MIAMI – The FIU softball team will open the 2025 campaign with the annual Felsberg Invitational this weekend at Felsberg Field.
 
The 10-game event will include the Panthers, Indiana, Iowa State and Stony Brook with the action kicking off on Thursday evening when FIU hosts the Hoosiers at 5:30 p.m.
 
The games will continue on Friday with three contests and Saturday with four, before concluding with a pair of games on Sunday.
 
Felsberg Invitational Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 6
Indiana at FIU/5:30 p.m.
 
Friday, Feb. 7
Stony Brook vs. Iowa State/12:30 p.m.
Indiana vs. Stony Brook/3 p.m.
Iowa State vs. FIU/5:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, Feb. 8
Iowa State vs. Indiana/10 a.m.
Stony Brook vs. FIU/12:30 p.m.
2^nd vs. 3^rd/3 p.m.
1^st vs. 4^th/5:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, Feb. 9
L vs. L (from Saturday's late games)
W vs. W (from Saturday's late games)
 
COACH LARABEE UPDATE: FIU head coach Mike Larabee was recently diagnosed with Myelofibrosis, a rare, chronic blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and will be stepping away from the program this season to focus on his health.
 
In his absence, associate head coach Mike Meyers will assume the duties of active head coach for the 2025 season.
 
Larabee has led the FIU softball program since the 2021 season and possesses more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience.

HONORING COACH LARABEE: The Panthers will wear patches on their games jerseys and t-shirts this season in support of Coach Larabee.
 
MEREDITH NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CUSA: sophomore outfielder Kally Meredith has been named to the 2025 Preseason All-Conference USA Team.
 
Meredith, who was a 2024 All-Conference USA and All-Freshman Team honoree, returns for her sophomore campaign after registering a .383 batting average during her rookie campaign - which ranked fifth in CUSA and 123rd nationally.
 
On the basepaths, she swiped 21 bases, which was the second-best total in the league and 65th in the nation.
 
Meredith recorded a total of 57 hits – which tied for the seventh-highest total in Conference USA.  She added 35 runs scored and 14 RBI as a freshman.
 
She tabbed a total of 17 games with multiple hits and only fanned nine times in 149 at bats – ranking as the fifth-toughest player to strike out in CUSA and 114th in the nation.
 
OUT TO PROVE THEM WRONG: The Panthers were picked to finish eighth in the CUSA Preseason Poll in a survey of the league's head coaches.  FIU received 35 votes in the poll – one point behind No. 7 UTEP and three points behind No. 6 Sam Houston.
 
Liberty was selected as the league preseason favorite by the coaches with 99 points and nine first-place votes, followed by Western Kentucky in second with 83 points.
 
LOOK AT THE FELSBERG INVITATIONAL TOURNEY FIELD: Big Ten member Indiana enters the opening weekend of the season following a 2024 campaign that saw it finish 40-20 overall and 12-11 in conference play.  The Hoosiers advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year before falling to No. 7 Missouri.
 
Big XII member Iowa State was 20-31 in 2024 and 6-18 in league play.  Stony Brook enters 2025 following a 2024 season that saw it post a 35-17 overall mark and a 19-8 record in Colonial Athletic Association action.  The Seawolves were eliminated in the conference tournament by Hofstra.
 
WHAT'S BACK: The Panthers return a total of 11 position players from last season's squad including graduate outfielder Bailey Grossenbacher, who was honored with NCAA All-South Region and All-CUSA status last season after hitting .349 with seven homers, nine doubles and 30 RBI.
 
Also back is Kally Meredith, who recorded a .383 average to lead the Panthers along with a team-leading 21 stolen bases.  Collier Peaden also returns after posting a .340 clip a year ago in her first season with the program.
 
Senior outfielder Brooke McCann is also back after sitting out the entire 2025 season with a leg injury.
 
In the circle, the Panthers return a pair of hurlers in sophomore Jewelie Vanderkous and junior Brooke McNichols.  Vanderkous registered a 3.24 earned run average over 86.1 innings during her initial collegiate season.
 
McNichols returns following a sophomore season that saw her appear in 16 games and toss 32.1 innings.  Junior Megan Kruger also returns after missing 2024 due to injury.
 
WHAT'S NEW: The Panthers welcome a total of seven new players to the program in 2025 including five positional players and a pair of pitchers.
 
Jensen Luke (INF), Kendall Catherwood (UTL), Ciera Diaz (INF), Paige Miller (INF) and Sammy Zelenka (INF) join the program from a positional standpoint, while Kennedy Byrd and Caity Patterson both add to the arms in the circle for the Panthers.

UP NEXT: The Panthers will follow the 10-game Felsberg Invitational with a trip to Mexico next weekend for the Puerto Vallerta Challenge beginning on Thursday, Feb. 13.
 
FIU will play a total of five games at the event against Boise State, Illinois State, North Dakota State and BYU.
 
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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