By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP) -- Florida International's Garrett Wittels has been in the on-deck circle for more than eight months.
That's a long time to wait when chasing history.
Wittels is two games shy of matching Robin Ventura's NCAA Division I record 58-game hitting streak, a pursuit he'll finally resume against Southeastern Louisiana in the start of a three-game series on Friday night. By game time, it'll have been 259 days since Wittels extended his streak to 56 games with a first-inning double against Dartmouth in the NCAA regionals last June.
"I'm ready to go," Wittels said. "I'm ready to go. I'm ready to strap it on. We've been preparing for so long. Myself as well as the whole team has been waiting for this moment since we lost in the regionals. We feel like we have something to prove again this year."
Wittels got the go-ahead to play from university officials on Wednesday, who reviewed his status after he was accused of rape while vacationing in the Bahamas in December. The legal case may not be resolved for many months, but FIU is standing behind its shortstop, despite a smattering of criticism.
On Friday, Wittels insists he'll only be thinking baseball.
And the Panthers didn't exactly bring a cupcake in for the opening series, either.
Southeastern Louisiana started 18-1 last season, including a three-game sweep at Mississippi State, and spent much of March and April ranked in the national polls. When the opportunity came to open at FIU -- the schools had been talking about a midweek game during the season -- Southeastern Louisiana coach Jay Artigues didn't hesitate to accept.
"We're excited about the opportunity and excited about the challenge as well," Artigues said. "We know we're going to have our hands full this weekend."
His team knows plenty about Wittels and the streak. And the Lions will pitch to FIU's standout like they would any other hitter.
"I'm not concerned if he gets 15 hits," Artigues said, "as long as we win the ballgame."
The NCAA said Wittels is only the fourth player to have a hitting streak of at least 50 games at the college level.
Ventura had his 58-game streak in 1987 and Kevin Pillar of Division II's Cal State Dominguez Hills had a 54-game streak last season. The all-divisions record is a 60-game run by Damian Constantino of Division III's Salve Regina, stretching from April 1, 2001 through March 10, 2003.
Wittels said he's trying not to look too far ahead, and not be completely consumed by the streak -- as well as all the attention it garners.
Nonetheless, he told The Associated Press that he can't help but daydream about what the recordbreaking-moment -- if it happens -- will feel like.
"Breathtaking," Wittels said. "I won't know what to think. And every time I think of that scenario I just try to stop myself and say, 'Friday night, first at-bat, all I can think about right now.' Whatever is going to happen will happen. I'm just going to put myself in a great position to hopefully get the record. And if I don't, I'm going to tip my cap to the pitcher and know I did everything I can."
Received 02/17/11 03:17 pm ET
