2023 Conference USA Championship
Wednesday, May 10 – Saturday, May 13
Ruston, La.
 
FIRST ROUND (GAME 2)
Wednesday, May 10 – 1:30 p.m. ET
No. 8 seed FIU (24-26, 10-14 CUSA)
vs. No. 5 seed Western Kentucky (29-22, 14-9 CUSA)
 
WITH A WIN
The winner of Wednesday's first round game between the Panthers and Hilltoppers will advance to meet No. 4 seed Florida Atlantic on Wednesday night in an 6:30 p.m. ET start.
 
The loser of the game vs. Florida Atlantic (Game 4) will be sent to the losers bracket for a game on Thursday, May 11 vs. the loser of Game 3.
 
The Game 4 winner will move on to the winners bracket to face No. 1 seed Charlotte in a 3:30 p.m. start on Thursday.
 
WITH A LOSS
The loser of Wednesday's first round matchup between No. 8 seed FIU and No. 5 seed Western Kentucky will be eliminated from the championship.
 
2023 Conference USA Tournament Schedule

Wednesday, May 10 - 10 am	Game 1: No. 6 MTSU vs. No. 7 LA Tech (ESPN+)
Wednesday, May 10 - 12:30 pm	Game 2: No. 5 WKU vs. No. 8 FIU (ESPN+)
Wednesday, May 10 - 3 pm	Game 3: No. 3 North Texas vs. MTSU/LA Tech (ESPN+)
Wednesday, May 10 - 5:30 pm	Game 4: No. 4 Florida Atlantic vs. WKU/FIU (ESPN+)
Thursday, May 11 - 12 pm	Game 5: No. 2 UAB vs. TBD (ESPN+)
Thursday, May 11- 2:30 pm	Game 6: No. 1 Charlotte vs. TBD (ESPN+)
Thursday, May 11 - 5 pm	Game 7 (ESPN+)
Thursday, May 11 - 7:30 pm	Game 8 (ESPN+)
Friday, May 12 - 12 pm	Game 9 (ESPN+)
Friday, May 12 - 2:30 pm	Game 10 (ESPN+)
Friday, May 12 - 5 pm	Game 11 (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 13 - 12 pm	Game 12  (CBS Sports Network)

 
FIU IN THE CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Panthers will be making their fifth appearance in the Conference USA Softball Championship since joining the league in 2014.
 
This year's appearance will mark the first time FIU has advanced to the conference tournament since 2018 – Conference USA did not hold the event in 2020.
 
The Panthers are 2-4 all-time in C-USA Tournament play – with both wins coming during the 2017 season, which is also the last time that FIU qualified for the NCAA Championship.
 
FIU has never met either Western Kentucky or Florida Atlantic previously in C-USA postseason action.
 
FIU All-Time in C-USA Tournament

2014	East Carolina	L, 1-5
2016	UTEP	L, 4-5
2017	La Tech	W, 7-1
	Marshall	W, 6-1
	La Tech	L, 0-1
2018	Middle Tennessee	L, 0-4

 
ESPN+ TO AIR ALL C-USA OPENING ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, CBS SPORTS NETWORK TO AIR FINAL
Each of the opening round games at the 2023 C-USA Softball Championship in Ruston will air on ESPN+.
 
Saturday's Conference USA Championship Game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
 
FIU VS. WKU IN 2023
The Panthers claimed a 7-3 victory over Western Kentucky in the opening game of a three-game series in Miami on April 28, before dropping the final two games of the weekend 4-1 and 7-4.
 
FIU scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth and break open a scoreless game as it cruised to the 7-4 win in the opener.  Freshman Makayla Navarro provided the big blow with a two-run triple.
 
Sunday's finale saw the Panthers lead the Hilltoppers 4-0 after one inning of play before Western Kentucky responded with seven unanswered runs to secure the series clinching win.
 
ALL-TIME VS. WKU
The Panthers trail the all-time series with Western Kentucky 34-37 – and have dropped eight of the last 10 meetings in the series - dating back to 2021.
 
FIU and the Hilltoppers first met during the 2000 campaign and have never met in postseason play.
 
FIU VS. FAU IN 2023
The Panthers dropped a three-game set against the Owls in Boca Raton earlier this season on April 6-8.
 
FIU was limited to just one run over the three games despite generating a total of 19 hits over the three games.
 
In the opening game of the series, junior left hander Sydney Birling tossed her third complete game of the season, going 10 innings and scattering nine hits before Florida Atlantic came through with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to escape with a 2-1 extra-inning victory
 
The decisive 10th inning saw Birling nearly escape unscathed after the Owls loaded the bases with no outs.  Birling followed by getting a strikeout and pop out to settle things down before Riley Olsen laced a single to right field to plate the winning run.
 
FAU benefited from a pair of errors in the 10th by Panthers to set up the winning score.
 
ALL-TIME VS. FAU
The Panthers trail the all-time series with Florida Atlantic 40-61 – the Owls have won five of the last six meetings overall.
 
FIU and the Owls first met during the 1998 campaign and met during the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Tournament, with the teams splitting two games.
 
GROWING THE PROGRAM
Head coach Mike Larabee has made terrific strides in his second season at the helm of the Panthers' program.
 
During the 2023 campaign, FIU has…

• Recorded the most regular season wins (24) in four seasons
• Totaled the most conference wins in five years
• Notched two conference sweeps, its most since 2018

 
YOUNG ROSTER
The Panthers boast one of the youngest rosters in the country with a total of eight true freshman on the roster.
 
The entire starting infield (including catcher) for FIU is entirely made up of freshmen or newcomers. 
 
The only non-freshman among the group is shortstop Ashton Lansdell who is in her first year of collegiate softball as a sophomore after playing baseball at Georgia Highlands Junior College during her freshman year of eligibility.
 
Overall, FIU has seen freshmen make a total of 222 starts:
Makayla Navarro (45)
Isabella Perez (43)
Kaleena Downing (41)
Ella Whitney (39)
Logan Turner (20)
Morgan Adams (18)
Megan Kruger (16)
 
In addition, out of FIU's total of 50 regular season games, 31 of those games saw a freshman as the starting pitcher.
 
CLOSING OUT THE SEASON WITH A SWEEP
The Panthers wrapped up the season last weekend in style with a three-game sweep of UTEP in El Paso.
 
Freshman Makayla Navarro ripped a single through the right side with one out in the top of the seventh to cap a three-run rally and clinch a 6-5 win for the FIU softball team in its series opener on Friday.
 
Sophomore right fielder Brooke McCann made a game saving defensive play in the bottom of the seventh when she reached over the outfield wall to take a would-be two-run homer away from UTEP's Caitlyn Brockway.
 
Senior Madison Lewis and sophomore Ashton Lansdell each posted three RBI and Lansdell and freshman Ella Whitney homered as the Panthers held off a late push by UTEP for a 10-8 win in the middle game on Saturday.
 
Sunday saw Lewis launched a three-run homer for the go-ahead and eventual winning run in a 6-5 win in the finale.
 
Lewis' three-run blast erased a 5-3 deficit faced by the Panthers after the Miners opened up a 5-3 advantage following a four-run third and a one-run fourth.
 
Whitney launched the Panthers' first three-run homer of the contest and her second round-tripper in as many days to give FIU a 3-0 lead in the third. 
 
STOLEN BASE RECORD WATCH
The Panthers 82 stolen bases entering the 2023 Conference USA Championship is already the seventh-highest single season total in program history.
 
SINGLE SEASON STOLEN BASES (FIU)

109	2006
109	2003
109	2000
108	2005
96	2002
83	2017
82	2023
78	2007
76	1999

 
In addition, sophomore Ashton Lansdell's current total of 23 swipes is tied for the eight-highest single-season total in FIU annals – entering Tuesday's game at UCF.
 

Nicole Dubovik (2003)	35
Nicole Dubovik (2002)	30
Deomni Murray (2007)	28
Tania Somoano (2000)	28
Ashton Lansdell (2023)	26
Dee Joy (2005)	25
Jackie Schoff (2017)	25
Tania Somoano (2001)	24

 
DON'T RUN
Bella Perez has already established herself as a problem for opposing baserunners – she is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation for most runners caught stealing with 16.
 
The backstop opened her collegiate career by tossing out five of the first six baserunners who attempted to steal against her.
 
Entering the 2023 Conference USA Championship action, Perez has tossed out 16-of-30 would-be base stealers.
 
PANTHERS AT THE PLATE
Entering the 2023 CUSA Championship, 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 eighth in runs with 189 over the initial 50 games.
 
The Panthers have recorded double-digit hit totals in a total of 14 games of 50 games 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.
 
COMPLETE GAME STREAK
FIU starting pitchers tossed six straight complete games in the CUSA series against UTSA and FAU from March 31-April 8.
 
Starting with the Panthers' March 31 victory over UTSA – each of the Panthers' starting hurlers went on to finish the contest – including a 10-inning effort by junior Sydney Birling at Florida Atlantic on April 6.
 
Each of the Panthers' starting pitchers, Birling, Brooke McNichols and Megan Kruger have notched a pair of complete games over the stretch.  Over the six games, the trio has held FIU's opponents to a combined seven runs.
 
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. 41 nationally in stolen bases per game with an average of 1.64 per contest.
 
The Panthers have stolen a total of 82 bases through the opening 50 games of the season and have only been caught 17 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 29th nationally and third in Conference USA with 26 steals – she has only been thrown out twice this season. 
 
Freshman Makayla Navarro ranks eighth among conference leaders with 18 swipes on 22 attempts.
 
A total of 13 different players have stolen at least one base for the Panthers this season.
 
Overall, FIU has posted at least one stolen base in 36 of 50 games this season.
 
The Panthers have posted multiple steals in a total of 24 contests this season.
 
FIU swiped a season-high six bases twice this season – vs. Kansas City (Feb. 10) and Holy Cross (March 7).
 
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.
 
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.
 
FIU RECORD/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 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.
 
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. 
 
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 six homers – she sits 18th 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.
 
 
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
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUSoftball), Twitter (@FIUSoftball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSoftball) for all the latest FIU Softball news.