FMU Looking To Continue Dominance Over Florida National Tuesday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (5-4, 3-2) vs. Florida National Conquistadors (3-5)
When: Tuesday, February 22, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | Harry T. Moore Field
First Pitch: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: March 10, 2020, Win 16-6
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's baseball team will be looking to build some momentum when it hosts Florida National University Tuesday in a non-conference, single game at Harry T. Moore Field.

Tuesday's game, which is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch, will be open to a limited number of fans. New University health and safety protocols does allow for current FMU students who have received a wristband after a negative COVID-19 test to attend the game as well as the immediate family members of student-athletes competing, but still prohibits general fans and fans of the visiting team from attending.

The Lions (5-4) enter Tuesday's game having picked up a weekend series win over conference rival Ave Maria University. Florida Memorial handily won the first two games of the three-game series and elected to play many of its younger players in the third game – falling 4-1. Still, FMU once again showed it has a potent batting order when playing with what has become its baseline lineup. The Lions racked up a season-high 14 hits, including a pair of home runs, against the Gyrenes this past Friday and followed that up with a 13-hit performance in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Sophomore outfielder Jalen Young had a productive weekend at the plate and out in the field; totaling 3 hits, a home run, 2 runs scored, and 12 putouts in right field. Lions head coach Florentino Burgos also potentially found a new gem on his pitching staff with the strong debut of freshman righty Dawrin Ruiz. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound power pitcher, Ruiz came in in relief of Friday starter Johnaikel Acosta and pitched 5 and one-third innings – allowing just 1 earned run and striking out 9 Ave Maria batters in his first collegiate action.

In Florida National, the Lions will be taking on a team that has already tangled with other Sun Conference squads this season with mostly negative results. The Conquistadors (3-5) loss two games at Keiser University back in January by a combined score of 23-4; lost two out of three at Webber International University; and was handed a 20-4 loss at St. Thomas University this past week.

Florida Memorial has won four of its six all-time meetings with FNU and has scored nine or more runs in all but one of those games – with the most recent being a 16-6 victory during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Coach Burgos will likely turn to many of his "everyday players" to start Tuesday's game, hoping to get on the board early and often to pull away from the Conquistadors – allowing him to then rotate in some of his younger players and specialists while still building momentum as the team will be playing in its first road conference three-game series this coming weekend.

Follow Florida Memorial University Athletics on social media
Instagram: @GoFMULions/@LionsFMUBaseball | Twitter: @GoFMULions/@BaseballFMU | YouTube: Official FMU Lions

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Players Mentioned

#14 Johnaikel Acosta: RHP; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#27 Jalen Young: OF/LHP; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#43 Dawrin Ruiz: RHP; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Johnaikel Acosta
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: RHP

#27 Jalen Young
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: OF/LHP

#43 Dawrin Ruiz
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: RHP

Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#14 Johnaikel Acosta

#27 Jalen Young

#43 Dawrin Ruiz

Players Mentioned

#14 Johnaikel Acosta

#27 Jalen Young

#43 Dawrin Ruiz