A Meaningful Return Is Fueling Momentum for FIU Softball in 2026
As Florida International (FIU) gears up for the 2026 season, the program welcomes back a familiar face to the clubhouse.
Head Coach Mike Larabee enters his fifth year in charge of the Panthers, and it is sure to be a special one.
In 2025, Larabee was diagnosed with a rare cancer called myelofibrosis, a medical condition impacting one's blood and bone marrow. He missed a majority of last year receiving treatment and tending to the illness. Although Larabee will be back on the field, the road to recovery remains a work in process with medication and bi-weekly blood tests.
“My bloodwork has been good,” said Larabee, telling Walter Villa in a Miami Herald article. “I’ve lost some weight and some strength, and there are things I have to modify.”
Associate head coach Mike Meyers fulfilled the interim head coaching role last season, proving to be beneficial ahead of the 2026 schedule. Having coached with Larabee for 14 years prior, he stepped up big time for the Panthers and continues to handle most of the on-field practice responsibilities, alongside assistant Danielle Cassara.
Despite Larabee's physical limitations, he is able to be more present in other ways.
“It gives me a better chance to sit and watch our hitters,” Larabee said. “I can do a better job evaluating."
Not only do the Panthers have their manager back, but they are riding momentum from their first winning season since 2019, just shy of 30 victories (29-22-1).
show ‘em how to ball 💪 pic.twitter.com/nMy1bLn9JQ
— FIU Softball (@FIUSoftball) January 27, 2026
As a team in 2025, FIU batted .279, with 40 doubles, five triples, and 18 home runs. The Panthers led Conference USA (CUSA) in stolen bases with 121 in 139 attempts and were second in fielding percentage at .974. They also had the least amount of strikeouts and errors across the league.
Heading into 2026, FIU was picked to finish seventh in the CUSA Softball Preseason Poll with two standouts named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Centerfielder Kally Meredith and corner infielder Paige Miller carried the Panthers' offense last season and are expected to do the same in their junior campaigns.
A Second Team All-CUSA honoree, Meredith's 40 stolen bases placed her seventh in the nation at the end of the year. She lined the CUSA leaderboards in six different categories including average (.352), runs scored (38), hits (63), at-bats (179), bunts (7), and steals.
2026 season prep is UP and RUNNING 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IuS1abiej5
— FIU Softball (@FIUSoftball) January 8, 2026
In the circle, right-handed pitcher Kennedy Byrd returns for her senior season upon serving as the Panthers' primary workhorse with 31 appearances, 23 starts and 161.2 innings pitched. Her 11 complete games were highlighted by a no-hitter against Kennesaw State on March 16.
Complimenting Byrd's abilities and adding to FIU's eight pitchers on staff is Indiana River State transfer and member of the Netherlands Women's National Team J'dah Girigorie.
With the return of Larabee, and a roster bolstered by depth and new faces, the Panthers are ready to roll in 2026. They will host Texas A&M Corpus Christi in back-to-back games of the Felsberg Invitational from Feb. 5-8, followed by Louisville, Stony Brook, and Lehigh.
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Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
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