Two FIU baseball players named to Conference USA Preseason team

With less than a week until first pitch, the Florida International University baseball duo of junior Austin Shenton and sophomore Logan Allen were named to the Conference USA Preseason team, the league office announced last week.
Shenton, a Bellingham, Washington native, slashed his way to a .344 average with 11 doubles, 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in 2018 for the Panthers. The third baseman was named second All-Conference last season before making his way to the Cape Cod League, where he led the Wareham Gatemen to a league title and was named postseason MVP.
The 2018 freshman All-American Allen landed the DH/UTL spot on the preseason list. Allen did damage in the batter's box and on the mound as the 2018 second team All-Conference player batted .309 with five doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI, while pitching to a 5-5 record with a 3.89 ERA and 85 strikeouts against 16 walks.
Shenton and Allen lead a FIU team that returns 26 players from a team that went 26-28 in 2018. A new season brings a Top-25 recruiting class as well, as the Panthers look to return to postseason play for the first time since 2015.
The 2019 season officially gets underway at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 15 as FIU plays host to Stony Brook at FIU Baseball Stadium.