MIAMI – The FIU softball team will play host to UTSA in a three-game Conference USA series this weekend at Felsberg Field, beginning Friday, March 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
 
The Panthers and Roadrunners are slated to conclude the series with single games on Saturday, April 1 (1 p.m.) and Sunday, April 2 (1 p.m.). 
 
FIU will be looking to claim its first conference series win when it battles UTSA in the second of four home C-USA sets for the Panthers this season.  FIU will also take on Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky at Felsberg Field later this season.
 
All three games of the FIU-UTSA 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.
 
BUY TICKETS
FIU vs UTSA – Buy Tickets Here
 
C-USA TV LIVE STREAM LINKS
Friday, March 30 – Game 1 – 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 – Game 2 – 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 2 – Game 3 – 1 p.m.
 
LIVE STAT LINK (ALL THREE GAMES)
FIU vs UTSA – Live Stats
 
SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners (6-23, 2-4 CUSA) have lost six straight games, entering their matchup with No. 20 Baylor on
Tuesday and prior to this weekend's series at FIU.
 
UTSA had last weekend off from Conference USA play after having taken two of three games from UTEP in its conference opening series, before suffering a sweep at the hands of North Texas on March 17-19.
 
The Roadrunners last win came on March 12 at UTEP.  UTSA has yet to win a road game this season (0-7).
 
UTSA ranks last in C-USA with a team batting average of .256.  The Roadrunners also rank last in C-USA with a team ERA of 6.07.
 
Kat Ibarra paces the Roadrunners with 36 hits and 10 doubles.  Her 36 hits rank fifth among C-USA leaders, while her 10 doubles sit 28th nationally and second in Conference USA.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FIU suffered three defeats last weekend, all by two runs or less, during its series at UAB last weekend.
 
The Panthers opened the set with a tough 4-3 loss in nine innings on Friday, which saw UAB's Olivia Valbak singled to left with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to score Bella Wiggins with the decisive run.  FIU stranded 10 runners on base in the loss.
 
Saturday and Sunday saw the Panthers fall by identical 3-1 margins.  UAB's Sierra Frazier hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Blazers all the runs they needed in Saturday's victory.
 
On Sunday, FIU led 1-0 through five innings before a pair of home runs by UAB in the sixth lifted the Blazers to its third consecutive win.
 
The Panthers left a total of 23 runners on base over the three losses.
 
BELLA PEREZ SWINGING THE STICK
FIU freshman catcher Bella Perez is riding a three-game hitting streak after pounding out four hits and a pair of RBI in the Panthers' three games at UAB last weekend.
 
Perez has recorded at least one hit in seven of the last nine games and is hitting .400 over the stretch.
 
She currently leads the Panthers with a .346 batting average and 20 RBI – her 20 RBI ranks 14th among C-USA leaders, while her .346 batting average sits 18th.
 
DON'T RUN
Bella Perez has already established herself as a problem for opposing baserunners – she is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation for most runners caught stealing with 13.
 
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 13-of-24 would-be base stealers.
 
PANTHERS AT THE PLATE
Entering this weekend's action vs. UTSA, the Panthers boast a team batting average of .274 – which is the fourth-best total in Conference USA.  While FIU ranks in the top half of the conference in hits and average, the Panthers sit ninth in runs with 122 over the initial 33 games.
 
The Panthers have recorded double-digit hit totals in a total of 10 games through the first 33 this season.
 
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.
 
The Panthers also posted 13 knocks against Louisiana Tech on March 17.
 
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. 35 nationally in stolen bases per game with an average of 1.88 per contest.
 
The Panthers have stolen a total of 62 bases through the opening 33 games of the season and have only been caught 11 times. 
 
FIU had a stretch which saw it steal 20 consecutive bases without being thrown out that ended on Friday, March 10 vs. Charlotte.
 
Sophomore Ashton Lansdell ranks 11th nationally and second in Conference USA with 21 steals – she has only been thrown out twice this season. 
 
Freshman Makayla Navarro ranks 41st nationally and fifth among conference leaders with 16 swipes on 18 attempts.
 
Eleven different players have stolen at least one base for the Panthers this season.
 
Overall, FIU has posted at least one stolen base in 25 of 33 games this season.
 
The Panthers have posted multiple steals in a total of 18 contests this season.
 
FIU swiped a season-high six bases twice this season – vs. Kansas City (Feb. 10) and Holy Cross (March 7).
 
ELLA WHITNEY BREAKS FIU RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE HITS
FIU freshman Ella Whitney put together a FIU record consecutive hit streak that spanned eight at bats after she went a perfect 4-for-4 in back-to-back games at Charlotte (3/11) and vs. Louisiana Tech (3/17).
 
The eight consecutive hits shattered previous the FIU program record of six consecutive at bats with a hit, which had been accomplished five times previously by four different players – most recently in 2005 by Tabitha Embry and Brook Ruiz.
 
CONSECUTIVE HITS
Ella Whitney (2023)                  8
Tabitha Embry (2005)               6
Brook Ruiz (2005)                      6
Stephanie Wolter (2003)         6
Crystal Boyer (2000)                 6
Stephani Wolter (2000)            6
 
BIRLING TOSSES COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT VS. LA TECH
Junior pitcher Sydney Birling posted her first complete-game shutout as a Panther to lead the FIU softball team to a 1-0 victory over Louisiana Tech in the second game of a three-game conference series on March 18.
 
Birling (3-4) limited the Lady Techsters to five hits and no runs over the full seven innings.  She walked two.
 
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.
 
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).
 
Lansdell currently leads the Panthers with five homers – she sits seventh among C-USA leaders.
 
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 the road as it heads to Palm Beach County to battle Florida Atlantic in a three-game C-USA set that begins on Thursday, April 6 in Boca Raton.
 
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.
 
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