The Miami Marlins announced on February 22 that the University of Miami Hurricanes will face the Florida International University Panthers at loanDepot Park on March 4 at 7 p.m. ET for the Crosstown Showdown.
Florida International University and University of Miami baseball teams to face off in crosstown showdown at loanDepot park on Tuesday, March 4 pic.twitter.com/NNDKdM7NYA
— Marlins Communications (@MarlinsComms) February 22, 2025
This will be the first college baseball game at the venue since loanDepot Park opened in 2012. loanDepot Park hosted the Miami Beach Bowl from 2014-2016 before the event moved to Frisco, Texas in 2017 and was renamed the Frisco Bowl.
Miami played FIU in a college football game at loanDepot Park on November 23, 2019. FIU beat Miami 30-24 in their nonconference matchup at the venue.
University of Miami Hurricanes and Florida International University Panthers History
Miami is in the Atlantic Coast Conference and FIU is in the American Athletic Conference.
The Hurricanes’ overall record in the 2025 season is 6-1, and the Panthers are 7-0.
Miami leads the all-time series against FIU with a record of 105-31 and holds a 6-1 advantage in neutral-site games. The last neutral-site contest between the two programs took place in February 2004 at the Homestead Sports Complex in Homestead, Fla., when No. 5 nationally ranked Miami edged FIU 9-7.
Miami has won four national championships in 1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001 alongside 25 College World Series appearances.
The Hurricanes have won only one ACC tournament in program history, in 2008.
Miami has four inductees in the College Baseball Hall of Fame, with former head coach Ron Fraser inducted in 2006, starting pitcher Neal Heaton in 2008, starting pitcher Alex Fernandez in 2014, and outfielder Mike Fiore in 2014.
J.D. Arteaga is in his second season as head coach at Coral Gables, while Rick Whitten is in his third year at FIU.
Arteaga is the 10th head coach in Miami’s 80th season.
FIU has been to the NCAA Tournament 11 times and has won five conference championships.
The Panthers are 9-23 in the NCAA Tournament.
FIU has had 137 players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft since 1965.
Marlins President of Business Caroline O’Connor stated on February 22 on Miami’s website, “The event will be a celebration of South Florida’s passion for baseball, and we look forward to providing the student-athletes and everyone involved with an unforgettable experience.”
Since the end of the 2024 season, the Marlins have hosted two baseball events.
On October 12, the Savannah Bananas played their World Tour exhibition series event against the Party Animals.
The Choques de Gigantes tournament ran from November 8-10 and featured five teams from the winter leagues in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
The Savannah Bananas will play a two-game exhibition series at loanDepot Park from March 1-2.
LoanDepot Park will host Pool D of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with the Netherlands, Venezuela, Israel, the Dominican Republic and a Qualifier nation from March 6-11.
LoanDepot Park will also host the Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC and will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will play the Pool C winner on March 14.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be on March 15 and on March 16 at loanDepot Park alongside the championship game on March 17.
