HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS — The FIU softball team (26-11, 8-4) resumes Conference USA play this weekend with a road series at Sam Houston (18-20, 6-6), beginning with a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday night at the Bearkat Softball Complex.

Each game will be aired on ESPN+ with live stats also available for the entire weekend.

The Panthers are coming off a 5-2 non-conference win over No. 21 FAU on Wednesday, keyed by a complete game from Megan Kruger and a two-run double from Sammy Zelenka that provided the game-winning runs.

Paige Miller, who leads the team with a .402 batting average, has hit safely in seven consecutive contests. She had eight hits against Jacksonville State last weekend, producing her third and fourth three-hit games of the season.

Kally Meredith also continues to be a nightmare for opponents on the basepaths. She has moved up to 36th in the nation in total hits, while ranking among the top five players in the country in total stolen bases, stolen base percentage and stolen bases per game.

Meredith's 34 stolen bases only trails Alabama's Audrey Vandagriff (45) and Oregon's Kai Luschar (39). She is one of just five players nationally with at least 30 stolen bases, a group that also includes Florida's Kendra Falby and Jackson State's Ka'Liyah Gipson, who each have 31.

Megan Kruger, who has delivered complete game victories in three of her past four appearances, produced her sixth complete game of the season in Wednesday's win over No. 21 FAU. She is now 7-1 with a 3.21 ERA.

Kennedy Byrd, who helped knock off Kennesaw State on March 16 with a no-hitter, is 10-6 overall with a 3.80 ERA and a team-best 52 strikeouts this year.

This will be the fifth weekend series of conference play for FIU, which has won three of the first four of those entering play on Friday.

FIU NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP 60)
Team
Stolen bases - 7th, 102 (1st in CUSA)
Stolen bases per game - 8th, 2.76 (1st in CUSA)
W/L percentage - 46th, .703 (2nd in CUSA)
Total hits - 51st, 297 (3rd in CUSA)
Shutouts - 55th, 6 (4th in CUSA)
Fielding percentage - 56th, .970 (3rd in CUSA)
Double plays - 60th, 13 (4th in CUSA)

Kennedy Byrd
Innings pitched - 20th, 112.1 (2nd in CUSA)
Complete games - 28th, 10 (1st in CUSA)
Shutouts - 33rd, 3 (3rd in CUSA)

Kally Meredith
Total stolen bases - 3rd, 34 (1st in CUSA)
Stolen base percentage - 4th, .971 (1st in CUSA)
Stolen bases per game - 4th, 0.92 (1st in CUSA)
Total hits - 36th, 49 (2nd in CUSA)

Collier Peaden
Total stolen bases - 51st, 16 (3rd in CUSA)

OPPONENT OUTLOOK
Sam Houston enters this weekend having lost four of their past five, but they most recently posted a 4-0 shutout victory over Texas State in a non-league matchup on Wednesday.

Bella Perez powers the team with eight home runs, seven doubles and a .291 batting average. Brodie Quinlan leads the team in batting average at .330

Abigail Young anchors the pitching staff with a 1.76 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 55.2 innings.

UP NEXT
FIU returns home to face Louisiana Tech in a three-game series next weekend.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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