Lions To Host Rival St. Thomas For Weekend Series Beginning Friday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (11-15, 4-11) vs. No. 14 St. Thomas University Bobcats (22-13, 8-4)
When: Friday-Saturday, April 2-3
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | Harry T. Moore Field
First Pitch: Friday, 2 p.m. | Saturday, 12 p.m.
Last Meeting: Feb. 9, 2021, Loss 3-13
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – There's an old sports adage about games between rival teams that says one can "throw out the records" when the teams meet because both teams – no matter what they have or haven't done up to that point – will bring something extra for their rival.

Perhaps the extra juice from taking on their conference and neighborhood rival will be what Florida Memorial University's baseball team needs to upend No. 14 St. Thomas University when it visits Harry T. Moore Field for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday.

The Lions will take on the Bobcats in a single game on Friday, slated for a 2 p.m. start and the teams will return to diamond Saturday for a doubleheader that is scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch.

Updated FMU fan attendance policies will allow for a limited number of fans (both FMU and visiting fans) to attend the games. Fans attending will be subject to a temperature scan prior to entry and must wear a facial covering while on the campus. Current Florida Memorial University students and staff members may also attend with proof of a negative (healthy) COVID-19 rapid test via a school-issued wristband.

Florida Memorial (11-15, 4-11 The Sun Conference) enters the series having snapped what had become a seven-game losing streak after it topped Webber International University in the third game of their weekend series this past Saturday. Though the Lions dropped the overall series to the Warriors, picking up that 7-6 win in the third game could prove to be a much-needed spark.

Offensively, the Lions remain a fairly potent squad. Even amidst its losses this season, Florida Memorial has only been shutout once and is averaging just under 8 hits per game. Jacquel Perry had a hot bat this past weekend at Webber International, totaling 5 hits and a home run through two games.

Pitching remains the fluctuating variable for FMU. The injury bug has chomped down the Lions' bullpen, most notably robbing the team of ace pitcher Johnaikel Acosta due to an upper extremity injury.

The Bobcats (22-13, 8-4) enter the weekend as the No. 2 team in the Sun Conference standings and the No. 14 ranked squad in the latest NAIA Baseball poll. St. Thomas split a mid-week doubleheader with Webber International this past Tuesday, dropping a close contest 2-1 before exploding for a 11-5 win.

St. Thomas handed FMU a 13-3 loss back on Feb. 9, but the lopsided score doesn't show that the Lions stood toe-to-toe with the Bobcats for much of the game and even took 1-run leads at the top of each of the first two innings and was tied 3-3 with STU heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Once again, pitching will be the key factor for FMU head coach Florentino Burgos and his squad. It'll be interesting to see which arms Burgos uses against the Bobcats, as he could opt to go with the experience of seniors Krystian Negron and Rafael Fernandez or use hard-throwing underclassmen Dawrin Ruiz or Juan Hernandez.

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Players Mentioned

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

#19 Rafael Fernandez: LHP; 5' 9"; Senior

#37 Juan Hernandez: RHP; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#21 Krystian Negron: RHP; 6' 3"; Senior

#40 Jacquel Perry: 1B; 5' 11"; Junior

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

Players Mentioned

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

#19 Rafael Fernandez
: 5' 9"; Senior
: LHP

#37 Juan Hernandez
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: RHP

#21 Krystian Negron
: 6' 3"; Senior
: RHP

#40 Jacquel Perry
: 5' 11"; Junior
: 1B

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

Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned