The Prairie View A&M baseball team will enter the MLB Urban Invitational with a 3-2 record, looking to make a statement in its three-game weekend under the bright lights of Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Panthers first contest will be at 6:30 p.m. vs. Alabama State.

Redemption is on the mind for the Panthers and coach Waskyla Cullivan, who were swept in last season's Urban Invitational after their offense stalled in the opening-weekend. Alabama State was not in the 2012 field of SWAC opponents that swept Prairie View A&M, and the Panthers will throw pitching newcomer Michael Medina into the fray as the No. 1 for the weekend. Medina gave up five earned runs on four innings pitched as he picked up a win in the Panthers 14-11 season-opening victory over Mississippi Valley State.

In Game 2 vs. Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m. on Friday Cullivan will likely start senior right-hander Stef Hernandez, who is 1-0 this season with a 1.50 ERA in six innings pitched. He will try to keep up his hot start as the Panthers take on their rivals on the MLB Network.

Prairie View A&M took the season series vs. TSU last year, but it lost in a 7-1 game on Feb. 18, 2012 in the MLB Urban Invitational. The Panthers are looking for their offense, which is currently ranked second in the league behind Alabama State with 44 runs scored, to keep the bats going. Alabama State is first in the league with a .337 batting average and a 3.27 team ERA. Prairie View A&M is third in the ERA category with its average at 3.86. Texas Southern finds itself in the middle of the pack offensively and defensively.

In five games the Panthers have seen solid work offensively from leadoff hitter at short stop Walter Wells. He is tied for first on the team with seven runs scored and leads Prairie View A&M with a .368 batting average. Cleanup hitter at first base Dominiq Harris is batting .294 with nine RBIs and a .647 slugging percentage. He and designated hitter Greg Salcido (.313 BA and 5 RBIs) have dared pitchers to pick their poison.