Sun Belt Game 2: FIU vs. Hooters LIVE GAME BLOG

TROY, Alabama -- With Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" song playing on the stadium speakers while FIU takes infield.....It's do or die for your Panthers this morning here in Troy in FIU's second game of the Sun Belt Tournament.

A familiar opponent in the Florida Atlantic Hooters are on the diamond with FIU.

We have football weather this Thursday morning in Troy sort of appropriate with Troy's Veterans Stadium right next door to the baseball field. Walked by the football field yesterday and still could see T.Y. Hilton making that one-handed catch in last year's game here in Troy.

Back to baseball: Temperatures are in the mid-60's according to FIU weather girl Victoria Lynch seated to my right. And Victoria says there is a "gusty" 21 mph wind blowing out to the short 310-foot fence in right field. Could be a home run derby type of day.

There is a threat of rain later today, which could back up the tournament, but first things first, FIU needs to win today to worry about the rain later.

Let's see how the Panthers have adjusted one day after playing in this small racquetball/trampoline Riddle-Pace Field.

We'll have the LIVE BLOG going on inside the comments section....

Comments

[PP]

ozga with a 2-run triple....now fau 7-3 in the 4th with 0 outs

[PP]

ebert lifted from the game and berkowitz is now in the game pitching

[PP]

7-3 fau....still plenty of baseball left to play, but got to get some outs here and stop the bleeding

[Joel]

This is unbelieveable.. our two aces couldn't get the job done when we needed them too... they are so much better than this!

[PP]

light rain starting to fall here in Troy.

bubley flies out to LF for 1st out....runner still at 3rd

[PP]

nick 2-run HR over short right field fence.

9-3 fau

[FIUJM]

Lots of baseball left but we need to get bats going also. We're better than the Hooters.

[Quijote]

I don't think we are...this is pathetic way to bring it Turtle!!!

[FIUJM]

It is pathetic...

[PP]

another single up the middle....now 10-3 with still 1 out in the 4th

[FIU Fanatic]

My goodness...how the pitching has come down....

[Quijote]

bro wtf

[PP]

Polizzano back warming in FIU bullpen

[pikedanny]

What a joke...

[Joel]

Doesn't matter what anyone says... there is no excuse for absolute garbage that is unfolding before us...

[PP]

berkowitz gets out of the inning...going to the 5th.

10-3 fau

[PP]

Jr. lines out to right to start the 5th....fau right fielder leaps before the wall to make the catch.

[CJ]

JEez... wtf is right!!!

[PP]

mollica Ks, Tyler grounds out to end 5th.

[PP]

griffiths reaches on error, hatcher walks and berko is lifted.

polizzano in the game now.

[PP]

ozga pops out to ss for 1st out

[PP]

bubley walks to load the bases.

nick flies out to lf...still loaded, 10-3 with 2 outs

[PP]

bukovich gets a broken bat bleeder single to short center scores 2 more.

12-3 fau

[FIUJM]

Wow....no excuse!!! Make a game out of it.

[Quijote]

Absolutely unacceptable!

[PP]

Mesa pops out to Jobe to end inning.

going to the 6th....12-3 fau

[PP]

Stropp flies out rf for 1st out

[Roman]

wow mercy rule pending....geez...this hurts

[PP]

Jobe flies out to ss for 2nd out

[PP]

Martinez strikes out looking to end inning.

Gipson now has retired 9 straight FIU batters.

bot of 6th 12-3

[PP]

Rain coming down much harder now here and with the wind it looks like a showerhead is over the field.

Since we're in Alabama....only 114 more days before FIU football at Alabama.

[FIUJM]

I can't believe we're allowing FAU to beat us in this fashion. Disappointing.

[PP]

When it rains, it pours.....Raiko throwing error allows leadoff hitter wilson to reach 2nd.

mike singles...runners on the corners with 0 outs.

If fau scores here, mercy rule is after FIU bats in the 7th

[PP]

fau gets a sac fly now 13-3 with 2 outs.

FIU needs 1 run in the 7th to keep playing.

[PP]

ozga flies out to end the 6th....13-3.

FIU needs 1 run to keep the season alive.

[PP]

due up in 7th for FIU: Waddell, Alfonso, Bermudez.

waddell bunts for an out

[Clawing Cancer]

Sounds like this one's more done that George W. Bush's political career.

[PP]

Raiko HR keeps the season alive for now

13-4

[FIUJM]

Bunts???? Come on...joke. Talking about getting humbled.

[PP]

Pablo HR now 13-5

[Clawing Cancer]

Hey, hey... just 8 more solo shots and this game's tied. :)

[TNGoldenPanther]

Embarassing.

[PP]

jr. K's

Mollica grounds out to end inning.

Bot 7th 13-5

[PP]

Polizzano gets first 2 outs of the inning.

the first out on a fantastic diving play by Pablo in center field.

[PP]

bukovich with a double.

2 outs and mesa up.

[PP]

mesa walks.

top of the order and wilson up with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs.

if mesa scores from 1st the game is over

[PP]

single to left 14-5....mercy rule run is at 3rd with 2 outs.

[PP]

mike fouls out...inning over.

going to the 8th 14-5

[Bryan R.]

In all seriousness, the anti-UM talk has to cease until we start fielding competitive teams. Getting blown out in two games to the 5th and 8th seeds is beyond embarrassing. Ted Hutton over at the S-S is gonna have a field day with this crap. FAU rode a bus to Mercy Rule us out. Ridiculous. Turtle better keep recruiting.

[PP]

tyler grounds out to second baseman playing in right field for the 1st out.

[PP]

Stropp solo HR.....14-6

[PP]

Jobe singles to LF

[alt7787]

The weather girl is so pretty.

[FIUJM]

Turtle better keep recruiting.

Posted by: Bryan R. | May 21, 2009 at 12:53 PM

Completely agree...team improved but still need to get better.

I could care less about what Hutton at S-S has to say...that guy is so full of himself.

[Yandro]

Let's hope this Rudy Flores kid from Texas (Moody HS) is really special. He's a first baseman though. We already have Jobe/Martinez there.

[PP]

griffiths grounds out to start the 8th

but double by hatcher and HR by ozga ends the game and season for FIU

[Bryan R.]

Now the long wait until football. Here's to hoping we can make it a 7-5 season.

[Yandro]

See you next year FIU Baseball!

[c-UM]

Listen people... This was a great season regardless of how we ended it. We put ourselves in position to make the regionals many times this year, but couldnt capitalize on any of them with an extremely young squad. We have a much better resume then Troy (FIU- series victories against WKU, TROY, USF, & JACKSONVILLE...... TROY - MTSU). We also have a lot of players coming back next year and HOPEFULLY (PLEASEEEEEE) we can get Tyler back for 1 more year. He is still 1 HR away from Brad E's record. I think the coaches did an excellent job this year with the 2nd best turnaround in FIU history (i think i read that '79 was only year better)... Good job FIU Baseball.

[TheChampionUnderdog]

the student media jinxed us with their 6 and 10 run inning predictions... you cant tempt fate like that!

[Quijote]

Unacceptable.

I don't care how much better of a season we had. We showed up to the tourney playing worse than an ultra wild card seed.

PP, Would love to hear your insight.

[Yandro]

We did play better than last year and improvement has to count for something, but we are still in need of better players.

By the way, I don't think Tyler is coming back, no matter if the all time homerun record can be his. He's projected to go anywhere in the first four rounds of the MLB draft. I doubt he does not sign.

[JulesFIU07]

This is clearly not how any of us would have liked the season to have ended. However TT has given us a tremendous turn around from last season, and brought in a talented but young class. With a series of solid recruits coming in for next season, hopefully our team will be that much better given the experience we gained.

Some people are being unfairly hard on the team. Look at where TT and his young roster has gotten us this year compared to the last few. We showed numerous times that we have it in us to win the Sun Belt and compete in some of the bigger conferences. Errors were made, opportunities loss, but with new talent coming in to compliment what we already have there is a very real possibility that we could win the Sun Belt next season.

[OC Panther]

Good season, still a little disappointing.

BRING ON FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!

[OC Panther]

QUESTION FOR PETE.

What's taking so long with announcing the assistant coaches for basketball?

No one except IT is listed on the site, not even the TCU guy.

Lets get Hardaway and Kareem (hes been looking to break into coaching forever) and lets gooo!!!

[bez]

Now you can all shut up

[c-UM]

Jeeeez people, tough crowd.... Do you guys not remember the m!erd@ that TT inherited last season? This is one season! You guys are making it seem like anything less then a CWS appearance is unacceptable. Again, this was the 2ND biggest turnaround in FIU baseball history!!!

[Bryan R.]

No, no c-UM.

Overall, the season was a success. I didn't expect a Sun Belt Championship or CWS berth. But to come in and get blown out in two games to UL and especially long bus ride fresh FAU, our 8th seed rival who mercy ruled us out is pretty sad.

[FIU Fanatic]

OC Panther, there are already two new assistants (or one assistant and one "coordinator" listed in the "Department Directory" page of FIU Athletics. Also, they now list former FIU basketball assistant, Heith Glick as an Athletic Department "Chief of Staff".

http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11700&KEY=&ATCLID=1627112

[c-UM]

Our Sun Belt Tourney performance was terrible, but that team is filled with a ton of young guys and to our disadvantage, we started slumping at the wrong time in the season. If we turned the season completely backwards and started like we finished, and finished like we started, we would probably be playing in a regional... We had some bad breaks too. ULL was the last team out of the bottom half that i wanted to face and we had to face the Sun Belts top pitcher. FAU, i dont know what to tell you??? They seem to have our number. They took 3 of 4 from us this year and put up double digits every game.

[OC Panther]

Thanks FIU Fanatic!

I was looking under the Mens B-Ball page, which hasnt been updated.

[Ultimate FIU Fan]

Improved year for FIU baseball. Still a Work-In-Progress to get to where we've been before and eventually where we dream of going, however I believe we're on the right track. Congrats guys.

Pete any news on the assistant coaching front for men's hoops? Is Hardaway still a possibility? If he comes to FIU will his star son come with him? Let us know.

GO FIU!!!

[Golden Panther 90]

I heard Dan Dakich former IU and Bowling Green Head Coach. Also a Bobby Knight player and Assistant Coach will soon be added on as an assistant.

[FIU Fanatic]

That would be another amazing hire, if it becomes reality....It would give IT, besides the current assistant (Anderson), a really, really strong coaching staff, with lots of NCAA experience among those two assistants. If you then add Tim Hardaway to the fray, it would become one of the top coaching staffs in the nation, I would say....

Interesting stuff, Golden Panther 90....

[CrazyCane]

Welcome to reality FIU baseball fans. Glad you could make it. I think these last few days has shown that FIU is still a long, long, way away from playing with the big boys on a regular basis in college baseball. I mean to get swept out of the SunBelt tourny, by getting blown out twice, is really sayng a lot.

[Quijote]

CrazyCane is partially correct. Reality is, we have improved from last season....but we got embarrassed in the tourney and we are still a long, long, way away from playing with FSU, UF, USF, FAU, UCF big boys.

[FIURage]

Scratch UCF from that list. They arent considered big boys.

[FIURage]

Correction FAU and UCF are not BIG.

[CrazyCane]

Quijote - i love how you leave UM out of your list. Grow up.

[Double Cane]

Season over for FIU, and UM will host. Nothing changes in this town. You guys can't win. The Sunbelt is a joke of a conference and you can't beat those morons. Accept the fact that as long as Morris is in town he'll be the Sheriff. He decided to cancel the series (for whatever reason) and it got done. If it was the other way around it wouldn't have happened. The Herald would have criticized the move, politicians would have gotten into it and FIU would have been forced to play. BTW I went to a game at FIU when you lost to the powerhouse Florida Gulf Coast and the attendance was about 100 people of which 30 were visitors. That's less than when the Canes practice and if you don't believe me ask TT. How can a university with over 30K students perform this poorly? I really feel sorry for Mario and Turtle. Real good guys that came from GREAT PROGRAMS and now they have to deal with this horrible situation. Enjoy these guys while they're here because they will be gone soon.

Have a happy summer Westchesterians.

[FIU Fanatic]

Somebody needs re-assurance? LOL...

[Double Cane]

Season over for FIU, and UM will host. Nothing changes in this town. You guys can't win. The Sunbelt is a joke of a conference and you can't beat those morons. Accept the fact that as long as Morris is in town he'll be the Sheriff. He decided to cancel the series (for whatever reason) and it got done. If it was the other way around it wouldn't have happened. The Herald would have criticized the move, politicians would have gotten into it and FIU would have been forced to play. BTW I went to a game at FIU when you lost to the powerhouse Florida Gulf Coast and the attendance was about 100 people of which 30 were visitors. That's less than when the Canes practice and if you don't believe me ask TT. How can a university with over 30K students perform this poorly? I really feel sorry for Mario and Turtle. Real good guys that came from GREAT PROGRAMS and now they have to deal with this horrible situation. Enjoy these guys while they're here because they will be gone soon.

Have a happy summer Westchesterians

[Double Cane]

c-UM, do you still believe in Santa Claus?. If Townsend doesn't leave school after this year he's an idiot (Then again he goes to FIU). This kid stands to be drafted low first high second round. He could sign for millions or he could return to satisfy non-existent fans. PLEASE.

Roman, FIU Ultimate FAN, FIU Fanatic, etc. etc. You're the typical FIU fan. Always hoping for improving. Stop that, do like Quijote does, he expects the team to win and to win it now.

[FIUPIKE]

DoubleCaneDoucheBag:

You feel sorry for Turtle & Mario ?? LMAO. Nothing is successful overnight scUMBAG. I am sure you felt the same way about Howard and Ron Fraser in the late 1970s when all of UCG SUCKED in everything !!! They had the pressure of guiding programs that very ABISSMAL for decades.

Can't wait for UCG to get smoked and start 0 -4 in football this season. Then what ?? The march to glory is postponed again for another year, decade...

Hahahahhahahahhaha !!

[FIURage]

I like it ... UM fans going to FIU games!

[Quijote]

FIURage...I was making a point, lol.

And Ibis ball licker (CrazyCane), how can I include UM on that list when you just got your ass handed to by 10 runs against bottom dweller Boston College!?

[CrazyCane]

You can include UM on that list b/c they won season series with UF and FSU. You can include UM on your list b/c they will be going to the post season for the 20+ year in a row. Yopu can include UM on your list b/c they were ranked in the Nations top 25 all year long.

How can you justify putting USF, FAU, UCF on your list and not UM? Answer that one tough guy.

[FIU Fan For Life]

Don't recall who was my fellow FIU fan that once again brings up "what TT inherited...", listen he inherited Tyler Townsend & Molica, arguably the teams two best players. For those that insist on taking shots at DP's era, just let it go. Danny Price built the foundation that is FIU Baseball, it was time that he should leave and TT was brought in. End of story, however whenever TT has a rough outing or the WORST season in FIU history like last year, some of you attack DP. At least in ALL the conference toruneys and NCAA regionals Danny took us too, not ONCE was he mercy ruled.

Let the "its Danny Price fault..." thing rest. Support TT and hope he CONTINUES to build up the program back.

[Clawing Cancer]

Agreed, Fan For Life. Nice to see some of us still appreciate DP and what he did for FIU. :)

Anyway... rough way to end the season, no doubt, but I don't think it's worth dwelling on too much. These things happen. If anything, I think this loss could be a blessing in disguise.

First off, the starters were overworked at the end of the season, especially Rembisz and Ebert. The way they tailed off suggests to me they ran out of gas. TT needs to shore up the bullpen with a quickness. You can't rely on your starters to give you 7+ innings every time, and it was abundantly clear as the season went on that TT didn't go to the pen unless he had to. That has to change if FIU even wants to make a regional.

Fortunately, that's the only real hole Turtle has to fill on this team, and building a solid pen is usually the final piece of the puzzle, so I won't get on his case too much for the pen sucking. This is the year he needs to get it fixed. I'm sure that'll be a priority. Hell, it should be his main priority.

Second, going two and 'cue is (or should be) one hell of a motivating factor for next year's team. They better take that personally. How they lost both games was embarrassing, and it should be branded into their souls. Next year is year 3 of TT, and to me, that's the year we should be in a regional. I guess you could've argued this year, but I always thought it takes 3-4 years in order to judge any coach fairly.

I'm fairly happy with how this year went, especially considering how terrible the year before went. I'm relatively confident TT has this ship in the right direction. Next year's the litmus test for him, I think.

[FIU Optimist]

Hat's off to you Clawing Cancer. You're a class act like DP was. I agree with you that everytime FIU lost, it was DP's fault and evry win is TT's. Let me tell you something, I'm yet to see better recruits than Townsend and Molica. We need you as PA man, you were clear, fair and profesional. This Roman guy is all hype but no substance.