IRVING, Texas (February 12, 2018) -- FIU pitcher Shannon Saile (Land O' Lakes, Florida / Land O'Lakes HS) was named the first Conference USA Pitcher of the Week, the league posted Monday. Saile is the national leader in strikeouts after the first weekend, with 40.
 
After tying the school's single-season record for strikeouts as a freshman, Saile set a new career single-game high with 15 strikeouts in FIU's season-opening win over St. John's to begin the Felsberg Invitational in Miami Friday.
 
Saturday night, the 2017 C-USA Freshman of the Year did it again, striking out 15 more against NCAA Participant and Southeastern Conference opponent South Carolina in a 3-1 victory.
 
Sunday, she struck out an additional 10 batters and tossed a shutout through seven innings, until allowing two runs, only one earned, in the eighth inning in a 2-0 loss to Hofstra.
 
In three complete games and 22 innings, Saile's 40 strikeouts are against six walks and 11 hits, with an ERA of 0.95 and an opposing batting average of .143. Both are second in C-USA through one weekend of pitchers with the qualifying minimum of innings pitched.
 
Dating back to last season, nine of Saile's last 11 opposing teams made the 2017 NCAA Regionals. In those nine games, including the Gamecocks on Saturday (53 innings), she collected 60 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.70.
 
Saile won the C-USA Pitcher of the Week four times in 11 weeks last season, including the last two of the year.
 
Prior to the season, she was placed on the USA Softball Top 50 Collegiate Player of the Year "Watch List." Saile is one of only nine sophomores, only three of whom are pitchers, on the preseason list.
 
FIU will travel to Las Vegas this weekend for five games in the Marucci Desert Classic. The Panthers begin the weekend at noon EST Friday against Utah State.
  
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