FIU catcher Aramis Garcia was named one of the 15 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation's best catcher in Division I baseball.
Garcia leads the Panthers in batting (.337), home runs (11), RBI (49), hits (69), slugging (.551) and OPS (.942). The three finalists for the award will be announced June 4 and the winner is announced June 27.
INAUGURAL FIU FOOTBALL VIDEO
Thanks to news.fiu.edu for unearthing this early footage of the first FIU football game in 2002.
After a tryout with the Miami Dolphins last week, Rupert Bryan signed with the Dolphins today. Bryan, who was an offensive lineman at FIU, will compete at fullback with Jorvorskie Lane. Ironically, Bryan and Lane have met before on a football field when FIU played at Texas A&M in 2010. Lane played for the Aggies.
Bryan began training as a fullback shortly after his final season at FIU last fall. Bryan had never played fullback or any offensive skill position before, but had a nice showing at FIU Pro Day in March when he caught four of five passes thrown his way during drills in front of NFL scouts. The Dolphins were well-represented at FIU Pro Day with six scouts and Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland in attendance.
Bryan showed his pass catching skills in the Don Shula Bowl last season at FAU Stadium when he caught a five-yard touchdown pass (photos above and below). Bryan becomes third former FIU Panther to sign with the Dolphins following the late Chandler Williams and Andy Leavine.
With Bryan's signing that brings the total number of FIU players currently in the NFL to 7: Antwan Barnes (New York Jets), Anthony Gaitor (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts), Johnathan Cyprien (Jacksonville Jaguars), Tourek Williams (San Diego Chargers), Caylin Hauptmann (Cleveland Browns) and Junior Mertile (New York Giants).
The start time for game two of the FIU/Florida Atlantic baseball series has been changed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Game two of the series takes place on Friday, for which 6 p.m. would be the normal start time for an FIU home game.
The series between the Panthers and the Owls begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. and concludes on Saturday at 1 p.m. The reason for the Thursday start to the series is because the Sun Belt Conference Tournament begins next Tuesday in Lafayette, La.
Currently tied for fifth with WKU at 13-14 in the conference, FIU could secure as high as the No. 4 seed at the SBC Tournament. For that to happen the Panthers have to sweep the Owls and have WKU lose one game this weekend to Middle Tennessee. If all that falls into place then FIU would play either FAU or WKU in the first round of the double elimination conference tournament next week.
If you can't make it out to the FIU ballpark this weekend then you can watch all three games of the series on PantherVision on FIUSports.com. I will have the call to all three games for you. CLICK HERE to access PantherVision.
T.Y. on COLTS.COM WALLPAPER
Apparently, the Indianapolis Colts think very highly of their second-year receiver out of FIU. T.Y. Hilton, FIU's all-time leading receiver, has been placed on the wallpaper of the team's website: colts.com. Hilton joins quarterback Andrew Luck, receiver Reggie Wayne and three other Colts on the page.
Have a look by CLICKING HERE, Hilton is on the upper left hand corner of the page catching a pass.
C-USA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TO SUNRISE?
Florida Panthers beat writer George Richards from the local newspaper wrote an article yesterday on the new scoreboard for the hockey arena in Sunrise. In the article Panthers president Michael Yormark says he would like to bring big events to the arena in the near future and two of those events that Yormark hopes to get are the Conference USA men and women's basketball tournaments and you all know which local college basketball team plays in C-USA starting in November. CLICK HERE to read the story.
The FIU sports year is winding down with the Panthers baseball team the only FIU team still in action. FIU hosts Florida Atlantic in a three-game series starting Thursday at 6 p.m. at the FIU ballpark. The FIU track and field team might have a few athletes making NCAA regionals, which are announced later this week.
Other than those two sports, FIU sports will be quiet until August when football camp opens. However, I will have my review later this week from judging the Golden Dazzlers auditions last Saturday. But until then here is some FIU/NFL stuff for you.
The San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars both started OTAs (organized team activities) today where their rookies get to practice with each respective team's veterans. Both Tourek Williams (Chargers) and Johnathan Cyprien (Jaguars) are back on the practice field today. CLICK HERE for a video interview with Tourek from chargers.com. And then CLICK HERE to read about the strong first impression Cyprien is making in Jacksonville.
Former FIU defensive lineman and new San Diego Chargers linebacker Tourek Williams did an interview with BoltBlitz.com, a San Diego Chargers blog. CLICK HERE to read what Tourek had to say.
1st FIU SAND VOLLEYBALL ALL-AMERICAN
Kate Stepanova became FIU’s first-ever sand volleyball All-American this past weekend, as she completed her final collegiate campaign at the 2013 AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Stepanova combined with junior Ksenia Sukhareva to post an overall record of 21-5, as the duo was selected to the AVCA Collegiate Sand Championships ‘Best of the Rest’ field, and went a perfect 4-0 in pool play before advancing to the quarterfinals of pairs championship action.
CLICK HERE for more.
FIU/JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL SERIES
The Panthers are back home for a two-game midweek series against the Jacksonville Dolphins. The first pitch for tonight's game is at 6 p.m. On Wednesday, the two teams will play a matinee beginning at 3 p.m. If you can't make it out to the FIU ballpark, then you can watch both games LIVE and for FREE on PantherVision at FIUSports.com.
I will have the call for both games. CLICK HERE to access PantherVision.
Former FIU outfielder Jabari Henry has gotten off to a terrific start with the Clinton Lumberjacks (Seattle Mariners, Class A). Henry is currently third in the Midwest League with a .370 average and also has a team-leading four home runs and 18 RBI.
CYPRIEN MAKES GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Former FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien opened up a lot of eyes at the Jacksonville Jaguars rookie mini-camp this past weekend. CLICK HERE for details and a video interview with Cyprien, who will be wearing No. 37 in the NFL. Below is one of Cyprien's rookie cards.
As NFL teams begin their rookie mini-camps this weekend, the Sporting News has come out with a list of 2013 NFL Impact Rookies and former FIU and new Jacksonville Jaguars safety Johnathan Cyprien is among the 13 rookies that the publication expects to make an impact this fall.
CLICK HERE to see Cyprien and the other 12 rookies from the 2013 draft class. Below is the Jaguars poster promoting their rookie mini-camp.
Four other FIU Panthers begin their NFL rookie careers this weekend: Tourek Williams (Chargers), Caylin Hauptmann (Browns), Jose Cheeseborough (Ravens) and Junior Mertile (Giants).
FIU hosts Florida Gulf Coast in a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The first pitch is at 1 p.m. from the FIU ballpark. The second game will begin 45 minutes after the first game ends.
Due to the March 20 rainout in Fort Myers, the Eagles agreed to come to FIU to play two games. At the start of the season the teams were scheduled to play one game in Fort Myers and one game in Miami.
If you can't make it out to the FIU ballpark on Wednesday, then you can watch both games on PantherVision at FIUSports.com. I will have the call of both games for you beginning at 12:55 p.m.
FIU defensive end Tourek Williams joined Johnathan Cyprien as the second FIU player drafted into the NFL in 2013 when the San Diego Chargers selected Williams in the sixth round today. Cyprien was the first player drafted in the second round on Friday by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
FIU left tackle Caylin Hauptmann signed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns today and Panthers defensive back Jose Cheeseborough signed a free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens and defensive back Junior Mertile signed a free agent deal with the New York Giants on Sunday.
The five Panthers join former Panthers: Antwan Barnes (Jets), Anthony Gaitor (Buccaneers), T.Y. Hilton (Colts) and Nick Taylor (Vikings) in the NFL to give FIU nine players currently in the NFL.
Here is a story I wrote from Johnathan Cyprien's NFL Draft party tonight. CLICK HERE.
FIU's all-time leading tackler Johnathan Cyprien made history tonight when he became the highest drafted Panther into the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Cyprien with the first pick of the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Cyprien surpasses T.Y. Hilton as the highest ever drafted Panther into the NFL. Hilton was taken in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft.
With the Jaguars and Colts both in the AFC South Division, Cyprien and Hilton will face each other twice each season. FIU vs. FIU.
FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien is in the top 10 of the best players available on most draft experts lists when the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft begins tonight at 6:30 p.m.
There were three safeties selected in the first round of the NFL Draft last night with Kenny Vaccaro, who went to the New Orleans Saints, the only safety clearly rated ahead of Cyprien.
Eric Reid, who was the second safety taken last night, was rated below Cyprien on most draft experts lists. Reid was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, one of several teams that showed interest in Cyprien. And then Matt Elam, who was rated both ahead and below of Cyprien, was the third safety taken in the first round. Elam was chosen by the world champion Baltimore Ravens with the last pick of the first round.
I don't think Cyprien will have to wait too long tonight to hear his name called by an NFL team because there are several teams choosing early in the second round who have a big need for a safety. Among those teams are the Jacksonville Jaguars (1st pick in 2nd round), Philadelphia Eagles (3rd pick), Cincinnati Bengals (5th pick), Arizona Cardinals (6th pick), Tennessee Titans (8th pick), Buffalo Bills (9th pick & 14th pick), Carolina Panthers (12th pick) and Dallas Cowboys (15th pick).
I don't see Cyprien lasting beyond the 15th pick of the second round because the two teams I think are most likely to take FIU's all-time leading tackler are in the top 15 of the second round: the Bengals and the Cowboys.
The Bengals currently have Nate Clements (34 years old) and Reggie Nelson (30) as their starting safeties, who are both good players but are getting up there in NFL age. The top backup safety for Cincinnati is Chris Crocker, who is 33. Plus, the Bengals go up against two pretty good quarterbacks four times each season in Baltimore's Joe Flacco and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. Add to it that Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer personally came down to FIU earlier this week to workout Cyprien and you could see why Cyprien could be wearing tiger stripes on his helmet this fall.
However, I get a feeling Cyprien will be wearing a blue star on the side of his silver helmet this fall instead of tiger stripes. The Dallas Cowboys have a serious vacancy at safety right now. Gerald Sensabaugh, 30, and Barry Church, 25, who are nothing special, would be the Cowboys starting safeties if the season started today. Backups are Will Allen, 30, and Danny McCray, 25, who neither strike fear in quarterbacks or receivers. One could make an argument that teams may have passed on Cyprien in the first round because of the quality of competition FIU faces in conference. Obviously, the Sun Belt is no SEC, but the Cowboys already have proof that is not a factor when they look at their star defender DeMarcus Ware from Troy -- a former conference rival of FIU. Like the Bengals, the Cowboys also face some good quarterbacks in their division with the New York Giants' Eli Manning and Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin.
Last year I did not see the Indianapolis Colts trading into the late third round to draft T.Y. Hilton so take my guess for what it's worth. I had T.Y. going to the Atlanta Falcons as a slot receiver to complement Roddy White and Julio Jones.
I'll be at Cyprien's place tonight watching the draft with him and I'll have a story and blog about it later. You can also follow me on Twitter: @PetePelegrin for live updates from Cyp's place.
FIU hosts Louisiana in a three-game series this weekend at the FIU ballpark. The Panthers and Ragin' Cajuns begin the series tonight with a first pitch of 6 p.m. Saturday's game is at 4 p.m. and Sunday is a special start time of 10 a.m. because of the Cajuns' travel plans. FIU will provide free coffee and doughnuts at Sunday's game.
The Panthers and Cajuns are currently tied for third place in the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams are 10-8 and just two games back of first place South Alabama (12-6) in a tightly-bunched conference. Florida Atlantic, Troy and WKU are tied for second place with each team at 11-7.
If you can't make it out to the FIU ballpark this weekend, you can watch all three games of the series on PantherVision at FIUSports.com. CLICK HERE to access PantherVision.
One note to the live video broadcasts this weekend. There will be NO audio play-by-play for Friday's game because I will be at Johnathan Cyprien's place doing a video and a story on he becoming the highest drafted Panther into the NFL.
Johnathan Cyprien hasn’t had much time of late to catch up with T.Y. Hilton. Since finishing his senior season last December, Cyprien, like several other FIU Panthers, has been on a whirlwind tour preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Cyprien, who became FIU’s all-time leading tackler last season, excelled at the Senior Bowl in January. During the week of Senior Bowl practice Cyprien was named Most Outstanding Defensive Back and then backed up the award with a solid performance in the game.
Cyprien then caught NFL scouts eyes at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February before producing another outstanding workout at FIU Pro Day in March.
On the heels of Cyprien’s tremendous off-season, the FIU safety was invited by a dozen NFL teams to visit their facilities and had private workouts for half a dozen NFL teams. Since January, Cyprien’s draft stock has skyrocketed on many projected NFL Draft boards and has been talked about by several NFL draft experts as being selected as high as the first round on Thursday night when the 2013 NFL Draft begins.
CLICK HERE to continue reading the story . . . .
The FIU baseball team will play a doubleheader against Florida Gulf Coast on May 1 from the FIU Baseball Stadium. The doubleheader between the Panthers and the Eagles will begin at 1 p.m.
FIU and FGCU were scheduled to play earlier this season, March 20, in Fort Myers but the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
On May 1, the Panthers and the Eagles will start the first game at 1 p.m. with the second game starting 45 minutes after the first game ends.
FIU returns to the diamond this weekend with a three-game home series against Louisiana from the FIU Baseball Stadium. The Panthers and the Ragin Cajuns begin the series at 6 p.m. Friday. The first pitch for Saturday's game is at 4 p.m. and Sunday's first pitch is at a special time of 10 a.m. due to the Cajuns travel plans.
The Panthers and Cajuns are currently tied for fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams have records of 10-8 and currently trail first place South Alabama (12-6) by two games.
Fans can watch all FIU home baseball games on PantherVision on FIUSports.com.
FIU coach Ron Turner had quarterback Jake Medlock wear a small camera atop his helmet in practice today. Turner said the camera allows him and Medlock to see video of Medlock's "eyes" when he's dropping back to pass. In essence, the camera is like Medlock's eyes and shows how Medlock goes through his progressions.
Turner (above right, talking to Medlock at Wednesday's practice) said two NFL teams he coached for used the camera atop their quarterbacks' helmets. Since spring practice began March 19, Turner has also had assistant video coordinator Jeff Smith shoot video from field level behind the quarterbacks and atop a field cart also behind the quarterbacks. This allows FIU quarterbacks to see on video several viewpoints when they drop back to pass.
Medlock likes the idea of seeing a video perspective of what he is seeing in practice each day. It's another tool for the FIU quarterbacks to use as they learn the new offense.
Earlier this off-season Medlock received T.Y. Hilton's blessing to wear the No. 4 jersey this coming season. Medlock likes No. 4 because of his idol, Brett Favre. Now Medlock is wearing Hilton's shoes.
In today's practice, Medlock wore gold adidas cleats left behind by Hilton. During his time as a Panther before heading to the NFL, Hilton was sent the gold cleats by adidas, but FIU's all-time leading receiver did not like how they initially felt so he never wore them.
After using the shoes for the first time in Wednesday's practice, Medlock had no complaints. He even got some rave reviews from his teammates. Jakhari Gore joked with Medlock that he better run like T.Y. now that Medlock is wearing his shoes. As for style points, I'm not so sure of that, but somewhere in Georgia, FIU fan "SouthPaw" is smiling at the gold cleats.
New FIU basketball coach Anthony Evans was introduced Tuesday afternoon in a suite at the FIU arena with the windows open to the new basketball beach court. Evans, who was a finalist last year for the FIU coaching job, was glad to have gotten the job this time. In August, Evans and his Panthers will play in Spain for two weeks as they get ready for the new season.
I had a chance for a brief talk with Evans in between all the meet and greets he had with the FIU community. Here is what he had to say:
PP: How would you describe the style of play you will coach?
AE: Up tempo. Very similar to what they did last year. Last night I had the opportunity to meet with the team and I love their energy. I love their passion. Their message to me was that they wanted to continue to ride the success that they had last year and I told them that we will be able to do that. We want to play a similar style, to be up tempo. People will see that the same type of things they did last year, we will do this year. Not exactly the same, but very similar. I know sometimes they did a 2-2-1 and back to a 2-3. Sometimes we will do a 3-2 back to a 2-3 matchup. There are minor differences but a lot of similarities.
PP: You almost got the FIU job last year. You got it now. Your thoughts?
AE: I think I was pretty close last year. Obviously, Richard Pitino has a great reputation as a recruiter. I think I was close. This time with [Pete Garcia] asking me if I wanted the job I can’t even explain the emotions that went through me. I’m happy. I think this is a great place. This is a sleeping giant.
PP: What do you think of the new beach court?
AE: I love it. It’s unique. I think they did a great job. I think it sets us apart from other schools.
PP: How familiar are you with recruiting in Florida and how much will you recruit in the state?
AE: I’m not as familiar with recruiting Florida, but I am going to get someone who is very familiar recruiting Florida because we want to keep the local talent here. It’s important to engage with the community and get them behind us. There is a lot of talent in Florida. It’s not just a football state. If you are successful and you put an exciting product on the floor, people will come. They will get involved.
PP: Your team will play against European teams in August. What do you hope to take out of that?
AE: I want to get a feel for the team and they get a feel for me. I think it is more of a bonding thing for us to introduce how we want to play. European teams play more of a finesse style so defensively for us it will be a challenge – a good challenge.
PP: What did you see from watching FIU game film from last year?
AE: I watched a lot of the games these past couple of weeks. I think there is a lot of talent here. I think this team could do well moving into Conference USA. We need height for next year, but we got some seniors coming back and some transfers that sat out last year, but we do need some size.
FIU Baseball's home game against Bethune-Cookman has a new start time of 6 p.m. on Tuesday from the FIU ballpark. Originally, the Panthers and Wildcats were slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch, but now the game has been moved back two hours to 6 p.m.
You can watch the game on PantherVision on FIUSports.com. I will have the call at 5:55 p.m.
CLICK HERE to access PantherVision.
FIU is back home this weekend as the defending Sun Belt champion ULM Warhawks descend on the FIU ballpark for a three-game series. First pitch tonight is at 6 p.m. Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Panthers (18-14, 6-6 Sun Belt) have won seven of their last nine games and are tied for third in the Sun Belt with Louisiana and Arkansas State. FIU is just two games back of first place Florida Atlantic and WKU, who are both 8-4. The Warhawks (13-20) are last in the conference with a 3-9 record.
If you can't make it to the ballpark this weekend, then you can watch all three games of the FIU/ULM series on PantherVision on FIUSports.com. I'll have the call for all three games beginning at 5:55 p.m. tonight.
You can access PantherVision by CLICKING HERE.
As always if you want to be a part of the LIVE broadcast of the game or if you have any questions or just want a shoutout, you can tweet me @PetePelegrin.
Busy with FIU baseball on Wednesday so I didn't have time to get you the happenings from Wednesday's spring practice. As the saying goes, "better late . . . . "
As usual the Panthers defense had another solid spring practice on Wednesday, but the day also belonged to 6-4 receiver Dominique Rhymes.
It appears quarterback Jake Medlock and Rhymes are establishing a pretty good chemistry this spring. Medlock has also been in sync with Willis Wright this spring. You can now add Rhymes to that.
Rhymes is coming back from the season-ending wrist injury last year. Although Rhymes is not 100 percent yet, he has not shown it. Rhymes certainly has a vast amount of potential -- if you recall his acrobatic catch (photo below) against Duke on a pass from Jacob Younger in 2011 at FIU Stadium.
In Wednesday's 7-on-7, Medlock connected with Rhymes for 31 yards. Then during 11-on-11, Medlock hit Rhymes deep for a 58-yard touchdown. On another drive, Medlock threw to Rhymes for 17 yards. Medlock finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown to Wright.
On another 11-on-11 drive Medlock hit Rhymes for 44 yards and finished the drive with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jairus Williams.
Running back Kedrick Rhodes broke off a 41-yard touchdown run during 11-on-11.
Of course all these offensive fireworks are dependent on how quickly the offensive line comes together. It was a bright spot that the O-line gave Medlock time to throw on Wednesday as well as open space for Rhodes.
This week in practice the first team offensive line has looked like this: LT - Aaron Nielsen, LG - Delmar Taylor, C - Donald Senat, RG - Trenton Saunders, RT - David Delsoin.
By the way, Medlock can punt. He drilled a 45-yard coffin corner punt that was a thing of beauty. The ball bounced out of bounds inside the 5-yard line. But you don't want your starting quarterback being your punter. Too much injury risk there.
The defensive highlights from Wednesday:
Paul Crawford continued his strong spring with another sack. Safety Justin Halley was all over the place. First, Halley combined with linebacker Markeith Russell to thwart a run in the backfield. Halley later broke up a pass as he stretched out to knock the ball away.
Cornerback Richard Leonard had an interception during 7-on-7 and defensive lineman Fadol Brown deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage.
The next practice is Friday at 9 a.m. All practices are open to the public.
The new FIU basketball beach court is done with three-point lines, free throw lines and all the new beach designs. Here is what it looks like from the third floor of the FIU arena. CLICK on each photo to enlarge it.
Here is what the Atlantic Ocean design looks like up close:
Here is how the three-point line that goes into the palm trees looks like up close:
And here is a close up look at the palm trees:
As of Tuesday afternoon this is what it looks like:
With six practices to go in the spring, the Panthers were back at it Tuesday morning. Here are some
observations from Tuesday's practice.
As expected the FIU defense is clearly ahead of the offense right now. The offensive line continues to find itself while the defense continues to get in the offensive backfield. Greg Hickman, Giovani Francois, Paul Crawford and Jerrico Lee all created havoc for the FIU quarterbacks and running backs.
The Panthers did get some good runs out of Jakhari Gore and Orwin Etkins. Both are smaller backs at 5-10, 170 and 5-8, 175, respectively, but both made plays today. Gore had a nice cutback on one run where he gained 20 yards. Etkins, a redshirt senior, patiently waited for his blocking on a run around the left to pick up 12 yards. There was some good run blocking today as former defensive lineman turned left tackle Dieugot Joseph provided an opening for Etkins.
The receivers had a tough day. There were too many drops in practice today. You could see the speed of the receivers separating from the cornerbacks, but they have to catch the ball when they are so wide open. Jake Medlock and E.J. Hilliard both made good throws that were just dropped. The defensive backs also dropped some interceptions in today's workout. Just not a good day hanging on to the ball on both sides.
Crawford has made an impact on special teams when it comes to blocking kicks. Crawford, a 6-8 defensive lineman, blocked his third field goal of the spring.
Spring practice continues Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Friday at 9 a.m. this week. All practices are open to the public.
FIU shortstop Edwin Rios was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after hitting .529 with three home runs and six RBI. CLICK HERE for more.
HOW TO ACCESS FIU BASEBALL ON PANTHERVISION
Many of you good people have had trouble of late trying to access FIU Baseball games on PantherVision. Here is how you access the FIU baseball games on PantherVision.
-- Go to FIUSports.com.
-- On the MULTIMEDIA drop down tab, click ON DEMAND.
-- In the middle of the page, click the LIVE EVENTS tab. There you will see all the FIU home baseball games. Click on the game you want to see.
OR just come here to The Prowl on game day and click on the link that I post.
The next three FIU baseball broadcasts on PantherVision are this weekend, April 12-14. The Panthers host ULM in a three-game series. Friday's first game is at 6 p.m. PantherVision broadcast begins at 5:55 p.m.; Saturday's 1st pitch is at 4 p.m. (PantherVision at 3:55 p.m.) and Sunday's 1st pitch is at 1 p.m. (PantherVision at 12:55 p.m.)
Here's what the new FIU basketball beach court looked like on Friday and the last photo below is what it looks like Monday morning. The court should be done soon.
You can see in this Friday photo that the outlines of the palm trees were drawn.
And here is a close up look of the waves coming off the Atlantic Ocean and on to the FIU court.
This is Monday morning as a worker is painting in the palm trees. You can also see the Panther logo has been drawn at midcourt.
As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, this is what the new beach court at the FIU arena looked like. As you can see the "water" is starting to come onto the court by the darker blue and the light blue waves.
And if you did not see what the finished court would look like, here it is:
ELLINGSON'S ARENA START COULD LEAD BACK TO NFL
Former FIU receiver Greg Ellingson is rolling in his start with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. Last week Ellingson caught five more passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Through two games Ellingson leads the Storm with 20 catches for 254 yards and 2 TDs. CLICK HERE for a story on Ellingson.
The FIU sand volleyball ladies host Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday morning in South Beach (12 Street & Ocean Drive). Here is the info you need to know and CLICK HERE to see the ladies shaking it up.
The FIU baseball team hosts Florida A&M in a two-game series beginning this evening at 6 p.m. from the FIU ballpark.
The Panthers are coming off a three-game sweep of Arkansas State that featured a 1-0 shutout by left-hander Tyler Alexander that led to the junior being named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week. The series wrapped up with Josh Anderson hitting a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning on Sunday.
FIU (15-12, 5-4 Sun Belt) is currently tied for third with South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference standings. Both teams sit two games back of Florida Atlantic and WKU, who are each 7-2. The Panthers and Jaguars meet in Mobile, Alabama this weekend in a three-game series.
If you can't make it out to the FIU ballpark tonight or Wednesday afternoon, you can watch both games of the FIU/FAMU series on PantherVision on FIUSports.com. I will have the call tonight starting at 5:55 p.m. and at 3:55 p.m. on Wednesday.
With a lack of depth on the FIU offensive line, defensive lineman Dieugot Joseph has been moved over
to the offensive line.
This morning was Joseph's first practice on the O-line and as expected it was not easy for him. After going forward most of his football career as a defensive lineman, Joseph is now being asked to move back and block. Joseph said one of the harder things to learn are all the offensive plays.
Coach Ron Turner and offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler had been talking to Joseph for the last few weeks about the move. Turner pointed out Joseph's size of 6-6 and his athleticism as being big factors in the move as well as the Panthers needing help on the O-line. Turner said he has seen plenty of offensive tackles with Joseph's size and athleticism in college football and the NFL. Or as Turner said, "Look at him, he's built to be an offensive tackle." Although Shankweiler admitted Joseph is behind the other offensive linemen as far as reps and fundamentals, Shankweiler was impressed by how smart Joseph is.
Joseph has never played offensive line before, only on the defensive line. So both Joseph and the FIU coaches know this will take some time. However, with all the starting jobs on the offensive line up for grabs Joseph has been told if he works hard he can challenge for a starting job this year.
Linebacker Leroy Owens is back with the team after missing time for academic and personal reasons. Cornerback Derrick Jones is now working as a linebacker.
Running back Jakhari Gore broke off a 55-yard run for a touchdown during team drills today. Gore started running left and then cut back to the right to outrun the FIU defense down the right sideline.
FUTURE DOLPHINS?
FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien and kicker Jack Griffin will both be working out for the Miami Dolphins in Davie on Wednesday. Cyprien has worked out for more than a dozen NFL teams and is projected to be one of the top safeties in the 2013 NFL Draft. Griffin, who holds most FIU kicking records, has gained strength this off-season and looks like a linebacker.
All the basketball lines and blue colors of the FIU basketball court are gone. The court has been sanded down. Here is a look at the court as of Tuesday afternoon.
As the resurfacing of the FIU basketball court began this is what the court looked like this morning:
And this is what the court looks like this afternoon:
And this is what the court will look like when it's done:
FIU Baseball starts a five-game homestand tonight before leaving Florida for the first time all season a week from today. The Panthers (12-12, 2-4 Sun Belt) host Arkansas State (16-10, 4-2 SBC) in a three-game series beginning tonight at 6 p.m. (Saturday's game is at 4 p.m. and Sunday's game is at 11 a.m.).
FIU will host Florida A&M for a two-game series starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Tonight's game promo is the first 250 fans get a Turtle Thomas mustache (right). Yes, it's mustache night at
the FIU ballpark because with great mustache comes great responsibility.
As always you can watch all FIU home baseball games for FREE on PantherVision. CLICK HERE. I will have the call for all three games this weekend beginning at 5:55 p.m. tonight.
FIU FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGE OUTLOOK
I will not be at the FIU football scrimmage tonight because I will be calling the FIU baseball game on PantherVision. However, if you go to FIU Stadium before you come over to the FIU ballpark, here's what to keep an eye on.
-- The new, young and inexperienced FIU offensive line going against the strength of the FIU defense -- the defensive line. Can the offensive front protect Jake Medlock, who will be wearing the red non-contact jersey, and can the O-line open holes for the running backs?
-- Among those FIU running backs, keep an eye on Lamarq Caldwell, who is having a good spring, both running and catching the ball out of the backfield. Check out Jakhari Gore in open space, see if the former LSU speedster can make plays against the FIU D.
-- FIU has some athletic, quick linebackers. Patrick Jean, Davison Colimon and Josh Glanton have showed potential. The linebackers will be helped by the veteran defensive line.
-- FIU has a ton of receivers, but only about six or seven of them will get playing time when the season kicks off. The depth chart is very fluid right now. So fluid that you shouldn't even bother asking me who is where on the depth chart right now on March 29, because that could change tommorrow and then change again the next day. Dominique Rhymes (above) has bounced back nicely from his injury last season and has had a good spring. Glenn Coleman and Willis Wright are the established receivers, but who else will join them in the playing rotation. Rockey Vann, one of the faster Panthers, has caught coach Ron Turner's eye this spring.
-- Check out how often the tight ends and fullbacks get the ball tonight. Players at both those positions have been more involved in the offense this season than in years past. Tight ends Ya'Keem Griner and Zach Schaubhut have made plays when the ball has been thrown to them. A fullback has yet to stand out so keep an eye on that.
The FIU Sand Volleyball team hosts the Doctors Hospital FIU Surf & Turf Tournament this weekend at the FIU Sand Courts. The Panthers play their first match at 1:30 p.m. against defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Pepperdine. FIU plays its second match immediately after against Florida Atlantic. CLICK HERE for the schedule. The tournament moves to Fort Lauderdale's South Beach Park on Saturday before returning to FIU on Sunday for the championship.
FIU PITCHER MIKE FRANCO
Eleven months removed from Tommy John surgery, FIU right-hander Mike Franco has become the team's stopper with a 4-1 record. Normally, a pitcher needs 22 to 24 months after Tommy John surgery to return to form, but Franco has exceeded expectations. Pitching on a strict pitch count each week, Franco has pitched well enough to lead the team in wins. One reason for Franco's quick comeback has been his relentless work ethic in rehab. Franco adheres to the Spanish saying on the tattoo on his right arm, translated in English the tattoo reads, "Some call it luck, I call it hard work". From Corpus Christi, Texas, Franco is a small town guy who enjoys the outdoors, baseball and asking questions. The asking questions part would get him in trouble as a kid, but might lead to a career after baseball. Let's toe the slab and go Out of the Cage with Mike Franco . . . .
The official Indianapolis Colts website, Colts.com, wrote a good story on FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien. The story covers Cyprien going against FIU's all-time leading receiver and Colts rookie T.Y. Hilton in practice and Cyprien's draft prospects. CLICK HERE to read the story.
Phil Steele has all the Division I football teams strength of schedules. FIU is listed as having the No. 88 toughest schedule in 2013. CLICK HERE to see the entire list.
Former FIU slugger Tyler Townsend has retired from baseball. Townsend is the second highest MLB draft pick in FIU history when he was taken in the third round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. Townsend played four years in the Orioles minor league system, but battled injuries throughout his career. HERE is the story.
Back out at FIU Stadium on Tuesday morning for spring practice number 4 of 15. On Tuesday, there was more shuffling of the offensive line as coaches continue to find the right combination. Several players played different positions along the O-line. HERE is how the O-line looked on the first day of spring ball.
On Tuesday, these were the positions some of the linemen were playing: Delmar Taylor (left tackle and left guard), Yousif Khoury (right tackle, right guard), David Delsoin (right tackle, right guard), Aaron Nielsen (left tackle, right tackle) and Michael Montero got some work at center after Donald Senat. This being March 26 -- a little more than five months from the season opener at Maryland -- the position switches really don't mean much. Right now the coaches are trying to figure out what position each lineman plays best.
Running hard behind that line today was running back Lamarq Caldwell, who coach Ron Turner praised on the Joe Rose Show this morning. Caldwell had a pair of runs where he made a sharp cut back and gained extra yardage on his own. On another run to the left, Caldwell, despite being a sophomore, showed some veteran savvy switching the football from his right to his left hand to avoid the defenders trying to strip the ball.
Continue reading "Tuesday's Spring Practice; Cyprien & Ellingson Updates" »
FIU spring football is just three practices old, but here are some of the impressions I got from the first week of spring ball.
Kedrick Rhodes is healthy and looks it early on with some nifty runs. Rhodes has other running backs that can help take the load off and keep Rhodes fresh during the season. Lamarq Caldwell has shown early on that the Panthers might not miss a beat running the football with Rhodes on the sidelines for some plays. Caldwell, who looks bigger than last season, has run the ball well and can catch it out of the backfield. With the two-back offense that the Panthers feature at times, you could see both Rhodes and Caldwell (photo below) in at the same time. Although not as big as Rhodes and Caldwell, Shane Coleman and Jakhari Gore give FIU that burst out of the backfield.
Of course the Panthers running game, and passing game as well, is predicated on the success of a young and inexperienced offensive line. The eight offensive linemen currently participating in spring practice lack game experience. FIU also lacks depth on the O-line. The offense will go only as far as the O-line can take it. Size on the O-line is not as much of an issue as depth and game experience. When the Panthers put on the pads last Saturday, the defensive line got the better of the offensive line several times.
FIU opens a three-game series with WKU at 6 p.m. tonight at the FIU ballpark. If you can't make it to the ballpark this weekend you can join me and watch all three games on PantherVision. CLICK HERE
The updated times for the series are now Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. FIU is coming off losing two of three games at Florida Atlantic as the Panthers opened their final year in the Sun Belt Conference last weekend.
THE BEACH COURT AT THE BANK
Here is what the new court design at FIU's basketball arena will look like. The redesign begins next week.
A much younger FIU team than last year took to the FIU Stadium field this morning in the first of 15 spring practices.
The most noticeable thing about today's practice was how much time FIU quarterbacks spent under center. The Panthers quarterbacks were probably under center for about 90 percent of practice. Yes, they did operate out of the shotgun too. CLICK HERE to read a story on day one of spring ball.
Quarterbacks Jake Medlock, E.J. Hilliard and Akil Dan-Fodio, who has moved from tight end for the spring, all worked a good amount of time practicing on 3, 5 and 7-step drop backs from under center. Medlock looks stronger than last year and leaner. Click on the link in the previous paragraph to read more.
Another thing that caught my eye was defensive tackle Jerrico Lee moving over to fullback. Lee is much lighter than his listed 270-pound weight. He's probably around 245-250. Look at the photo below. Lee (No. 41) is doing what former FIU offensive tackle Rupert Bryan did at the recent FIU Pro Day -- convert to fullback. Lee looked all right doing the drills. It will be interesting to see how running back Lamarq Caldwell does in this offense. Caldwell is a bigger back that looks like he would fit right into this offense.
FIU coach Ron Turner on Lee: "We run some two-back offense and we really don’t have a fullback on the roster so we looked at him and he looks like a fullback body type so we are taking a look at him and see how he progresses."
As expected the offensive line is light on depth. For what it's worth (it is only March 19), the first team line today was: LT - Aaron Nielsen, LG - David Delsoin, C - Donald Senat, RG - Trenton Saunders, RT - Yousif Khoury.
Turner said he wants to add more depth to the offensive line and said he has talked to some defensive linemen about possibly moving to the offensive line.
There are a lot of starting jobs up for grabs on the defensive side after eight starters graduated. For the most part FIU used a 4-3 today, but Turner said you will see some 3-4 packages as well. For March 19, 2013 this was your first team defense: DEs - Paul Crawford, Giovani Francois; DTs - Darrian Dyson, Greg Hickman; LBs - Davison Colimon, (Middle linebacker) Patrick Jean, Luis Rosado; CBs - Richard Leonard, Sam Miller; S - Justin Halley, Mitch Wozniak.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with FIU coach Ron Turner to talk about his expectations for spring football. CLICK HERE to read what he had to say.
All spring practices are open to the public, beginning with the first practice on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. You can check for updates throughout spring practices on Twitter: @PetePelegrin and then look for spring football stories on FIUSports.com.
BARNES TAKES OFF TO JETS
FIU all-time sacks leader Antwan Barnes will play in the Meadowlands this fall after signing with the New York Jets on Monday. As a division foe of the Dolphins, the Jets and Barnes will play in Miami every fall.
FIU HOME BASKETBALL COURT?
FIU basketball coach Richard Pitino (@CoachPitinoFIU) tweeted this photo of a possible re-design of the FIU home court. He wants to know what you think. I like it. It is certainly a different look and would make FIU's home court stand out.
FIU spring football gets underway in four days on Tuesday, March 19 at 9 a.m. Starting Tuesday and into fall camp, there will be several storylines on the 2013 Panthers team that will play out. Practices are open to you good people. CLICK HERE for the schedule. I'll have a spring football preview Monday with coach Ron Turner, but for now here are five things to look for at FIU spring football.
Continue reading "5 Things to Look for at FIU Spring Football" »
FIU opens Sun Belt Conference play for the final time in baseball on Friday night. The Panthers go up the Florida Turnpike to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic for a three-game series. The Owls have won five straight games against the Panthers. The last time FIU defeated FAU was in the 2011 regular season finale.
I will have all three games for you on the FIU Sports Radio Network. You can access all the games by CLICKING HERE. You can also access the games through the FIU Sports app on your smart phone or handheld device. The app is FREE.
FAU has NO VIDEOSTREAM for this series. So you can only follow the series on the FIU Sports Radio Network or by driving up to Boca Raton and buying a ticket.
If you want to be part of the radio broadcast tweet me @PetePelegrin and I will answer your questions or give you a shout out on the air.
Tonight's first pitch is at 6:30 p.m. I will be on the air at 6:25 p.m.
Saturday's first pitch is at 4 p.m. I will be on the air at 3:55 p.m.
Sunday's first pitch is at 1 p.m. I will be on the air at 12:55 p.m.
FIU is home for a two-game series against South Florida starting this evening with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Wednesday's game is a special matinee starting time of 3 p.m. You can join me for both games on PantherVision. I'll be on the air at 5:55 p.m. tonight and 2:55 p.m. Wednesday.
CLICK HERE to access PantherVision
This will be the last series for the Panthers before they begin their final season in the Sun Belt Conference. FIU opens up SBC play on Friday against Florida Atlantic in Del Boca Vista. The times for the road games at FAU are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. I'm still figuring out if we will have radio for those games because FAU has no videostream. Will let you know right here.
FIU had a great season in 2012-13. The Panthers (18-14) won the most games by an FIU basketball team since 1997 (21) and finished above .500 for the first time since it was last accomplished in 1999. FIU also won the most games ever in its Sun Belt Conference history, which is now history with Conference USA play starting in eight months.
This team played and coached its butt off this season and is probably not done playing in the 2012-13 season. With a current RPI of 111, FIU has the second best RPI of any Sun Belt team after Middle Tennessee (29). When was the last time an FIU basketball team was near the top 100 in the country? There are 347 Division I college basketball teams in the nation.
Taking away the top 68 teams (NCAA Tournament) from the top 111 RPI teams leaves 43 teams. Among those remaining 43 teams, you have to account for teams ranked in the top 68 that do not get into the NCAA Tournament, such as if Middle Tennessee gets bypassed for the Big Dance because it did not win its conference. No. 166 WKU gets the Sun Belt's automatic NCAA berth after winning the conference.
The NIT takes 32 teams. For lack of a better term, FIU could be a bubble NIT team this season. If FIU does not get a spot in the NIT, the Panthers because of their RPI and the season they have had would almost certainly get into either of the other two postseason tournaments -- the CBI or the CIT. The CBI takes 16 teams and the CIT takes 32 teams.
Add it all up between the four postseason tournaments (NCAA - 68 teams, NIT - 32 teams, CBI - 16 teams, CIT - 32 teams) and you have 148 college basketball teams playing in the postseason. FIU's RPI will not drop much after last night. So it would not be far-fetched at all that the Panthers will be playing at least one more game this season and the first postseason game for FIU since 1995 when it made the NCAA Tournament.
Ok, raise your hand if back in November you had FIU playing in the Sun Belt Championship Game tonight at 7 p.m.?
No one. That's what I figured. Hey, I'm not blaming you. I was there with you. I thought FIU would have been successful this season if the Panthers would play close to or at .500 ball and maybe win one game in the conference tournament. I mean it's been a lonnnnnnnnnnnng while since we've seen as successful an FIU basketball season as this one.
Regardless of what happens tonight in the SBC Championship against WKU, the Panthers and coach Richard Pitino have this program pointed in the right direction through sheer will.
Remember, Pitino and his coaching staff were hired with just a few weeks to put a team together. Imagine what Pitino and his coaching staff can do with a year's worth of recruiting.
Continue reading "FIU Basketball on the Brink of a Championship" »
FIU right fielder T.J. Shantz did not make ESPN's Top 10 plays Sunday, but his home run-robbing catch was so good that it deserves it's own blog. Here's the video and below is a photo of T.J. with his prize from the Rice bullpen. Turns out in appreciation for Shantz's catch, the Owls made a toy rifle out of 20 empty Red Bull cans and bat tape. Classy move by the Owls.
