Hilltoppers Continue Road Trip Week Against FIU

BOWLING GREEN Ky. -- Coming off their fourth win against Louisville in program history, WKU Softball will travel to the Sunshine State to take on FIU in the penultimate Conference USA series of the 2025 season.

GAME INFO

Friday, April 25

vs. FIU (5 p.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

Saturday, April 26

vs. FIU (5 p.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

Sunday, April 27

vs. FIU (10 a.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

SERIES INFO

FIU
- FIU is one of two Conference USA programs that has played Western Kentucky in every year of WKU's program history. Prior to 2013, MTSU, FIU, and WKU were members of the Sun Belt Conference.
- Against the Panthers, the Hilltoppers are 42-36 all-time with a 21-18 record when playing in Miami.
- WKU is currently 25-19 overall and 10-10 in CUSA while FIU is 29-17 overall and 11-10 in CUSA.
- The series against FIU is the final road series for WKU in 2025.

ABOUT THE TOPS

The Hilltoppers beat the Louisville Cardinals for just the fourth time in program history on Tuesday. The win was also the first for Head Coach Amy Tudor.
Prior to Tuesday's game, WKU had not won against Louisville since March 16, 2007. The win was also WKU's first shutout against Louisville. The win marks the second-straight season WKU has defeated a Power Four team.
In the win against Louisville, Erica Houge threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout, needing only 79 pitches to accomplish the feat. The only pitcher to beat that mark this season is Rylan Smith with 73 pitches in the shutout against EIU on February 14.
Houge also did not allow a hit better than a single, and the defense and Houge both prevented the Cardinals from progressing past second base.
Houge's 11.3 pitch-per-inning rate against Louisville is the most efficient game the Hilltoppers have had this season.
The Tops are currently sitting sixth in the Conference USA standings with a 10-10 conference record.
Offensively, WKU is sitting seventh in the conference in batting average (.273) and is fourth in ERA (3.47).
Against Louisville, Morgan Sharpe was the most productive, going 3-for-4 and scoring one run. The two RBI in the game belonged to Macy Gregor and Annie White.
Kennedy Stinson extended her hitting streak to nine games with a single against Louisville. Against NMSU she was 4-for-9 (.444) with four hits. Two of those hits were home runs, including her first career grand slam on Friday.
Kennedy Stinson has also been on a tear for the Hilltoppers. In the past eight games, she's going 13-for-25 for a .520 batting average with five extra-base hits including three home runs. She's also racked up 11 RBI in the same time frame.
Three Hilltoppers are currently in the Top 50 in batting average across the conference, Maci Masters (29th, .320), Annie White (39th, .298), and Kennedy Stinson (.288).
Morgan Sharpe took the lead as the top hit-getter for WKU, after her three hits against Louisville, she sits on top with 42 hits on the season. Maci Masters leads in RBI with 41.
In the CUSA rankings, Masters is tied for third in home runs (14), tied for fifth in RBI (41), fifth in slugging percentage (.712), and fifth in OPS (1.150).
Maci Masters leads the Hilltoppers in multi-hit games with 11, her most recent multi-hit game coming on Game One against MTSU on April 11 with two hits.
Randi Drinnon continues to hold the lead in CUSA in sacrifice bunts with eight.
In the bullpen, for pitchers with at least ten appearances, Maddy Wood leads with a 3.29 ERA.
Rylan Smith leads CUSA in batters struck out looking with 37 and is fifth in the conference in opposing batting average (.229).
Rylan Smith is currently third in CUSA in strikeouts with 105.
Smith leads the bullpen in strikeouts with 105, while Houge has 48 and Wood with 35. Smith also posted a career-high 12 strikeouts in the Saturday game against MTSU.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS

Posting an 11-10 record in Conference USA play, FIU is coming off a three-game sweep by UTEP. Prior to the series they were second but are now only a game ahead of the Hilltoppers.
FIU's season features walk-off wins over Indiana and Iowa State earlier this season.
Paige Miller leads the Panthers at the plate with a .387 batting average and is also ranked fourth in CUSA in the same category. She's accumulated 46 hits on the year in 119 at-bats. She currently has a .464 OPS and is on a two-game hitting streak.
Joining Miller in the Top 10 in batting average in the CUSA is Kally Meredith, ranked 10th with a .364 batting average.
Leading FIU in home runs is Kennedy Byrd with eight home runs on the year. She currently has a .283 batting average and a .557 slugging percentage. She hit two home runs in the series against UTEP. A two-way player for the Panthers, Byrd possesses a 4.22 ERA, leading in appearances with 27.
Byrd leads FIU's bullpen in strikeouts with 64 and has the second-best opposing batting average at .287. She's also given up a total of 161 hits and 21 home runs.
While Byrd may lead in strikeouts, Brooke McNichols leads the pitching staff in ERA with a 2.85 in 61.1 innings pitched.
FIU has a total of three players in the Top 5 of stolen bases in CUSA, Kally Meredith is second with 38, Paige Miller second with 18, and Collier Peaden with 17.

Players Mentioned

Randi Drinnon

Macy Gregor

Erica Houge

Maci Masters

Morgan Sharpe

Rylan Smith

Kennedy Stinson

Annie White

Maddy Wood

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