FIU’s softball team is preparing to host the Panther Invitational this weekend in Miami, with Florida A&M, Eastern Illinois, and Incarnate Word set to compete. The Panthers enter the tournament with a 9-2 record, marking their best start through 11 games since 2001. That year, FIU recorded 44 wins, the second-highest total in program history.
The team has performed well against strong competition this season, including sweeps of ACC opponents Louisville and Georgia Tech. FIU holds a 4-1 record against teams from Power Four conferences.
FIU has been recognized as one of the top mid-major programs nationally, ranking 11th in D1Softball’s latest Top 25 mid-major poll. Kally Meredith, who was named to the All-CUSA Second Team in 2025 and is a preseason selection for 2026, leads Conference USA with 18 hits and has scored 15 runs so far this season—second-most in CUSA. Kennedy Byrd has contributed six doubles (second-most in CUSA), while newcomer Leah Clark leads the team with 11 RBIs and four stolen bases.
Pitching depth has also played a role in FIU’s early success. Four different pitchers have earned at least one win each. Brooke McNichols leads with a 1.08 ERA over two starts, allowing just two earned runs across 13 innings pitched. J’Dah Girigorie is tied for the national lead with three saves and has struck out 17 batters over 19 innings. Byrd holds a perfect record at 4-0 this season with a 3.28 ERA.
The Panther Invitational is FIU’s second home tournament of February and will be held at Baptist Health Stadium from Friday through Sunday. The event features round robin play on Friday and Saturday followed by semifinals later on Saturday and championship/consolation games on Sunday.
In historical matchups, FIU leads Florida A&M by a margin of 13-4 all-time; their last meeting was a Panthers victory (3-0) on March 20, 2017. Against Eastern Illinois, FIU holds an undefeated record (3-0), most recently winning on February 28, 2025 (6-0). This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between FIU and Incarnate Word.
Select games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, including both matchups on February 20 (vs Florida A&M at noon and vs Eastern Illinois at five-thirty p.m.) as well as Sunday’s championship or consolation game at eleven-thirty a.m., according to information available on FIU’s official athletics website. Live statistics will be accessible for all games via links provided on the tournament page.
Fans can follow updates about the team through its social media channels: Instagram (@FIUSoftball), X (@FIUSoftball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSoftball).
