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Lady Vol freshman Stacey Jennings was named the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week for the week spanning Feb. 17-23. Jennings, a pitcher/outfielder from Aurora, Colo., helped Tennessee to a 6-1 record over the past week and its first tournament title since the 2001 campaign with a 4-1 showing at the UNLV Tournament. No player in the eight-year existence of UT's program had ever been recognized. (UT photo)

he Florida International softball team hosts the Coca-Cola Golden Panthers Invitational this weekend at Golden Panther Stadium on the University Park campus in Miami.

Host Florida International, Buffalo, Florida A&M, Furman and Tennessee will compete in this round-robin tournament with seeded games and the championship scheduled for Sunday.

The Golden Panthers are coming off a third-place finish at last weekend's Worth Invitational in Boca Raton. FIU banged out a season-high 11 hits and its seven runs scored last Sunday against Long Island University tied a season high previously set against Illinois State back in the fourth game of the season. Not only did the Golden Panthers hit the ball well against LIU, but they also established a new school record with seven stolen bases against the Blackbirds.

FIU's Stephanie Wolter was named the Feb. 25 Sun Belt Conference hitter of the week after the senior shortstop batted .438 with two RBI. At the Worth Invitational, Wolter tied a school mark with six consecutive base hits, including the only three Golden Panther safeties in a 3-0 loss against No. 1-ranked UCLA last Saturday night.

This weekend marks the season opener for the University of Buffalo softball team. Following their stay in Miami, the Bulls journey to Honolulu, Hawaii for next weekend's Malihini Invitational, then play in the San Jose (Calif.) State Invitational, Feb. 14-15, before opening up their Mid-American Conference schedule, Feb. 22 at Marshall.

UB, which finished the 2002 campaign 13-25, is led by junior Breanne Nasti who was an All-Mideast Region First Team selection of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Nasti was one of three outfielders named to the 12-player first team after setting a UB and a Mid-American Conference record with a .451 batting average. She finished her sophomore campaign with 51 hits, nine doubles, four triples, seven home runs, a .788 slugging percentage, 26 runs scored and 25 runs batted in. She had a team-high 18 multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games during the year, and she ended the year hitting safely in 16 of her last 17 games, hitting .500 during that stretch (29-for-58) and stringing together a 14-game hitting streak from April 14 to May 1.

Florida A&M hopes to take the next step in 2003. After reaching the finals in the MEAC, Lady Rattlers are eager to make another run at the seventh MEAC title, led by 12 returnees. So far, FAMU sports a 5-10 record.

Freshman right-hander Danielle Brown is the top Lady Rattler hurler with a 4-4 season record and a 2.50 ERA. She already has a pair of complete game shutouts against Mercer and Savannah State. Ruby Nugent and Eri Williams are the top two offensive threats for FAMU. Nugent is hitting .317 with a home run and nine RBI while Williams leads the team with 11 runs scored and 11-for-12 in stolen base attempts to go along with a .295 batting average.

The Furman softball team was picked to finish second in the upcoming 2003 Southern Conference race by the league's coaches. Defending champion Chattanooga was tabbed as preseason favorites to repeat as champions. The Lady Paladins, 24-24 overall and 11-10 in the Southern Conference a year ago, reached the championship game of the 2002 Southern Conference tournament after falling into the losers bracket. Chattanooga eliminated Furman in the title game 9-0.

Lady Paladins' pitcher Rachel Henley, outfielder LaKerah Barr and utility player Meagen Johnson were preseason first-team all-conference selections. Henley posted a 14-11 record an 2.38 ERA last season in 147.0 innings of work. Barr, who started the season at third base before moving to center field, batted .336 with two home runs and 14 RBI. Johnson, who plays first base when not on the mound, batted .284 and clubbed three homers in only 67 at bats as a freshman. She recorded a 7-9 record and 3.59 ERA as a pitchers.

After the first four games of the season, Furman is 2-2 with a doubleheader sweep over Gardner-Webb, then being swept in a doubleheader by Georgia Tech.

Tennessee (10-5) comes in as the team to beat this weekend, after winning the UNLV Mini Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Lady Volunteers have been powered by a trio of freshmen hitting above .400 on the campaign, Katherine Card, Kristi Durant and Stacey Jennings. Now at .438 and boasting a seven-game hitting streak, Card took home the Most Valuable Player honors in Las Vegas after batting .688 (11-for-16) with six runs batted in and three homers. She also threw out a pair of runners from center field and turned a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in a 3-2 edging of UL-Monroe. Catcher/third baseman Durant earned all-tourney honors for the second time this spring with a .471 (8-for-17) effort at UNLV and rates second in the Southeastern Conference with a .465 clip. She leads the league with a .540 on-base percentage and has hit safely in 14 of her squad's 15 games.

In addition to her second all-tournament honor, Jennings became the first Lady Vol to be chosen as the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week by leading the Orange to six wins in seven outings last week. She hit a sizzling .500 (9-for-18) in that stretch, with eight RBI, three homers and two doubles and was 3-1 with a scant 0.28 earned run average and two shutouts. The righty crafted the first perfect game in school history with a 3-0 gem against the home-standing Rebels, cranked a three-run dinger and picked up the victory in a 3-2 conquest of the Lady Indians and notched the save in the championship-clinching 4-2 win over Syracuse. On the year, Jennings is batting .406 and is second in the league with an eye-popping .781 slugging percentage. The hurler is 6-3 in the circle with a 1.72 ERA and has struck out 35 batters in 53 innings.

Directions to FIU University Park

From Miami International Airport
Take State Road No. 836 West (Dolphin Expressway) to Northwest 107 Avenue/South exit. Proceed south on 107 Avenue to Southwest Eighth Street (SR 41/Tamiami Trail). Turn right on Eighth Street, two traffic lights to Southwest 112 Avenue. Turn left onto campus.

From I-95
Traveling north or south on I-95, exit at State Road 836 West (Dolphin Expressway) to Northwest 107 Avenue/South exit. Proceed south on 107 Avenue to Southwest Eighth Street (SR 41/Tamiami Trail). Turn right on Eighth Street, two traffic lights to Southwest 112 Avenue. Turn left onto campus.

From the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826)
Traveling north or south on the Palmetto Expressway, exit westbound on Southwest Eighth Street (SR 41/Tamiami Trail). Proceed to Southwest 112 Avenue. Turn left onto campus.

From Florida Turnpike
Exit at Southwest Eighth Street (No. 25/Tamiami Trail). Turn right on Eighth Street (SR 41/Tamiami Trail). Proceed to Southwest 112 Avenue. Turn right onto campus.

Ticket Information

The FIU Athletic Ticket Office is located on the first floor southeast side of Golden Panther Arena on the University Park Campus and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Telephone: (866) FIU-GAME or (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade County.

Day Pass: $3.00/General Admission | $2.00/FIU Faculty, Staff, Youth and Senior Citizens
FIU Students admitted free with a valid ID card

Coca-Cola Golden Panther Invitational Bracket