MIAMI — FIU's softball program, which is off to its best start in program history, hosts its final tournament of the 2026 season this weekend, welcoming Harvard, Fordham and South Dakota to Baptist Health Stadium for the FIU Classic, Feb. 27-March 1.

The Panthers (13-3) have started off 2026 in impressive fashion, boasting a 4-0 record over Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foes, of which were two-game sweeps of both Louisville and Georgia Tech. FIU's 13-3 record through its first 16 games is the program's best-ever 16-game start, eclipsing the 12-4 start from the 2001 campaign. 

FIU continues to be recognized as one of the top mid-major teams this season, ranked 17th in D1Softball's Mid-Major top-25 poll this week. The Panthers, who entered the season unranked, have now been firmly inside the top-25 in each of the past three polls. 

Kally Meredith continues to swing a hot bat for the Panthers, leading CUSA with her .540 batting average and her 27 hits, of which rank eight-most nationally. Newcomer Leah Clark is also off to a great start offensively with a team-high 15 RBI, seventh-most in CUSA. Clark and Meredith have shown their prowess on the base paths as well with nine and seven steals, respectively, both of which are in the top-five in CUSA. 

In the circle, FIU's pitching staff has been led by Brooke McNichols, sporting a 0.70 ERA, tops in CUSA. McNichols has two complete game shutouts in three starts this season for the Panthers. Kennedy Byrd has also been outstanding with a 2.31 ERA, eighth-best in CUSA, and five victories, tied-third best in the league. As a staff, FIU's total WHIP is just 1.18, 24th-best nationally. 

THE FIU CLASSIC
The FIU Classic is the final of three home tournaments in February for the Panthers. Off to a 10-1 start at home, FIU will host Harvard, Fordham and South Dakota in the South Florida Sunshine this weekend. The event will have a true tournament-style format with round robin play (Feb. 27-28) followed by semifinals (Feb. 28) and a championship/consolation round (March 1). A complete schedule of games can be found on FIU's home tournament page, linked here. 

SERIES HISTORIES
All-Time vs. Harvard: Tied 2-2
Home/Away/Neutral: 2-1/0-0/0-1
Last: FIU def. Harvard, March 8, 2008 (Miami, Fla.)

All-Time vs. Fordham: FIU leads 5-3
Home/Away/Neutral: 4-0/0-0/1-3
Last: Fordham def. FIU, 7-2, March 4, 2018 (Orlando, Fla.)

All-Time vs. South Dakota: First-Ever Meeting
Home/Away/Neutral: First-Ever Meeting
Last: First-Ever Meeting

BROADCAST INFO (FIU GAMES ONLY)
Feb. 27 - FIU vs. Harvard - 12:30 p.m. 
Network: ESPN+
PBP: Corey Brooks
Analyst: Manny Navarro

Feb. 27 - FIU vs. Fordham - 5:30 p.m.
Network: ESPN+
PBP: Kenneth Bueno
Analyst: Alejandro Solana

Feb. 28 - FIU vs. South Dakota - 12:30 p.m.
PBP: Kenneth Bueno
Analyst: Lindsey Burroughs

Feb. 28 - FIU vs. TBD (Semifinals) - 3/5:30 p.m. 
No Streaming

March 1 - FIU vs. TBD (Championship/Consolation) - 11:30 a.m.
Network: ESPN+
PBP: Ethan Eibe
Analyst: Lindsey Burroughs

HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can follow along with all of the weekend's action on a variety of platforms. All games will have live stats, of which links can be found on the FIU tournament page here. Select games, of which are indicated on tournament page, will air on ESPN+. All FIU-specific action can be found at fiusports.com/SBStats & fiusports.com/WatchSB.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUSoftball), X (@FIUSoftball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSoftball) for all the latest FIU softball news.