MIAMI (April 11, 2014) – After a five-game road trip, the FIU softball team (25-15, 7-5 C-USA) returns home to host the UTSA Road Runners for a three-game series this weekend. It's the second-to-last home series for the Panthers, with Saturday's doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. from Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium. The night cap begins at 6:00 p.m., and Sunday's series finale will start at noon.
Keeping up with the Panthers
FIU's Pete Pelegrin will call the action for all three games this weekend. Fans can tune in by clicking here or by selecting 'live events' under the multimedia tab on FIUsports.com. Livestats will be available upon first pitch, and fans who can't watch the action can stay informed by following @FIUSoftball on Twitter.
Weekend Promotions
April is Miami Sports Month. For the month of April, purchase a ticket for any FIU Baseball or FIU Softball game online and receive one free! Simply enter “MIAMI” in the Special Offers Code box and receive this great offer. To purchase your tickets, please visit www.FIUSPORTS.com today. For more great discounts on recreational activities throughout Greater Miami and the Beaches including golf, tennis, bicycling, running, boating, water sports, and more, visit MiamiSportsMonth.com. Miami Sports Month is organized by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and sponsored by MasterCard Priceless Miami.
Little League Day
On all Saturday's during conference play, the FIU softball team will be hosting Little League Day. During the four home-series in March in April, a local little league team will have the chance to run onto the field with the Panthers during pre-game introductions and the National Anthem. Players will also be available for post-game autographs directly outside the main stadium gate at the conclusion of game two.
Scouting UTSA
The Road Runners are 19-21, going 2-2 in their last four games and dropping two-of-three against Charlotte over the weekend. Within C-USA, UTSA is even at 6-6, and sits one spot below the Panthers in the standings. The team has played four games against top 25 opponents, most impressively posting a 4-2 win over then No. 15 Texas in Austin. The Road Runners' longest win streak has been four games, which happened the first week of the 2014 slate.
UTSA is led by Megan Low, who leads the Road Runners in 10 statistical categories, including batting average (.403), RBI (37) and home runs (19). Low tops the conference for home runs, although only two long shots have come during conference play, and she is tied atop the leader board for RBI, while her batting average is the third-highest in the league.
Nicole Merrill and Kacy Freeze look to anchor the Road Runners' pitching staff, combining for a 17-16 record. Freeze leads her team with 100 strikeouts, while Merrill has a slight edge with a 2.95 ERA.
Series History
FIU and UTSA will meet for the first time this weekend, although Head Coach Jake Schumann is familiar with the Road Runners. During his tenure at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Schumann led the Islanders to a 6-5 victory over UTSA during the 2011 Southland Conference Tournament.
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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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports, and is a proud member of Conference USA. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
