to deploy a variety of arms against B-CU as is the standard in a midweek game.

• Michael Rodriguez has seen his average climb to .394 after six hits against the Rattlers.
• Jose Fernandez recorded seven RBI against Florida A&M. He is currently on a 10-game hitting streak.
• Bethune-Cookman ranks 14th in runs scored and 58th in ERA.

The Wildcats have struggled with FIU in the past. They are 16-59 against the Panthers and are on a four-game losing streak against them.

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