FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off a dramatic 7-6 loss to Michigan State, the FGCU baseball team (4-8) will look to rebound as they host Quinnipiac (4-4) for the first time in program history during a four-game series at Swanson Stadium this weekend. The series opener will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by games two and three scheduled as a double header at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and the series finale at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
 
Right hander Sterling Koerner (0-2, 6.23) is scheduled to be FGCU's game one starter and will be opposed by Quinnipiac junior Thomas Jankins (1-1, 4.50). Redshirt senior Brady Anderson (0-3, 2.41) will then take the mound in the first of two game scheduled for Saturday opposite right hander Robbie Hitt (0-1, 12.38). The Eagles game three starter is to be determined while the Bobcats will throw southpaw Justin Thomas (1-0, 2.08). Then, to cap off the weekend, Mario Leon (0-1, 3.77) will toe the rubber for FGCU and Quinnipiac will send sophomore Taylore Luciani (2-0, 2.77) to the mound.
 
"We're excited to have a full weekend of baseball in front of us at our own Swanson Stadium," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "These four games are big for us to get back on track, and we're looking forward to the opportunity to do it in front of our home fans."
 
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Quinnipiac is off to a 4-4 start the season after a pair of four-game sets against Appalachian State and Virginia Tech. The Bobcats won three of four against the Mountaineers to start the season before dropping the first three and claiming the series final by a 4-2 margin against the Hokies last weekend.
 
Offensively, Quinnipiac is led by catcher Louis Iannotti, who leads the team with a .367 average to go along with 11 hits and seven RBI. Additionally, the Bobcats present a threat on the base paths with 15 stolen bases through eight games this season.
 
From a pitching standpoint, Thomas and Luciani lead the way among Quinnipiac starters with three wins between them and sub-3.00 ERAs. Out of the bullpen, Matthew Osieja and Alex Vargas have earned a combined three saves and are yet to allow a run this season.
 
In 2015, Quinnipiac posted a 29-27 overall record and went 15-9 in league play to finish third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, their best finish since joining the MAAC in 2013. The Bobcats faced a couple of familiar opponents in Lipscomb and UMass and also played a pair against the then-defending national champion Vanderbilt Commodores. As the No. 3 seed in the MAAC Tournament, Quinnipiac won its first two games against Marist and Canisius to advance to the semifinals. Then, after a loss to Siena forced an elimination game rematch against Canisius, the Bobcats' season ended in a 12-2 defeat to the Golden Griffins.
 
THE MATCHUP
In his 14th season of work at FGCU, Tollett has compiled a 467-271-3 all-time record as the only head coach in program history. Additionally, he is a four-time A-Sun Coach of the Year and has guided the Eagles to four A-Sun Regular Season Championships. This weekend, Tollett will be opposed by Quinnipiac head coach John Delaney, who's in his second season with the Bobcats. In his first season in Hamden, Conn., Delaney tied the program record for wins in a single season with 29.
 
LAST TIME OUT
After being held hitless in the first six innings, FGCU exploded for six runs in a wild seventh inning but couldn't hold on as they ultimately dropped a 7-6 decision to Michigan State Wednesday afternoon at the North Charlotte Regional Park.

The Eagles jumped ahead of the Spartans, 6-2, after sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs in the top of the seventh inning. However, Michigan State responded with a five-run bottom of the eighth to reclaim the lead, 7-6, and hold on for the win.

FGCU freshman Ryan Lang (2-1, 6.04) suffered his first loss of the season in his second midweek start after allowing seven runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts in a career high 7.1 innings pitched. Opposite the Eagle right hander, Alex Troop (3-0, 1.64) earned the win after coming out of the bullpen for the Spartans while southpaw Joe Mockbee recorded his third save of the season.
 
After Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) and Tyler Atwell (Venice, Fla./Tallahassee CC) reached on a hit by pitch and walk to start the seventh inning, Brady Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line and reached as MSU pitcher Dakota Meekes' throw pulled first baseman Justin Hovis off the bag. Then, with the bases loaded and nobody out, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) hit a RBI single off the pitcher's glove to score Selesky and register FGCU's first hit of the game. Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) stepped to the plate in a similar situation and hit into what appeared to be a 6-4-3 double play, but an errant throw from shortstop Royce Ando allowed Atwell and Anderson to score and gave FGCU the 3-2 lead. A trio of RBI singles from Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS), Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) and Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) kept the momentum going and pushed the Eagles ahead, 6-2.

An inning later, Lang (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS), who had allowed only two runs on six hits and was coming off a perfect frame in the seventh inning, ran into some trouble in the eighth. He allowed the first three Spartan hitters to reach on singles and a run to score before forcing Marty Bechina to fly out to left field. Then, a two-RBI single from Jordan Zimmerman brought MSU to within one run and Lang was later relieved by Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) with one out and runners on first and second. Anderson recorded a big second out and kept the Spartan runners put as Troop flied out to center field, but a pair of two-out RBI singles from Ando and Dan Durkin allowed MSU to reclaim the lead. Brandon Hughes, who reached on a controversial judgment call at first base earlier in the inning, scored the go-ahead run for the Spartans.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) was named the A-Sun Player of the Week (Feb. 29) after going 8-for-16 from the plate with five RBI, four runs scored, two doubles and two walks. He registered a hit in seven straight games to start the season and turned in multiple hits in three of four games during the week prior to earing the award.
 
In a midweek matchup with 2015 NCAA Tournament team and in-state rival USF, Bottomley went 3-for-6 with a run scored and matched a career high with four RBI in the 13-6 win. The Parkland native also drove in four runs in each of the last two seasons in games at Stetson on Mar. 29, 2014, and versus Fordham on Feb. 22, 2015.

Then, in the weekend series against Illinois, Bottomley stayed hot from the plate as he went 5-for-10 with three runs scored, two doubles, two walks and one RBI. He recorded multiple hits in each of the last two games of the series and scored the tying run before FGCU eventually claimed the lead in the sixth inning of the series finale.
 
CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Since joining the A-Sun and Division I ranks in 2008, FGCU has not only won more regular season conference championships (four) than any other conference opponent, but has also won at least 20 more overall and league games than any other member of the A-Sun during that time frame.
 

No.	School	Overall	A-Sun
1.	FGCU (2008-present)	275-188-1	153-71
2.	UNF (2008-present)	253-210	117-102
3.	Kennesaw State (2008-present)	248-222	126-91
4.	Stetson (2008-present)	246-239	123-99
5.	Mercer (2008-14)	243-156	115-82
6.	Lipscomb (2008-present)	231-246	112-109
7.	Jacksonville (2008-present)	218-246	105-115
8.	ETSU (2008-14)	197-201	88-110
9.	USC Upstate (2008-present)	181-268	77-141
10.	Belmont (2008-12)	158-139	78-68
11.	Campbell (2008-11)	93-125	31-85
12.	NKU (2013-15)	39-118	14-61
13.	Gardner-Webb (2008)	29-30	15-18
14.	NJIT (2016)	3-8	0-0

 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Senior designated hitter Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) has made his mark in FGCU program history as he not only holds the career record for doubles with 61, but also ranks among the top 10 in program history in a number of categories. Additionally, Noll joins Rivera as he makes his way up the list of career hits and nears the program record for stolen bases.

FGCU CAREER HOMERUNS

1.	Zach Maxfield (2009-11)	41
2.	Tim Roberson (2008-11)	40
3.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	24
	Jason Louwsma (2005-06)	24
5.	Robert Green (2008-11)	17
	Vinnie Scarduzio (2007-08)	17
	Michael Suchy (2012-14)	17

 
FGCU CAREER RBI

1.	Zach Maxfield (2009-11)	180
	Tim Roberson (2008-11)	180
3.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	154
	Mikel Alvarez (2008-11)	154
5.	Jason Cooper (2003-05)	149

 
FGCU CAREER GAMES PLAYED

1.	Josh Upchurch (2006-09)	216
2.	Mikel Alvarez (2008-11)	214
3.	Stephen Wickens (2008-11)	205
4.	Mike Reeves (2010-13)	191
5.	Tim Roberson (2008-11)	182
6.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	179
7.	Chris Perry (2003-06)	174
8.	Graig Smith (2005-08)	173
9.	Sean Dwyer (2011-13)	169
10.	Brandon Bednar (2011-13)	167
	Derek Mollica (2004-07)	167

 
FGCU CAREER GAMES STARTED

1.	Josh Upchurch (2006-09)	216
2.	Mikel Alvarez (2008-11)	214
3.	Stephen Wickens (2008-11)	204
4.	Mike Reeves (2010-13)	181
5.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	174
6.	Tim Roberson (2008-11)	173
7.	Sean Dwyer (2011-13)	166
8.	Brandon Bednar (2011-13)	165
9.	Zach Maxfield (2009-11)	162
10.	Michael Suchy (2012-14)	152
	Graig Smith (2005-08)	152
	Chris Perry (2003-06)	152

 
FGCU CAREER HITS

1.	Mikel Alvarez (2008-11)	316
2.	Josh Upchurch (2006-09)	311
3.	Stephen Wickens (2008-11)	259
4.	Tim Roberson (2008-11)	247
5.	Zach Maxfield (2009-11)	241
6.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	207
7.	Brandon Bednar (2001-13)	206
8.	Jason Cooper (2003-05)	203
9.	Mike Reeves (2010-13)	201
10.	Jake Noll (2014-present)	200

 
FGCU CAREER STOLEN BASES

1.	Josh Upchurch (2006-09)	61
2.	Jake Noll (2014-present)	43
3.	Stephen Wickens (2008-11)	36
4.	Chris Brown (2003-04)	27
5.	Michael Suchy (2012-14)	22

 
On the mound, redshirt senior Brady Anderson also makes his way up the list of career appearances and innings pitched.
 
FGCU CAREER APPEARANCES

1.	J.J. Crumbley (2005-08)	86
2.	RJ Brown (2010-13)	82
3.	Jason Kiley (2004-07)	65
4.	Brady Anderson (2012-present)	64
5.	Jason Forjet (2009-12)	63

 
FGCU CAREER INNINGS PITCHED

1.	Jason Kiley (2004-07)	284.2
2.	Michael Murray (2013-15)	284.0
3.	Ricky Knapp (2011-13)	283.1
4.	Pete Woodworth (2007-10)	272.2
5.	Chris Sale (2008-10)	228.2
6.	Jason Forjet (2009-12)	220.2
7.	Richie Erath (2008-11, 13)	219.2
8.	Brady Anderson (2012-present)	211.2
9.	Richard Bleier (2006-08)	209.2
10.	Casey Coleman (2006-08)	187.2

 
RECEIVING VOTES
For the third-consecutive year, FGCU was receiving votes in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I Preseason Poll. The A-Sun was represented by four teams as defending tournament champion Lipscomb, defending regular season champion UNF and Stetson were also receiving votes. Additionally, as the A-Sun Preseason Honors and Awards were released in January, the Green and Blue were chosen to finish runner-up to UNF in the preseason coaches poll. The Eagles garnered 50 points and received three of eight first-place votes while the Ospreys collected 58 points and four first-place votes. Lipscomb was selected third with 48 points, followed by Stetson in fourth with 43 points and the lone remaining first-place vote and Kennesaw State in fifth after receiving 37 votes. The preseason top five was separated by only 21 points. Jacksonville (28), USC Upstate (14) and conference newcomer NJIT (8) round out the poll.
 
2016 SCHEDULE
The Eagles' schedule features seven teams that participated in the 2015 NCAA Base­ball Tournament including a pair of College World Series participants, an additional Super Regional participant and three conference champions. The seven NCAA Tournament teams include CWS semifinalist, defending SEC Tournament Champion and preseason No. 1 Florida, CWS participant and preseason No. 4 Miami, Super Regional participant Illinois, defending A-Sun Tournament Champion Lipscomb, defending MEAC Tournament Champion Florida A&M and a pair of familiar in-state foes in USF and FAU. A total of 19 games, including the first eight games of the season, will be played against those seven programs.
 
TICKETS
Single-game and season tickets for the 2016 FGCU baseball campaign are now available by calling the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 or visiting FGCUTickets.com. The ticket office is also open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for walk-up service. Single-game tickets are $7 for adults, while youth (12 and under), military and members of the alumni association are admitted for $5. Season tickets are $89 for adults and $59 for youth, military and alumni, but exclude the game against Miami at Hammond Stadium on Apr. 5.
 
NEXT UP
The Eagles have a quick turnaround before hosting Rutgers for a two-game midweek series Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16 with both games beginning at 6:30 p.m. Rutgers marks FGCU's third Big Ten opponent of the season, and the Eagles are 0-2 all-time against the Scarlet Knights after dropping a pair of games during the 2012 season. 
 
DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 467-272-3 record (.631) 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 39 All-Conference selections, 25 draft picks, 16 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.

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 visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.