Friday, April 4
Ruston, LA
2 pm
Louisiana Tech University
vs
FIU
Preview: LA Tech vs. FIU Weekend Series
4/3/2025 7:43:00 PM | Baseball
Louisiana Tech baseball returns to the Love Shack to host the Panthers for a Conference USA battle.
RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (18-12, 4-2 CUSA) are set to take the field with the FIU Panthers (20-10, 4-2 CUSA) for a three-game weekend series at the Love Shack.
Series Information
Date: Apr. 4-6, 2025
Venue: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
Time: 2 p.m. CT (Friday) | 2 p.m. CT (Saturday) | 1 p.m. CT (Sunday)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/stats
Weekend Rotation: LHP Landon Fontenot (Friday) | LHP Luke Cooley (Saturday) | RHP Brooks Roberson (Sunday)
Series History
Series Record: 22-20 vs. FIU
Last Meeting: Mar. 30, 2024 (L, 3-8)
Streak: L1
Due to expected inclement weather in the area, Friday's game that was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start has been pushed up to 2 p.m. CT.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-1 road trip, falling to the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers before defeating UL-Lafayette, 16-6, on the Ragin' Cajuns home field. Zeb Ruddell homered in both games to become the fourth Bulldog this season with a home run in consecutive games.
The last time these two programs met, FIU took two of the three games during the weekend series played at the FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami during the 2024 season, marking the first time the Panthers won a series over the Bulldogs since 2014 and for the first time at home since 2001. Prior to the series loss Tech had won 16 of the previous 20 matchups with the Panthers and have not lost a series at home since that 2014 series.
Sebastian Mexico has been on a tear at the plate in the last 10 games, batting .448 with four runs, 13 hits, a double, two triples, two homers and a team-high 13 RBI in that span while just playing in nine of those games with seven starts. He also currently leads the team on the season with a .324 batting average and a .424 on-base percentage.
Landon Fontenot is set to make his first start on the mound as part of the weekend rotation and just his second overall career start. The freshman southpaw has been lights out for the Bulldog pitching staff, allowing just two earned runs on four hits and one walk through 10 innings, punching out 12 batters along the way.
Luke Cooley has become a mainstay in the weekend rotation as the Saturday starter, leading the team with a 3.34 ERA, 35 innings, 43 strikeouts and has held opponents to a .233 combined batting average. Brooks Roberson is set to make his fifth start and ninth appearance in the series finale, carrying a 3.90 ERA with 27 strikeouts to 17 walks allowed this season. The freshman has a team-best .198 opposing batting average and is one of four pitchers to have at least three wins this season.
Previewing the Panthers
FIU enters the weekend coming off a midweek road victory over local rival Miami Wednesday night after clinching a CUSA series win on the road at Middle Tennessee, where the Panthers dropped Game 1 and forced a rubber match with a narrow 6-5 Game 2 victory before taking the series finale, 10-5. FIU is 20-10 on the season and tied with LA Tech at a 4-2 record in conference play.
The Panthers baseball program is led by head coach Rich Witten, who is in his third season at the helm of FIU baseball. Witten is off to a hot start in 2025, seeking his first winning season as a head coach after going 21-34 in 2023 and 27-30 in 2024, carrying a career record of 68-74.
FIU has one of the more power-based offenses in CUSA, raking the second-most homers with 42 and driving in the second-most RBI at 223 as a team. Kishon Frett and Brylan West lead the Panthers in homers and batting average. Frett has a team-high nine homers with 21 RBI along with four doubles and a pair of triples with a .327 batting average and three stolen bases.
West has seven homers, six doubles and a triple with 16 RBI and team-bests at a .333 average and 39 total hits with 29 starts out of FIU's 30 games. He also leads the team in runs scored with 35. Along with Frett and West, Alex Ulloa is the third Panther to have over 30 hits this year and leads the team with 29 RBI and tied for the most with six stolen bases.
FIU's Friday starter is scheduled to be righty Easton Marks, who is one of two pitchers on the Panthers' staff with at least 40 strikeouts and three back from Juan Villareal's team-leading 44 punchouts. Marks carries an ERA of 4.45 through 32 1/3 innings and has started all seven of his appearances this year.
The Panthers Saturday starter is righty Owen Puk, making his eighth start in his ninth appearance. The 6-foot 5-inch redshirt junior has 34 strikeouts through 28 2/3 innings of work, allowing 20 hits and 14 walks while carrying a 3.77 ERA and a perfect 3-0 record into the weekend. FIU's starter for the series finale is to be announced.
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Baseball, follow us on X (@LATechBSB), Instagram (@LATechBSB), and Facebook (LATechBSB).
Series Information
Date: Apr. 4-6, 2025
Venue: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
Time: 2 p.m. CT (Friday) | 2 p.m. CT (Saturday) | 1 p.m. CT (Sunday)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/stats
Weekend Rotation: LHP Landon Fontenot (Friday) | LHP Luke Cooley (Saturday) | RHP Brooks Roberson (Sunday)
Series History
Series Record: 22-20 vs. FIU
Last Meeting: Mar. 30, 2024 (L, 3-8)
Streak: L1
Due to expected inclement weather in the area, Friday's game that was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start has been pushed up to 2 p.m. CT.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-1 road trip, falling to the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers before defeating UL-Lafayette, 16-6, on the Ragin' Cajuns home field. Zeb Ruddell homered in both games to become the fourth Bulldog this season with a home run in consecutive games.
The last time these two programs met, FIU took two of the three games during the weekend series played at the FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami during the 2024 season, marking the first time the Panthers won a series over the Bulldogs since 2014 and for the first time at home since 2001. Prior to the series loss Tech had won 16 of the previous 20 matchups with the Panthers and have not lost a series at home since that 2014 series.
Sebastian Mexico has been on a tear at the plate in the last 10 games, batting .448 with four runs, 13 hits, a double, two triples, two homers and a team-high 13 RBI in that span while just playing in nine of those games with seven starts. He also currently leads the team on the season with a .324 batting average and a .424 on-base percentage.
Landon Fontenot is set to make his first start on the mound as part of the weekend rotation and just his second overall career start. The freshman southpaw has been lights out for the Bulldog pitching staff, allowing just two earned runs on four hits and one walk through 10 innings, punching out 12 batters along the way.
Luke Cooley has become a mainstay in the weekend rotation as the Saturday starter, leading the team with a 3.34 ERA, 35 innings, 43 strikeouts and has held opponents to a .233 combined batting average. Brooks Roberson is set to make his fifth start and ninth appearance in the series finale, carrying a 3.90 ERA with 27 strikeouts to 17 walks allowed this season. The freshman has a team-best .198 opposing batting average and is one of four pitchers to have at least three wins this season.
Previewing the Panthers
FIU enters the weekend coming off a midweek road victory over local rival Miami Wednesday night after clinching a CUSA series win on the road at Middle Tennessee, where the Panthers dropped Game 1 and forced a rubber match with a narrow 6-5 Game 2 victory before taking the series finale, 10-5. FIU is 20-10 on the season and tied with LA Tech at a 4-2 record in conference play.
The Panthers baseball program is led by head coach Rich Witten, who is in his third season at the helm of FIU baseball. Witten is off to a hot start in 2025, seeking his first winning season as a head coach after going 21-34 in 2023 and 27-30 in 2024, carrying a career record of 68-74.
FIU has one of the more power-based offenses in CUSA, raking the second-most homers with 42 and driving in the second-most RBI at 223 as a team. Kishon Frett and Brylan West lead the Panthers in homers and batting average. Frett has a team-high nine homers with 21 RBI along with four doubles and a pair of triples with a .327 batting average and three stolen bases.
West has seven homers, six doubles and a triple with 16 RBI and team-bests at a .333 average and 39 total hits with 29 starts out of FIU's 30 games. He also leads the team in runs scored with 35. Along with Frett and West, Alex Ulloa is the third Panther to have over 30 hits this year and leads the team with 29 RBI and tied for the most with six stolen bases.
FIU's Friday starter is scheduled to be righty Easton Marks, who is one of two pitchers on the Panthers' staff with at least 40 strikeouts and three back from Juan Villareal's team-leading 44 punchouts. Marks carries an ERA of 4.45 through 32 1/3 innings and has started all seven of his appearances this year.
The Panthers Saturday starter is righty Owen Puk, making his eighth start in his ninth appearance. The 6-foot 5-inch redshirt junior has 34 strikeouts through 28 2/3 innings of work, allowing 20 hits and 14 walks while carrying a 3.77 ERA and a perfect 3-0 record into the weekend. FIU's starter for the series finale is to be announced.
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Baseball, follow us on X (@LATechBSB), Instagram (@LATechBSB), and Facebook (LATechBSB).
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