7 • Jennifer Owens Class: Junior Hometown: Miami, Fla. High School: Braddock Position: Third Base Height: 6-0 Bats/Throws: R /R

Coach Gwydir on Jennifer: “We’re expecting a big year out of Jennifer. She will definitely benefit from a deeper lineup this season. We were not as strong offensively last year, and she suffered because of that. Teams knew that if you could keep the ball away from Jennifer Owens, you could beat FIU. This year I think she has the potential to become a power hitter. We are also considering using her as a closer in the pitching rotation. She has really stepped into a leadership role, and I think that will translate into success for us this year.”

Holds the school career RBI record with 78…Ranks third with six career home runs, fifth with 134 career hits and second with three career triples…One of three two-sport student-athletes on the team…One of three team captains.

2002: Named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference for the second consecutive season…The only Golden Panther to start and play in all 73 contests…Played most of the year at first base after playing third base as a rookie…Led the team with 33 RBI and a .367 on-base percentage… Batted .263 (61-for-232) including six doubles, a triple and a home run… Finished fourth on the team with 20 runs scored…Struck out only 14 times in 232 at bats…Was the only Golden Panther to be intentionally walked all season…Had 16 games with two or more hits, including a 4-for-4 performance against New Mexico State (4/14).

2001: Named to second-team All-Southeast Region as a utility player…Voted Co-Freshman of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference and second-team all-league at third base…Finished in the top five of the conference in batting (.367), hits (73), RBI (45), total bases (102) and slugging percentage (.513)…Led the team with a .458 batting average with runners in scoring position and .733 with runners on third base and less than two out…Had four hits against Quinnipiac (3/17)…In two games vs. Florida A&M (2/12-13), smacked a home run, two triples and nine RBI while going six-for-seven at the plate…Had two or more hits in 21 games.

FIU Volleyball: Has lettered three years…As a junior, led the team with 1.05 blocks per game and ranked third with 2.90 kills per game…Posted a .252 hitting percentage, good enough for second best on the team…As a sophomore, played a key role in earning FIU’s first NCAA Tournament bid…Named to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament team…Led the team with 100 blocks…Averaged 2.95 kills per game and a .245 hitting percentage…As a freshman, finished first on the team with 18 block solos and third in kills, hitting percentage and block assists.

High School: Named the 2000 Miami Herald Female Athlete of the Year after an outstanding senior season at G. Holmes Braddock High …Picked up numerous high school awards, including 2000 NFCAA second-team high school All-America, 2000 6A Florida All-State first team and 2002 Delta Psi Kappa scholar award…Was a three-time scholar athlete in softball and volleyball.

Personal: Born Jennifer Ann Owens on Jan. 10, 1982, in Miami…One of three children of Henry and Herminia Owens…Has a brother, Henry, Jr., and a sister, Christina…Her uncle, Juan Bustabad currently works on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ coaching staff and was the No. 1 pick in the 1980 Major League Baseball draft, taken by the Boston Red Sox…Majoring in elementary education.