EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the third consecutive weekend, the FGCU baseball team (13-12) will hit the road for an away series as they travel north to take on Evansville (12-11) for the first time in program history. The three-game series is schedule to begin with game one Friday at 7 p.m. followed by games two and three Saturday starting at 1 p.m. The finale will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two.
 
The Green and Blue will send right hander Brady Anderson (3-3, 3.32) to the hill in game one to oppose Evansville starter Connor Strain (2-1, 0.93). Garrett Anderson (1-0, 3.76) will then toe the rubber in game two opposite right hander Patrick Schnieders (2-1, 2.64), while Ryan Lang (2-2, 6.18) will return from a two-week absence to face southpaw Alex Weigand (1-1, 5.47) in the series finale.
 
"Evansville has been putting up some runs lately and will present a big challenge for us this weekend," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "It's another good opportunity for us to go on the road and come away with some quality wins, but it won't be easy."
 
SCOUTING THE PURPLE ACES
Evansville is off to a 12-11 start this season after most recently claiming a 13-2 midweek win against SIU Edwardsville. The Purple Aces also traveled to Bloomington, Ind., to play in-state rival Indiana Wednesday, but, with a 15-0 lead over the Hoosiers, the game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning due to inclement weather. Evansville is 5-1 at home this season and registered a series sweep against Northern Illinois in its only other home weekend series this season.
 
Offensively, the Aces have posted a .284 team batting average, led by a trio of hitters batting over .300 this season including Trey Hair (.393), Eric McKibban (.352) and Korbin Williams (.329). Jonathan Ramon leads the team with six home runs this season, while Boomer Synek is the Aces' top RBI guy with 24. On the mound, the aforementioned Schnieders and Strain have each posted sub-3.00 ERA's in a starting role, while relievers Brady Ryan and Brian Jestice have also done so in 10 appearances out of the bullpen.
 
In 2015, Evansville finished the season with a 29-24 overall record and 8-13 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference to finish sixth in the league. The Aces notched wins against Power Five opponent Ohio State and Super Regional Participant Missouri State during the regular season, but went two-and-out against Bradley and Dallas Baptist in the conference tournament.

THE MATCHUP
In his 14th season of work at FGCU, Tollett has compiled a 476-276-3 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 matches up with Evansville head coach Wes Carroll, who has posted a 216-199 overall record in his eighth season with the Purple Aces and led the team to a Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Title in 2014.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU claimed its fourth straight weekend series by winning two of three against defending MEAC Champion FAMU last weekend. The Eagles won the first two games of the three-set, 8-6 and 6-5, respectively, before dropping the finale, 14-9.
 
After trailing 3-0 in the first inning, a six-run third propelled FGCU to a 6-3 lead before FAMU responded with three runs of its own in the next two innings to tie the score, 6-6. FGCU broke the tie in the top of the sixth as Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) doubled to left to score Matt Roberts (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS), and Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) later drove him in on a single to center to cap off the scoring for the game.
 
During Saturday's double header, the Green and Blue claimed the series behind Noll's career-high, six-RBI performance. The Punta Gorda native hit his seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot, in the opening frame before coming back around to drive in two more on a single to left field in the next inning. Then, with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, he was hit by a pitch to bring in his sixth run of the game. FAMU made it interesting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it 6-5, but Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS) closed the door in the final three innings to secure the win and the series.
 
The series finale saw multiple runs scored in five of nine innings, including a combined 10 runs in the fifth, as the Rattlers avoided the series sweep. FGCU responded from an early 5-0 deficit to score five runs in the fourth and four in the fifth and assume a 9-5 lead. However, FAMU responded in its next at bat with six runs coming on two outs to reclaim the lead, 11-9. Seemingly exhausted from nearly seven hours of baseball, the Eagles allowed three runs in the final three innings to reach the ultimate final of 14-9.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Reardon is currently riding a career and season-high 17-game hit streak dating back to Feb. 20. Additionally, Noll has reached safely in a career-high 35 straight games dating back to the final 10 games of 2015 while Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) has reached in 18- straight contests. Noll's streak is fourth-longest streak in DI program history trailing Zach Maxfield (65), Mikel Alvarez (43) and Jason Peacock (41).
 
A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN…ALMOST
Noll entered the week as one of two players in the NCAA to rank inside the top 30 in RBI (39), hits (41), runs scored (29) and home runs (seven) - joined by Mercer's Kyle Lewis. On a national level, Noll ranks T-2nd in RBI, T-9th in hits, T-18th in runs scored and T-27th in home runs. Additionally, the Punta Gorda native leads the A-Sun in the first three offensive categories while ranking third in home runs.  
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
FGCU has earned a pair of A-Sun Player of the Week honors with Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) and Noll both taking home the distinction for the first time in their careers this season. The Eagles earned three weekly awards last season.
 
Bottomley earned the weekly distinction on Feb. 29 after putting up big offensive numbers and helping the Eagles to a pair of wins against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams. The senior outfielder was 8-for-16 from the plate with five RBI, four runs scored, two doubles and two walks and matched a career high with four RBI in a 13-6 win at USF. He then went 5-for-10 from the plate in a three-game series against defending Big Ten Champion Illinois.
 
Noll received the honors on March 14 after he helped lead the Eagles to a 3-1 series win and put up monster numbers from the plate in a four-game series against Quinnipiac. The Punta Gorda native went 11-for-24 from the plate with nine runs scored, three home runs and 15 RBI in five games during the week. He set a career high with five RBI in the series opener against the Bobcats and turned in the first multi-home run game of his career in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.  
 
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)	284-192-1	153-71
2.	UNF (2008-present)	263-212	117-102
3.	Kennesaw State (2008-present)	251-233	126-91
4.	Stetson (2008-present)	251-245	123-99
5.	Mercer (2008-14)	243-156	115-82
6.	Lipscomb (2008-present)	238-251	112-109
7.	Jacksonville (2008-present)	226-251	105-115
8.	ETSU (2008-14)	197-201	88-110
9.	USC Upstate (2008-present)	186-274	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)	9-15	0-0

 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Senior designated hitter Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS), who was sidelined with a season-ending wrist injury in game one of a two-game midweek series with Rutgers on March 15, has made his mark in FGCU program history as he not only holds the career record for doubles with 63, but also ranks among the top 10 in program history in a number of categories. The Cape Coral native ranks third in home runs (26) and RBI (160) while also ranking fourth in games started (182), fifth in games played (187) and seventh in hits (215). Rivera hopes to be eligible to utilize a medical redshirt at the season's end and return in 2017.

Additionally, Noll joins Rivera as he makes his way up the list of career batting average, career hits and nears the program record for stolen bases.

FGCU CAREER BATTING AVERAGE

1.	Chris Brown (2003-04)	.435
2.	David Cox (2003)	.430
3.	Jason Peacock (2007-08)	.380
4.	Jason Cooper (2003-05)	.375
5.	Zach Maxfield (2009-11)	.371
6.	Jason Kouwsma (2005-06)	.367
7.	Jake Noll (2014-present)	.363
8.	Mikel Alvarez (2008-11)	.360
9.	Ian Manson (2005-06)	.359
10.	Ozzie Borrell (2007-08)	.356

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.	Jake Noll (2014-present)	221
7.	Nick Rivera (2013-present)	215
8.	Brandon Bednar (2001-13)	206
9.	Jason Cooper (2003-05)	203
10.	Mike Reeves (2010-13)	201

FGCU CAREER STOLEN BASES

1.	Josh Upchurch (2006-09)	61
2.	Jake Noll (2014-present)	44
3.	Stephen Wickens (2008-11)	36
4.	Chris Brown (2003-04)	27
5.	Michael Suchy (2012-14)	22

 
On the mound, 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.	Brady Anderson (2012-present)	67
	Jason Kiley (2004-07)	65
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.	Brady Anderson (2012-present)	233.2
6.	Chris Sale (2008-10)	228.2
7.	Jason Forjet (2009-12)	220.2
8.	Richie Erath (2008-11, 13)	219.2
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 FAMU 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
FGCU returns to Fort Myers to host in-state rival and No. 2 Miami in a midweek showdown at Hammond Stadium, the Spring Training home of MLB's Minnesota Twins, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Earlier this season, the Eagles traveled to Coral Gables, Fla., and suffered a 6-2 loss to the Hurricanes. 
 
DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 476-276-3 record (.632) 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.