FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team continues to bolster its power production and defensive core from the transfer portal, securing a commitment from Iowa Western Community College infielder Kennedy Borud, as announced on FGCU softball’s official social channels on July 17.

Bringing in infield strength is crucial for the Eagles following the graduation of veteran mainstays Tiffany Meek and Nikki Gibson this past season. The Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native arrives in Fort Myers as a rising sophomore with four seasons of eligibility remaining under the NCAA’s new age-based “5-in-5” framework following a record-setting freshman campaign in Council Bluffs.

Borud anchored a powerhouse Reivers squad that finished the 2026 season with a 50-8 overall record and a 14-2 mark in conference play, capturing the NJCAA Midwest District title and earning a national tournament berth as the No. 21-ranked team in the country.

The 5-foot-7 right-handed hitter etched her name into the Iowa Western record books, setting the single-season program record with a massive .983 slugging percentage. Her dominant production earned her ICCAC Division I Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Region honors.

In 55 games with 174 at-bats—the second-most on the team—Borud posted a .454 batting average with a .542 on-base percentage along with her record-breaking slugging percentage across 212 plate appearances. She led the squad with 90 RBIs and a team-high 24 home runs, while her 74 hits and 20 doubles both ranked second on the roster. In total, she compiled 44 extra-base hits, drew 33 walks, was hit by three pitches, and registered two sacrifice flies against just 20 strikeouts. Batted ball metrics further highlighted her discipline and contact quality, logging 21 groundouts and 50 flyouts for a 0.42 GO/FO ratio.

Defensively, the corner infielder provided elite stability across 55 games. Handling 279 total chances, Borud led the Reivers with a team-high 269 putouts alongside eight assists and just two errors for a sterling .993 fielding percentage. She also helped turn 15 double plays on the year, which ranked second on the squad.

Prior to her stint at Iowa Western, Borud was a decorated four-year varsity letter winner at Southeast Polk High School, where she also earned varsity letters in track and field, and volleyball. A two-time First Team All-State, two-time All-Conference, and 5A West All-District selection, she helped lead Southeast Polk to the 2025 Class 5A Region 6 District Championship.

She capped her prep career by participating in the IGCA Senior All-Star Game after hitting .431 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs as a senior, following a junior season where she hit .457 with a .586 on-base percentage and 45 RBIs. Borud also competed on the travel circuit with Iowa Gold.

Off the field, Borud is the daughter of Molly and Doug Borud and has one brother, Cade. Athletic achievement runs in the family: her father played hockey at Iowa State, while her brother plays football at the University of Iowa. She plans to major in Business at FGCU.