Two tennis recruits added to fall 2009 roster
By: Sergio Bonilla / Sports Director Just over a month removed from reaching the NCAA Coral Gables regional, the Golden Panthers tennis team has two new players joining its roster. Sophomore Christine Seredni and Canadian true freshman Magali Holt were both signed by head coach Melissa Applebaum in the last few months. As a 15-year-old, Seredni finished her junior tennis career ranked No. 4 in the country, according to www.hungarycreek.org. Seredni won the Richmond City Adult Open when she was 14 years old making her the youngest player to win the tournament in 25 years. Holt was ranked as the No. 43 Canadian female tennis player under 18 years of age at the end of…
Tyler Townsend named to first team all-american team
By: Sergio Bonilla / Sports Director Outfielder Tyler Townsend was named to Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-America First Team today, according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Townsend finished the 2009 season with a .426 batting average, 24 home runs and 77 RBI. “It’s a great honor. I was named to a first team all-american team in high school. I thought it might happen in college,” Townsend said in an interview with student media on May 28. Brad Eldred was the last Golden Panther to receive all-american honors in 2002. Townsend was also named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team. He and Middle Tennesee’s Bryce Brentz were the only Sun Belt Conference players to…
Commentary: Baseball team’s high level of performance fizzles in conference tournament
By: Chris Towers / Asst. Sports Director There was something about this team. All season the Golden Panthers baseball team showed a miraculous ability to scratch out wins, improving by 14 wins on the 2008 campaign. They won with power; Tyler Townsend hit 24 home runs and three other players had at least nine. They won with pitching; Tom Ebert and Scott Rembisz were amongst the Sun Belt Conference leaders in many categories. They could steal a bag or take an extra base; three players had double digit swipes, and Junior Arrojo paced the conference with 23. They had timely hits and come from behind win, blow outs and close calls. They had pitching; they…
Men’s basketball adds size, hopes for Asprilla’s return
By: Jonathan Davila / Staff Writer Golden Panthers men’s basketball head coach Isiah Thomas signed his first big man on May 20, continuing his trend of signing players from junior community colleges by inking a forward from a Texas college. Kavon Lytch, a six-foot-seven power forward, signed with the Golden Panthers, according to FIU Athletics. The undersized four-man spent his sophomore season at Midland College in Midland, Tex. after playing for Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. his freshman year. During the 2008-09 season, he averaged 21.7 minutes a game for Midland College. He led his team in scoring with 17.7 points a game and 9.3 rebounds per game. The 240-pound Brooklyn, N.Y. native…
Town hall meeting spells additional program cuts
By: David Barrios / Senior Staff Writer “The good news is that the budget is bad,” University President Modesto A. Maidique announced. The bad news, according to Maidique, was the University would still be receiving budget cuts for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The outgoing president made these remarks to an audience of hundreds on both campuses during a town hall meeting on May 18 to discuss the impact of budget cuts on the University. Maidique announced that the University had received a 15% budget cut from the state legislature for the University’s operating budget. He also announced that PICO funding – bonds used for construction of structures on campus – was cut by $31 million….
Diminutive pitcher takes on big role for Golden Panthers
By: Luis Estrada / Contributing Writer Standing at 5-foot-8 and weighing 150 pounds he is the shortest and lightest player on the Golden Panthers baseball roster. He is also the only player who sports glasses when he takes the mound or enters the batter’s box. But when it’s time to go to the bullpen, no one has been depended on more than reliever Eric Berkowitz. Berkowitz, the Golden Panthers’ newest go-to pitcher in the late innings, is leading the team in appearances with 27 and saves with five. Berkowitz is in his first year at FIU after transferring from Miami-Dade College last year, and he is used to the heckling from opponents and the jokes…
