OKLAHOMA CITY (January 30, 2018) - FIU Softball begins the season receiving votes in the ESPN.com / USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, announced January 30.
 
The Panthers, coming off a school-record 46-15 season, received two votes in the preseason poll, giving them a de facto ranking of 40.
 
FIU was an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament last season, making the program's third Postseason appearance. The Panthers won their third Postseason game on May 20, with a 3-0 win over Florida A&M in Gainesville, Florida.
 
The Panthers were 14^th in the country with a 1.77 earned-run average (ERA), fifth in fielding percentage (.977) and 22^nd in the country with a .754 winning percentage. FIU got into the scoring column early last season, outscoring opponents 58-19 in the first innings of games, and a combined 102-33 in the first two innings of games last season.
 
Fast Pitch News put together its Preseason All-American Team and named sophomore pitcher Shannon Saile (Land O'Lakes, Florida / Land O'Lakes HS) to its Honorable Mention list. Saile, the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, finished fifth nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (3.49), 21^st in strikeouts (240, tying the school record for a single season) and 31^st in ERA. She led the conference in those categories, and in saves, with four.

Fast Pitch News has FIU sitting at No. 18 in its preseason poll.
 
FIU will begin the season on Friday, February 9, hosting the Felsberg Invitational in the opening weekend of the season. FIU's first game will be against St. John's at 1:30 p.m.
 
For softball ticket information, contact the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUSoftball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSoftball) for all the latest FIU softball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

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