FORT MYERS, Fla. – Continuing its 19-game home stand to open the 2016 season, the FGCU softball team welcomes five teams for the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Invitational. Play begins at the FGCU Softball Complex Friday at 9 a.m. and concludes Sunday with a 1:30 contest. In addition to FGCU, the following schools will make the trip to Southwest Florida for the second weekend of the 2016 season: Hofstra, Saint Louis, Southern Illinois, LIU-Brooklyn, Marshall.

Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Season tickets meanwhile are $39 for adults and $29 for youth. For those interested in purchasing single-game or season tickets, contact the FGCU ticket office at 239-590-7145 or visit FGCUTickets.com.

The Eagles begin the weekend against the 2015 Colonial champions Hofstra along with Saint Louis. Saturday pits the Eagles against the Salukis of Southern Illinois and the Green and Blue wrap up the weekend against LIU-Brooklyn Sunday.

Friday's action begins at 9 a.m. with LIU facing Southern Illinois. The first pitch of the Eagles contest against the Pride of Hofstra is scheduled for 6 p.m. with FGCU and Saint Louis following shortly after the conclusion of the prior game. Saturday's games will begin at 10 a.m. with FGCU and Southern Illinois meeting at 12:15. Sunday features Saint Louis facing Marshall at 9 a.m. to begin the day and FGCU meeting LIU to conclude the tournament.

THE GREEN AND BLUE
The Eagles began 2016 1-4 following the FGCU Kickoff Classic Sponsored by Four Points by Sheraton. The Eagles dropped games to Middle Tennessee State, Michigan State, Memphis and Kent State. In the win for FGCU over UIC, the Green and Blue came from behind twice plating a pair of runs in the both the fifth and sixth innings to defeat the Flames.

Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) tallied a pair of extra base hits to lead FGCU with a .467 average. Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) and Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) each drove in two runs over the five-game weekend. In addition to the trio, Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) and Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) finished the weekend with better than .300 averages from the plate. The speedster Huff continued where she left off in 2015, swiping three bases.

In the circle, the Eagle pitchers finished with a combined 2.40 ERA. Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) earned the lone win for FGCU, pitching four innings with two strikeouts. Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) was impressive in her first action as an Eagle, holding opponents to just one earned run over 10 innings. Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Tallahassee Community College/Kankakee Valley HS) was hit with a loss despite conceding three earned runs over 10.2 innings.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE
After finishing the 2015 season 38-14-1, Hofstra returns 13 players and eight starters from its 2015 CAA Championship team.  Despite returning nearly its entire lineup, Hofstra was selected to finished second in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Hofstra enters the weekend 3-2 with the hopes of reaching the 30-win mark for the seventh consecutive season after taking down Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Wright State and Tulsa. Brittany Allocca has started 2016 with a hot bat, hitting .467 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Christie Sinacori has made the most of her three starts, recording a .429 average from the plate.

In the circle, Jessica Peslak finished the opening weekend of action 2-1 with a 1.94 ERA. Peslak fanned eight batters but also walked 11. Madison Grimm started alongside Peslak, going 1-1. Grimm struggled with her command, walking 11 with only one strikeout.

The Eagles and Pride have meet three times prior to Friday with Hostra claiming two wins. In 2008, Hofstra defeated FGCU 8-5 and won 6-2 in 2014. The Eagles lone win came in 2009, a 3-2 win in Clearwater.

SCOUTING THE BILLIKENS
Saint Louis had a record-setting 2015, finishing with 36 wins. The Billikens finished second in the A-10 with a program-record 18 wins and return 16 players, including eight starters and every pitcher from 2015. Saint Louis is projected to again finish second the the conference behind defending-champions Fordham. This season, the Billikens are off to a 3-2 start following wins over Northern Iowa, Western Illinois and South Dakota State. Mackenzie Peter returned to the field after missing the second half of 2015 by hitting three doubles and recording a team-best .389 average. Allie Macfarlane tallied six RBIs for the Billikens to lead the team. Providing the power for Saint Louis over the opening weekend was Briana Lore, who hit three while starting as both a pitcher and designated player.

As a pitcher, Lore collected a win and a loss, allowing 11 earned runs over 14.2 innings of work. Maddie Baalman posted two wins, striking out 11 batters through 14. 2 innings.

The Eagles are winless after two meetings with the Billikens. Saint Louis made the trip to Fort Myers in both 2011 and 2012, defeating FGCU 2-0 and 5-3, respectively.

SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
The Salukis finished 21-26-1 last season while finishing in the top half of the Missouri Valley for the 16th straight season, ending the year in fifth. Picked to finished sixth this season, SIU has started the new seasons 3-2 behind a pair of young pitchers. SIU has early wins over UT-Martin, Mississippi Valley State and Buffalo. Savanna Dover is the lone returner for the Salukis, tossing 17 innings while earning a victory. Brianna Jones has a pair of shutout victories under her belt, conceding just two unearned runs in her first three collegiate games.

At the plate, Hanna Porter, Shaye Harre and Savannah Fisher have driven in three runs while the Salukis as a team boast four batters hitting above .400 after the opening weekend of play. Led by Porter's .667 average, SIU relied on Jessica Hesse, Sydney Jones and Jessa Thomas to pave the way in the first five games.

The Eagles and Salukis will meet for the third time on Saturday after splitting the previous contests. SIU claimed the first 7-1 in 2011 and FGCU shutout the Salukis 6-0 in 2013.

SCOUTING THE BLACKBIRDS
Long Island got off to its best start in nearly 20 years after defeating Illinois, St. John's and Valparaiso at the FIU Invitational. Currently at 3-2 with losses to the hosts and No. 10 Florida State, the Northeast Conference favorites bring a wealth of talent to Fort Myers. Offensively, the Blackbirds have a pair of batters with a .500 average and two more hitting at a .333 clip or better. Whitney West and Kayla Gloady have set the tone for LIU, each hitting .500 through five games. With a balanced lineup, the Blackbirds have eight players with an RBI already this season.

In the circle, LIU leans on Erynn Sobieski and Tallie Woodson. Sobieski carries a 3.07 ERA into the weekend along with her 1-1 record while Woodson earned a pair of victories despite an inflated ERA.

FGCU baserunners will have to be aware of Victoria Zamora behind the plate. The sophomore has thrown out five would-be base stealers already this season.
Sunday will be the ninth meeting between the Eagles and Blackbirds. FGCU has won four consecutive games against LIU dating back to 2011, including a 7-1 victory last season.

UP NEXT
The Green and Blue continue their home stand with the Battle at the Beach Sponsored by Four Points by Sheraton. The Eagles welcome Oakland and Sacred Heart to Southwest Florida beginning Thurs., Feb. 25.

FOLLOW ALONG
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.
 
COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 14th 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 .674 (513-246-3). The 2015 Eagles finished with a 23-30 record and wins over Atlantic 10, Southland, AAC and ACC opponents. 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.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
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.