2 • Dennis Diaz • Second Base • Florida International

Was named 2003 MVP of the Valley Baseball League, where he led the team with stolen bases (37), which tied the league record…led the team and fifth in the league in batting average (.326)…finished the summer, playing in the Cape Cod League with the Cotuit Keetlers.
      Last season, Dennis led FIU and the Sun Belt Conference with 26 stolen bases, seven more than the runner-up in that category. He had six games where he swiped multiple bases… had a hit in 40 of 53 games, including 13 multi-hit games…enjoyed a nine-game hitting streak (1/31 thru 2/28)… third on the team in hits (58), runs (36), batting average (.328) and on-base percentage (.429)… went 5-for-6 with three runs, three RBI and four doubles to set a new FIU record against Chicago State (3/12).
      In 2002 campaign, Diaz played in 50 games, 44 of those as FIU’s starting shortstop… came on in the month of May to raise his batting average from .287 to .315 by hitting .383 (18-for-47) over that span…had 11 multiple-hit games with a high of four coming against Wagner (3/10)…hit home runs against New Mexico State (3/23), Arkansas-Little Rock (4/21) and Bethune-Cookman (6/1)…led the team with 29 stolen bases in 36 tries…1-for-1 as a pinch hitter on the year…batted ninth in the order most games…played like a second leadoff hitter, reaching base nearly 36 percent of the time he started an inning…had success against Bethune-Cookman, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the regular season (5/1) and going 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBI a month later at the NCAA Regional (6/1).

Prior to FIU: Four-year letterwinner for head coach Lou Sanchez at Miami Beach High School…named second-team All-Miami-Dade…selected the most inspiring athlete and given the team’s Golden Glove Award in high school…senior year hit .420 with one home run and 17 RBI with 12 stolen bases in only 18 games played due to an injury…hit .265, 16 RBI and had a fielding percentage of .981 his junior campaign at Miami Beach…member of the MBHS district champions in 1998 and 2000 and also played with the Greater Miami Athletic Conference Baseball champions in 2001…recruited by Texas A&M, Tennessee and St. Thomas.

Personal: Son of Luis and Ana Diaz…born February 7, 1983… Pre-Med/Sports Medicine major.