Box Score MIAMI – The FIU softball team will host Louisiana Tech this weekend in a three-game Conference USA series beginning on Friday, March 17 at 6 p.m. ET.
 
The Panthers and Lady Techsters are slated to conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18 (1 p.m.). 
 
This weekend marks the first of four home Conference USA weekend series for the Panthers in 2023.
 
All three games of the FIU-Louisiana Tech series will be broadcast live on Conference USA TV. 
 
Links for all three games as well as live stat links for the weekend are below.
 
C-USA TV LIVE STREAM LINKS
Friday, March 17 – Game 1 – 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 18 – Game 2/3 – 1 p.m.

LIVE STAT LINK (ALL THREE GAMES)
FIU vs. Louisiana Tech – Live Stats
 
PANTHERS RETURN HOME FOR CONFERENCE USA SERIES
FIU (14-13, 1-2) will host Louisiana Tech (16-8, 1-2) in what will be the first of four home league series this season for the Panthers.
 
Following the series with the Lady Techsters, the Panthers will also host UTSA (March 31-April 2), Middle Tennessee (April 21-23) and Western Kentucky (April 28-30).
 
FIU played 18 of its first 24 games on its home diamond – with the other six games taking place at The Spring Games event in Madeira Beach, Fla.
 
SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH
The Lady Techsters defeated Northwestern State 5-0 in a non-conference affair on Tuesday in their most recent action, following a weekend series against North Texas, which saw them claim one of three games against the Mean Green.
 
There could be a lot of activity on the basepaths this weekend in Miami as the Panthers and Lady Techsters rank second and third, respectively among Conference USA leaders in stolen bases.  Louisiana Tech has swiped a total of 39 bases in 42 attempts.
 
Sierra Sacco leads the Lady Techsters with a total of 18 steals in 19 attempts – which ranks third in C-USA.  Amanda Gonzalez checks in at No. 9 among league leaders with nine swipes on 10 attempts.
 
Mary Martinez leads the Techsters in the circle with a 5-1 record and 1.15 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. Allie Floyd leads Tech in innings thrown with 52.2, while owning a 1.73 ERA and a team-best .93 WHIP (walk hits per inning).
 
Overall, Louisiana Tech currently has the lowest team ERA in Conference USA at 1.72 – the Lady Techsters have limited their opponents to 40 earned runs over 162.2 innings (24 games).
 
Right fielder Kylie Neel leads La Tech with a .357 batting average, including 25 hits, while recording five doubles, 23 RBI, 17 runs scored, and 10 walks. Her 23 RBI rank fourth among C-USA leaders.
 
Louisiana Tech is 15-1 when scoring first this season.
 
LA Tech is led by head coach Josh Taylor who is 55-28 in his second season at Tech and 178-137 in his career, with prior stops at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012). 
 
PANTHERS HEATING UP AT THE PLATE
Entering this weekend's action vs. Louisiana Tech, the Panthers boast a team batting average of .283 – which is the fourth-best total in Conference USA.
 
The Panthers have recorded double-digit hit totals in a total of nine games through the first 26 this season – including two of the three games last weekend at Charlotte.
 
The Panthers finished with 13 hits in their 9-2 victory over Kansas City on Feb. 10 – at the time their highest total in the last 64 games. 
 
FIU bested that effort with 14 knocks in its 10-2 win over Oakland on Feb. 25 – its highest total in a 77-game stretch.
 
COMEBACK LEADS TO WIN IN SERIES FINALE AT CHARLOTTE
Senior Madison Lewis crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall in the top of the seventh inning to help flip a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 victory for the Panthers at Charlotte in the final game of a three-game Conference USA set on March 11.
 
Lewis' blast followed a leadoff double by freshman Isabella Perez to give the Panthers the lead for good at 4-3.  Ella Whitney, who finished the game a perfect 4-of-4 at the plate with three RBI, drove in the final run of the contest with a single that scored Carmen Perez to make it 5-3.
 
Freshman Brooke McNichols (5-0) closed out the win by retiring the 49ers in the bottom of the seventh and notch her second complete game of the season.  She held Charlotte to two hits and three runs over seven innings, while tossing 101 pitches.
 
SWIPING BAGS
FIU's improved team speed has been evident during the non-conference season as the Panthers currently rank second in Conference USA and No. 27 nationally in stolen bases per game with an average of 2.07 per contest.
 
The Panthers have stolen a total of 56 bases through the opening 27 games of the season and have only been caught eight times.  

FIU recently had a stretch snapped which saw it steal 20 consecutive bases without being thrown out on Friday March 10 vs. Charlotte.
 
Sophomore Ashton Lansdell ranks ninth nationally and second in Conference USA with 19 steals – she has only been thrown out once this season. 
 
Freshman Makayla Navarro ranks 27th nationally and fourth among conference leaders with 14 swipes on 15 attempts.
 
Ten different players have stolen at least one base for the Panthers this season.
 
Overall, FIU has posted at least one stolen base in 22 of 27 games this season – including 10 of the last 11 overall.
 
The Panthers have posted multiple steals in a total of 17 contests this season.
 
FIU swiped a season-high six bases twice this season – vs. Kansas City (Feb. 10) and Holy Cross (March 7).
 
DON'T RUN
FIU freshman catcher Isabella Perez has already established herself as a problem for opposing baserunners – she is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation for most runners caught stealing with 11.
 
The backstop opened her collegiate career by tossing out five of the first six baserunners who attempted to steal against her.
 
Entering this weekend's action, Perez has tossed out 11-of-21 would-be base stealers.
 
ELLA WHITNEY HAS A DAY VS. CHARLOTTE
Freshman Ella Whitney posted a season-best four hits in the Panthers' come-from-behind victory over Charlotte on March 11.
 
Whitney also tabbed three RBI in the win, including gave the Panthers an early 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the second and the final run of the contest with a single that scored Carmen Perez to make it 5-3.
 
ISABELLA PEREZ SWINGING A HOT STICK
Freshman catcher Isabella Perez has been a key run producer for the Panthers with 12 RBI over the last 10 games. 
 
Perez has tabbed at least one RBI in six of the last 10 games overall and has posted multiple RBI in five of those contests.
 
FRESHMAN MEGAN KRUGER TOSSES FIRST NO-HITTER SINCE 2016
Freshman Megan Kruger tossed the first no hitter for the FIU softball team since the 2016 season as the Panthers rolled to an 8-0 victory in five innings over Stonehill College on March 3.
 
Kruger's no hitter was the first for FIU since March 5, 2016 when Megan Kuglemann pulled it off vs. Florida A&M – a span of 329 games.
 
OPENING WITH LEADOFF JACKS
Sophomore Ashton Lansdell opened games in back-to-back days with leadoff home runs at The Spring Games on Feb. 25 and 26.  She currently leads the Panthers with five homers – which also ranks fourth among C-USA leaders and 57^th nationally.
 
Lansdell led off the Panthers' 10-2 win over Oakland (Feb. 25) with a shot over the left field wall, before replicating the effort the following afternoon to open the game vs. Siena (Feb. 26).
 
WHAT IS BACK/NEW FOR FIU
The Panthers features a total of 11 newcomers on this season's roster, including eight freshmen.  FIU returns 10 letterwinners from the 2022 squad and lost a total of 16 players.
 
UP NEXT
FIU returns to the road next weekend for a three-game Conference USA series at UAB beginning on Friday, March 24 in a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.
 
The Panthers and Blazers will also square off on Saturday (2 p.m. ET) and Sunday (1 p.m. ET).
 
All three games of the FIU-UAB series will be aired live on Conference USA TV.
   
TICKETS
For more information on FIU Softball season and individual tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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