FORT MYERS, Fla. – After opening Atlantic Sun play at North Florida this past weekend, the FGCU softball team (16-15, 1-2 Atlantic Sun) will host Towson University (9-5) in a doubleheader on Wednesday, Mar. 18 with first pitch slated for 4 p.m.

The doubleheader against Towson will be a National Fast Pitch Coaches Association StriKeOut Cancer PINKOUT game. The Eagles are encouraging all fans to wear pink and will be accepting donations for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Informational material will be available at the marketing table and FGCU will also be selling pink t-shirts for $10 with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles left Jacksonville with only one win over UNF. After the offense exploded for 12 runs in game one, the Green and Blue could only amass three runs in the last two games. In game one, junior Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley HS) earned the complete-game victory, allowing six hits, two runs with one walk and four strike outs. Freshman Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) went 1-for-3 with her lone hit being a grand slam in the third inning. Senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) added two RBI off of two hits while freshman Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) added a two-run triple.

Carpenter leads the Eagles' offensive effort as FGCU's everyday centerfielder bats .321 with 22 runs, 20 RBI and a pair of long balls through 31 games this season. Middlebrook and McGuire stay right behind Carpenter with 17 and 15 runs batted in, respectively. Freshman Kelsey Huff (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) leads the team in batting with a .357 average while scoring 21 runs and stealing 17 bases.

Dobson leads the Eagles' pitching staff with a 2.71 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 54.2 innings pitched. The junior is 7-3 on the season while throwing seven complete games.

SCOUTING TOWSON
The Tigers of Towson are 9-5 on the season, coming into Wednesday's contest after going 3-2 at the USF Tournament this past weekend. At the plate, Towson is led by Holiday Cahill who is hitting .444 and slugging .704 through 10 games. Brook Miko is the second threat in the Tigers' lineup with 13 RBI, 14 runs and six doubles while hitting .368. Missy McCormick has been the work horse in the circle, pitching 42 innings and compiling a 5-1 record with a 2.83 ERA.  Megan Dejter has also pitched 27 innings with a 2-3 record and an ERA of 4.15.

NEXT UP
The Eagles will host Northern Kentucky this Saturday, Mar. 21 and Sunday Mar. 22 for a trio of contest. The doubleheader on Saturday is slated for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. before the series finale on Sunday at noon.

For up-to-the minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.

The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 13th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to 11 seasons with a winning record, eight campaigns with 35+ wins and a win percentage of  .690 (505-226-3). The 2014 Eagles finished with a 33-26-1 and wins over SEC, Big 10, Big East, and ACC opponents.  FGCU finished their season with an RPI ranking in the top-100 for the 3rd consecutive season and the 5th time in their seven years at Division I. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.