SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Following a tough stretch of games last week, the FGCU softball team turns its attention to Atlantic Sun play. The Eagles (16-16) begin conference action against the defending champions and preseason favorites USC Upstate (27-4, 2-1 A-Sun). The three-game set between the Eagles and Spartans is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader Friday at 3 p.m. with the finale Saturday at 12 p.m.

Live stats are available and provided by USC Upstate. In addition, the contests will be streamed on ASun.tv. For more information or for direct links, visit UpstateSpartans.com or the FGCU softball schedule page located on FGCUathletics.com

LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles went 2-5 in their latest homestand with wins over Green Bay and Iowa State. FGCU fell victim to sloppy defense, committing 24 errors over the seven games. The weekend ended on a high note however, when Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) hit a line drive down the line in right, clearing the wall to give the Green and Blue a 5-4 walk-off win over Iowa State. The home run was Fournet's team-leading fourth of the season as well as her 28th and 29th RBIs of the season, good for third in the Atlantic Sun.

Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) tallied her fifth triple of the season which put her atop the national leaderboard. Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) meanwhile leads the conference with a .385 average.

In the circle, Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) continues the trend of phenomenal freshman performances, posting six wins with a 1.68 ERA. Randolph's control is also gaining attention, as the freshman checks in at 43rd nationally in walks allowed per seven innings (1.19).

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Upstate's stellar offense has guided the Spartans to a 27-4 record and a 2-1 start in conference play. As a team, the Spartan's are hitting a conference-best .323, scoring 209 runs in 31 contests. Despite garnering early accolades and headlines, Lexi Shubert has only appeared in 10 games with no official at bats. Kendsey Chappelear and Brittany Case lead a balanced offense, boasting eight players with .300 averages or better. Both Chappelear and Case enter the weekend hitting .358 but offer different skillsets. Chappelear utilizes her speed, swiping 24 bases this season. Case meanwhile has tallied 10 doubles and two home runs with 24 RBIs. Ryan Rector has hit 11 home runs to lead the team in addition to 36 RBIs. Not to be outdone, Amy Szymanowski has hit 10 home runs with 33 RBIs.

In the circle, Holly McKinnon leads the team with 16 wins and a 1.77 ERA, striking out 116 batters while only surrendering 27 walks. In addition to McKinnon's stellar start, Upstate has Amanda Storch behind her. Storch enters with a 7-1 record with a 2.02 ERA.

Since the first meeting in 2008, FGCU is 8-12 against USC Upstate. The Eagles had periods of success in 2009 and 2011, winning two games in each of those seasons. Since 2011 however, Upstate has won six of the last seven meetings.
UP NEXT
The Eagles remain on the road for the second weekend of conference play. FGCU travels to Nashville to face Lipscomb in a three-game series beginning Saturday (April 2).

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 .673 (528-258-3). 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.