MIAMI (March 19, 2021) - The FIU softball team will host FAU this Sunday, March 21, as the Panthers officially open the Conference USA slate at home. 

First pitch on Sunday between the Panthers and Owls at Felsberg Field is set for 3 p.m., and will be streamed on CUSA.tv. Live stats for the game can be found here. 

LAST TIME OUT
After dropping their first game of the week on the road to No. 24 UCF, the FIU softball team bounced back to sweep South Dakota at home. The Panthers earned a walk-off win to open the series, before outscoring the Coyotes 17-3 over the next two games. Jessica Rivera led the Panthers at the plate as she collected five hits and eight RBI on the weekend with a double and homer. Kendahl Dunford pitched in two games, earning a pair of wins in 8.1 innings of work. 

SCOUTING THE FOE
FAU enters this Sunday's game with a 5-18 record overall, having lost its previous three games in a series sweep to UCF last weekend. The Panthers and Owls already faced off once this year, as FIU took a 7-5 season-opening win over FAU. The game however, did not count as a conference contest. Kaitlyn Burke leads the Owls at the plate with a .317 average, driving in nine runs and knocking out two homers. Lynn Gardner has made nine starts in the circle, going 2-8 overall with a 4.35 ERA.

UP NEXT
FIU travels to Statesboro, Georgia, next weekend as the Panthers take on Georgia Southern in a three-game road series on March 26-27. 

FAN ATTENDANCE
Due to physical distancing requirements, the total capacity at FIU Athletics events will be reduced this season. FIU's softball games will be limited to 125 fans this spring due to the COVID-19 repopulation plan. For more information on tickets, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit here.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.