FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
MIAMI (Jan. 15, 2013) – The 2013 FIU baseball schedule, comprised of 18 teams and featuring 37 home games, was released on Tuesday. Coupled with a very competitive Sun Belt Conference slate, the Panthers will face five out-of-conference opponents which punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
FIU will start its season with a three-game series at home against one of the best stories across the college landscape last year in Stony Brook on Feb. 15. The Seawolves took their American East Conference championship and turned it into a trip to the College World Series before being eliminated by Florida State. With a record of 43-11, Stony Brook’s .796 winning percentage led the nation last season.
The Panthers will continue their homestand with a three-game series against Manhattan College starting Feb. 22. The Jaspers won the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and advanced as far as the NCAA Regionals. Texas Tech makes a two-game pit stop on Feb. 25 as the third series in an 11-game homestand for the Panthers.
Ole Miss rolls into town on March 1 for the last three games of the homestand before FIU makes a one-game trip to Stetson on March 6. Ole Miss finished last season 37-26 and was eliminated in the College Station Regional. Circle the date on the calendar when the Panthers return to Miami on March 8 against college baseball powerhouse, Rice. Recording a 41-19 record in 2012, Rice hosted the Houston Regional before being eliminated by Sam Houston State, 4-1.
After a two-game series with USF (March 12-13), the Panthers hit the road to begin their conference schedule against rival and last year’s Sun Belt Conference regular season champion, Florida Atlantic. The three-game series begins on March 15 in Boca Raton. The Owls went 19-8 in conference play in 2012.
The Panthers return home to continue conference play hosting WKU from March 22-24. Arkansas State, who finished second in the regular season standings last year, will face FIU for a three-game series starting on March 29. Florida A&M closes out the five-game homestand (April 2-3).
FIU heads to Mobile, Ala., for three games against South Alabama on April 5, returns to Miami for a series against reigning Sun Belt Conference champion, ULM (April 12). Bethune-Cookman stops by for one game on April 16. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament and the Gainesville Regional after winning last season’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference crown.
FIU will play a three-game series at Middle Tennessee State (April 19-21), who went 31-28 in 2012, but 14-16 in Sun Belt play. The Panthers will follow their series with the Blue Raiders, hosting three against Louisiana (April 26-28).
The Panthers have a two-game series at home against Jacksonville May 7-8 in between two road series to Troy (May 3-5) and UALR (May 10-12).
FIU will close out the regular season with a three-game series at home against Florida Atlantic (May 16-18). The Sun Belt Conference Tournament, hosted by the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, will begin on May 21.
