FEB. 20, 22, 2015 | Noon, 6:30 PM, 11 AM, 2:30 PM | Swanson Stadium | Tickets
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GAME 1 – Friday Feb. 20 – Noon - Live Stats
FGCU | Mike Murray: 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
FOR | Brett Kennedy: 0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

GAME 2 – Friday Feb. 20 – 6:30 PM - Live Stats
FGCU | Josh Dye: First Career Start
ILL | Drasen Johnson: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO

GAME 3 – Sunday Feb. 22 - 11 AM - Live Stats
FGCU | TBA
FOR | Joseph Serrapica: 0-0, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

GAME 4 – Sunday Feb. 22 – 2:30 PM - Live Stats
FGCU | TBA
ILL | Rob McDonnell: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (1-3) welcomes Fordham (1-2) and Illinois (4-0) for a pair of split doubleheaders Feb. 20 and 22. The Eagles will play Fordham at noon on the 20th and 11 a.m. on the 22nd. Illinois will square off with the Eagles at 6:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. on the 20th and 22nd, respectively.

SCOUTING FORDHAM
The Rams posted a 24-30 overall record last season and went 13-14 in the Atlantic 10. Brett Kennedy, who will start opposite Mike Murray (West Palm Beach, Fla./Forrest Hill HS), was the Rams' top pitcher a season ago, leading the Rams in starts (14), complete games (2), wins (6), ERA (3.36), innings (88.1) and strikeouts (75). Fordham lost its opener to Georgia State before splitting a doubleheader with Georgia Tech. Kennedy took the loss to Georgia State while Sunday's starter Joseph Serrapica would take a no-decision against Georgia Tech. Offensively the Rams were paced to open the season by Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Luke Stampfl who went 4-12 with two doubles, a homerun and seven RBI.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini rolled to a 32-21 record in 2014 with a 17-7 mark in the B1G but would miss out on a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They are currently ranked No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, finished 2014 with the No. 56 RPI and swept the Green and Blue in a two-game set in Gainesville, Fla. last year. Illinois began the season with a pair of two-game sets opposite New Mexico State and Lamar. Drasen Johnson, who will start opposite FGCU freshman Josh Dye (Deland, Fla./Deland HS) on Friday night, went 6.2 innings last Friday, striking out five and only giving up two hits to earn the victory. Rob McDowell, who will be starting against the Eagles on Sunday, struck out 10 over seven innings of work in his first start but would take a no-decision.

RANKED OPPONENTS
The Eagles are 11-30 all-time opposite ranked competition and went 1-5 last season. In 2013 the Eagles went 3-2. Illinois is one of eight programs on the FGCU schedule that is either ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. Those eight opponents account for 21 games on the 2015 schedule.

LAST TIME OUT
FGCU was not able to climb out an early hole against Central Michigan (3-1) on Sunday in the series finale, allowing the Chippewas to leave Swason Stadium with a 5-2 victory to secure the series.

FGCU sent freshman Parker Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) to the mound to make his Green and Blue debut on Sunday morning and he would work through 2.0 innings, giving up three hits and two runs while walking one and striking out one. The Eagles were never able to erase the early deficit which would result in Hamilton's first loss. Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carrol HS) worked 3.0 innings of relief and would allow one run while striking out four. Jack English (Delray Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman) handled the final four innings and at one point retired nine-straight CMU hitters before allowing a pair of unearned runs in the ninth.

Freshman second baseman Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) put together the best game of his young career at the plate, going 3-3 with a walk. He would also register a team-high six assists in the field. Reardon closed the weekend having gone 5-16 at the plate which measures out to a .313 batting average. His five hits were more than any other FGCU player opposite CMU.

HEAD COACH MATCHUP
About to start his 13th season of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 435-241-2 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He will match up with Fordham's Kevin Leighton who is in his 4th season with the Rams well and is 69-99 in the span. Tollett will also square off with Illinois' Dan Hartleb who is in his 10th season and is sporting a 276-220 record.

FGCU BY THE NUMBERS
2014 Home Record: 22-11
2014 Night Games: 17-11
2014 Day Games: 22-11
2014 Vs. Left Handed Starter: 12-4
2014 Vs. Right Handed Starter: 27-18

A-SUN PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Kennesaw State (6) – 61
2. FGCU (1) – 55
3. Lipscomb (1) – 48
4. North Florida – 38
5. Jacksonville – 31
6. Stetson – 29
7. USC Upstate – 14
8. Northern Kentucky – 12

2015 SCHEDULE
The 2015 FGCU baseball schedule will feature six teams that participated in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Tournament, three conference tournament champions and one NCAA Super Regional participant. The Eagles will play 16 of their first 18 games on campus and a total of 37 at home this season highlighted by the first-ever appearance by in-state rival Miami at Swanson Stadium Mar. 10.

The six NCAA Tournament participants are MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman, No. 11 Florida State, defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and NCAA Super Regional participant No. 27 Kennesaw State, No. 14 Miami, No. 38 Nebraska and MAAC Champion Siena. A total of 15 games are scheduled against those six programs with 10 taking place on the road.

NEXT UP
The first road trip of the season will be a brief one as the Eagles will head north for a Feb. 24 date with USF in the first of two midweek tilts with the Bulls this season. The second will take place at Swanson Stadium Mar. 24. FGCU split the two-game series with USF last season and are 7-3 all-time against the Bulls. USF posted a 27-31 record in 2014 and a 10-14 mark in the American Athletic Conference.

The Eagles will return from Tampa and the next day will take on Siena for the first time in program history. The Saints are the defending MAAC Champions and advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament after collecting a 27-33 overall record and a 17-7 mark in conference play. They would finish the 2014 campaign with an RPI of 182.

ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Eagles will once again host the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament at Swanson Stadium this season. The event is set to take place May 20-24 and the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship and compete in a double-elimination style tournament to determine the A-Sun's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are four-time A-Sun Regular Season Champions with the most recent title coming in 2014.

2014-15 RECRUITING CLASS
FGCU baseball's 2014-15 recruiting class has been tabbed by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the same publication that named second baseman Jake Noll the National Freshman Player of the Year in 2014 and FGCU alum Chris Sale the 2010 National Player of the Year, as the No. 38 class in the nation. The Eagles outclassed well-known national powers such as California, Texas A&M, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Baylor as well as defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and 2014 NCAA Super Regional participant Kennesaw State.

#DRAFTCITY
The Eagles would have a total of three players taken in the 2014 MLB draft, Junior outfielder Michael Suchy (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS), Junior third-baseman/pitcher Zack Tillery (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Redshirt-Junior, left-handed reliever Ryan Atwood (Austin, Texas/Westwood HS/Navarro College). The Eagles have now produced 22 draft picks in their history with the most notable being 2014 AL Cy Young Award Finalist and three-time All-Star Chris Sale who was chosen in the first round, 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2010. Suchy became the second-highest FGCU player ever taken when he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round in last June's draft and is one of just seven players in FGCU history to be chosen in the top ten rounds. The Eagles would have a program record seven players selected during the 2013 draft. Freshman left-hander Devin Smeltzer is the lone FGCU player on the roster this season who has been drafted previously. He was selected in the 33rd round of the 2014 draft by the San Diego Padres but instead opted to attend FGCU.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 12 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 435-241-2 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He is a four-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four A-Sun Regular Season Championships. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets and has coached 35 All-Conference selections, 22 draft picks, 14 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, three All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.

#WINGSUP
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can't be offered anywhere else.

FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the baseball team on Twitter @FGCU_Baseball, Instagram @FGCU_Baseball or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.