FIU Looks for Revenge Against the Canes in Midweek Matchup

Nearly two weeks ago to the day, the Canes’ baseball team made the short trip to FIU and defeated the Panthers 7-3 in a midweek matchup. Both teams have played erratically and are coming off of series losses this past weekend.

Miami will be looking to bounce back after getting swept by a top five Wake Forest team in Winston Salem where they were outscored 19-2. FIU will also be looking to get back on track following a series loss to the University of Alabama Birmingham at home. Tonight, it’s the Panthers that will make the bus ride over to Coral Gables for a 6pm first pitch against UM.

The Canes will need to warm the bats up again after a disappointing performance against the Demon Deacons. Miami’s offense was red hot and had scored 43 runs over its previous three games before Wake Forest held them to a disappointing two runs during the three-game sweep. CJ Kayfus was a microcosm of the UM offense throughout the two weekends. After going 10-13 with three homeruns and eight RBI’s against Virginia Tech the previous weekend, Kayfus was held hitless against Wake Forest. Luckily for the Canes, they’ll be back home at Mark Light Field where they have averaged over eleven runs per game since conference play started.

Across the diamond, FIU will be trying to break out of the rut that they have been in since their last matchup against the Canes. FIU was riding an eight-game winning streak coming into their first midweek game against Miami, but dropped five out of their next seven games since that loss to Miami. Despite their recent struggles, FIU still has the ability to score in bunches and the Canes pitching staff will have to keep them in check. The Panthers have five batters hitting over .300, led by Ryne Guida, who is batting .351 through 25 games. Guida also leads the team in hits, RBIs and ranks second in Conference USA in RBIs. FIU has yet to be shutout in 2023 and is 10-5 in games where they score at least five runs.

This will be an important game for both teams and not just because of the cross-town rivalry aspect. Both the Canes and the Panthers have huge conference weekend series coming up and a win tonight would help either team pick up some momentum going into those games. The Canes take on one of their biggest rivals when FSU comes to town on Friday, while FIU heads north for a big Conference USA battle against Middle Tennessee. Getting things rolling tonight against FIU and winning the upcoming series against the ‘Noles is imperative for this Canes’ team as they look to stay in the midst of a tough ACC race after being swept by Wake Forest.