The Sun Belt Conference picked FIU to finish second this baseball season, which opens Friday at 6 p.m. for the Panthers at home against College World Series participant Stony Brook.
Florida Atlantic was selected to win the Sun Belt by the league's coaches. FIU right-hander Mike Ellis and catcher Aramis Garcia were selected to the preseason All-Sun Belt team.
FIU's season-opening series against Stony Brook from the FIU ballpark schedule: Friday, Feb. 15 first pitch at 6 p.m.; Saturday's first pitch at 4 p.m. and Sunday's first pitch at 1 p.m.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark this weekend, you can catch Friday and Sunday's games on PantherVision with me as I'll handle the play-by-play duties. (Saturday's game is not on PantherVision because PantherVision will carry the FIU/WKU basketball game, tip-off at 7:30 p.m. from the FIU arena.) CLICK HERE TO ACCESS PANTHERVISION
FIU SAND VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
The first-ever FIU sand volleyball schedule has been released with the Panthers playing in some pretty nice places like Hawaii and Siesta Key. CLICK HERE for the entire schedule.
FIU will kick off the 2013 slate with a Blue & Gold Intra-Squad Tournament on March 1 at the FIU Sand Courts, as the Panthers compete against one another in their final tune-up before officially beginning their inaugural season.
The Panthers’ season opener will take place on March 8 in Los Angeles, Calif., as FIU takes on Grand Canyon University, which is also competing in its first season of sand volleyball.
On March 9, FIU faces defending Sand Volleyball National Champion, Pepperdine, in Malibu, Calif. The Panthers wrap up their California duals tour with a match versus 2012 national runner-up, Long Beach State, in Long Beach on March 13.
FIU will then travel to Honolulu to compete in a dual match with Hawaii on March 15 before the Panthers go up against Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific in the Hawaii Tournament on March 16.
On March 23, FIU will welcome Webber International to Miami for the Panthers’ home opener, as first serve is set for 9 a.m. at the FIU Sand Courts, located on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.
The Panthers will then host the first annual FIU Surf and Turf Tournament (March 29-31), featuring Pepperdine, Tulane, Florida Atlantic and Georgia State. Action on March 29 and March 31 will take place at the FIU Sand Courts, with action on March 30 set for Hollywood Beach, Fla.
FIU will compete in Fiesta on Siesta Key, an open tournament held on April 13-14 in Siesta Key, Fla.
The 2013 AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship, in its second year of existence, is slated for May 3-5 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
