By Brett Shweky/Editor
For the FIU Panthers, it has been some time since the team has managed to reach an NCAA Regional. In fact, the last time the Panthers reached the NCAA tournament was in 2015 when they faced off in the Coral Gables regional.
Since third-year head coach Mervyl Melendez was hired back in June 2016, the team has posted a 57-55 record in his first two seasons and has also failed to find consistent success within their conference.
The 2019 season might provide a conclusion to this stretch of mediocrity with the team potentially having their most talented roster since third-year head coach Mervyl Melendez took over.
Behind 26 returning players and a pair of consecutive top-25 recruiting classes, the Panthers are primed to reach national relevance once again.
Austin Shenton, a junior third baseman, was named a second-team preseason All-American by Baseball America on Jan. 28 and is expected by many to become the leader of this squad with Eddie Silva’s departure to the majors.
Shenton will aim to build off his successful 2018 campaign where he recorded a .344 batting average with nine home runs, 29 RBI and a team-high 73 hits. He was also named to the Conference USA preseason team.
During this past offseason, he was named the MVP of the 2018 Cape Cod Baseball League championship series following his stellar performances in the summer league.
The Bellingham, Wash. native hit .522 with 12 RBI and three home runs during the playoffs to help the Wareham Gateman complete the sweep of the Chatham Anglers.
Silva agreed to a free agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on June 27, 2018, and became the second Panther to join the pro level last season after the Kansas City Royals drafted former pitcher Andres Nunez.
The second baseman led the team with 16 homers and also recorded a team-high 48 RBI while having a .321 average.
“Sixteen home runs in a year by a player that had four home runs in the previous years says a lot,” Melendez said on Silva’s impact last season.
During the last two seasons, FIU has had three freshmen named to the All-American list. Logan Allen, Jose Garcia and Adan Fernandez received the honor last season while Nick MacDonald, Tyler Myrick and Javier Valdes were named to the team in 2017.
“The bottom line, they’re the future of the program,” Melendez said in an interview at the end of last season. “They’re the heart and soul of what we’re about, and a lot of other players contributed, but having young men contribute to that magnitude says a lot about them.”
As a pitcher and first baseman, Allen made his mark as being one of the most well-rounded players in the nation and joins Shenton in being named to the C-USA preseason team.
Last season, the left-hander secured a 5-5 record with a 3.98 ERA while finishing as the third best pitcher on the team. He broke the program freshman record for strikeouts per nine innings with an eye-opening 10.34 mark and also ranks second all-time as a freshman in strikeouts with 85.
While at the plate, Allen batted .309 with 43 hits, 16 RBI and two home runs while also displaying his ability to come up in big moments. His first collegiate homer came as a pinch-hitter on April 20, 2018, when he sent the ball over the UTSA wall to win the game 2-1 in San Antonio.
Jose Garcia, last season’s conference Freshman of the Year, established himself as one of the top batters on the team as he collected 13 home runs to break the FIU freshman record. The sophomore catcher also posted a .264 batting average with 47 hits and 38 RBI.
“What was really impressive was that his upper back towards the end of the season started giving him issues and he actually stalled the year towards the end,” Melendez said on Garcia. “So if you go back and think what would it been if he was healthy the last month of the season. Nevertheless, he was still Conference Freshman of the Year.”
Fernandez joined Garcia in pursuing the program’s freshman home run record last season as the outfielder nailed 10 homers which placed him third all-time behind former slugger Jabari Henry who had 12 in 2010.
The Archbishop McCarthy grad ended the season with a .262 average while driving in 26 runs and recording 38 hits.
MacDonald (3-4, 4.26 ERA) and Myrick (2-2, 3.86 ERA) appeared in a combined 29 games during 2018 and finished tied for second behind Allen for most games started with 11.
Valdes made the transition to catcher last season and did a stellar job handling the lead spot behind the plate. The junior recorded a .988 fielding percentage while batting .282 with 51 hits and 21 RBI.
Highlighted by Christopher Williams, John Rodriguez and Jarrett Ford, the Panthers landed the 19th ranked recruiting class of 2018 and managed to haul in their second straight top-25 class.
FIU was one of just three non-power five conference teams to finish in the top 25 and was the only conference USA team featured in the rankings. Cal State Fullerton (No .16) and Coastal Carolina (No. 25) were the other two programs.
Williams, who was the 41st ranked outfielder in the nation, offers the Panther dual-threat ability with him coming into the program as an outfielder and pitcher.
The Woodstock, Ga. native was selected in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds. However, opted to play collegiate ball instead.
Rodriguez played at Stoneman Douglas High School and was the 67th ranked shortstop in the country and the 12th rated shortstop in Florida. He possesses elite defending ability and batted .347 with four home runs and 16 RBI as a senior.
Ford comes into FIU as the 34th ranked second baseman in the country and played his high school ball at Decatur High in Georgia.
“We want to make sure that our young players understand they’re going to have a chance to play. Throughout the recruiting process, we tell them if you earn it you’re going to be playing,” said Melendez.
The Panthers will start the 2019 season against the Stony Brook Seawolves on Feb. 15 through Feb. 17 at the FIU Baseball Stadium. First pitch for opening night is set for 7 p.m.
