FORT MYERS, Fla. – It's been nearly 11 months since the FGCU softball team celebrated its third ASUN Conference regular season title in Jacksonville. This weekend, the Green and Blue officially begin their title defense against those same Dolphins at the FGCU Softball Complex.

TICKET INFORMATION
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.

BLUEOUT
Fans are encouraged to wear blue to Saturday's conference-opening doubleheader to create a Blueout atmosphere.

THE GREEN AND BLUE
The Eagles went 5-4 last week, including a pair of losses to #1 Florida State as FGCU concluded the bulk of non-conference play. Of FGCU's 18 wins, 15 came at the FGCU Softball Complex against seven losses.

The top of the order continues to carry the offense for FGCU as the top three batters in the order enter conference play with at least a .365 average. Leading the pack is Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) who has driven in 15 runs this season behind her .385 average. Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) continues to succeed while hitting at different parts of the lineup, recording a .384 average and 12 stolen bases.

With four doubles last week, Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) moved into a tie with FSU's Alex Powers for the national lead in the category. Fournet, who hit 16 doubles last season, has already collected 13 this year and matched her walk total from last season with 21 base on balls.

The Eagles received a needed boost in the circle from Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS), who conceded just one earned run over 29.0 innings of work last week. In addition, the senior struck out nine batters last week against three walks. Meanwhile Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) leads the team with a 2.64 ERA to aid in her nine wins.

TITLE DEFENSE
Since 2000, only FAU and USC Upstate have been able to defend a regular season title. The Eagles, coming off a third ASUN regular season title and first-ever outright crown, hope to join that list this season while playing host to last year's runners-up USC Upstate, along with Jacksonville and Lipscomb this spring.

Last year, FGCU went 7-2 at home during conference play. Perhaps even more impressive, the Eagles took two against the then-defending champions USC Upstate on the road to open ASUN action.

A LOOK AT THE BOOK
A number of Eagles have made their mark in a very short period of time. A career .360 batter through three seasons, Huff holds the highest career batting average amongst players that played their entire career at the Division I level. Overall, the junior sits fifth all-time in program history. Two spots behind Huff, Fournet's .367 average is good for seventh in the history of the program.

Fournet's 29 doubles is good for fifth all-time as well, while also sitting third in Division I history.

Randolph's 1.81 ERA puts her fifth in FGCU history, however the left-hander holds the lowest ERA in Division I history.

FGCU Career Records (FGCU transitioned to Division I in 2007-2008)
Batting Average

	Name	Years	Avg.
1.	Carmen Paez	2007-08	.430
2.	Jessica Carter	2007-09	.427
3.	Ashley Cecil	2003-05	.425
4.	Cheyenne Jenks	2006-09	.381
5.	Kelsey Huff	2015-17	.360
6.	Kelsey Carpenter	2012-15	.359
7.	Racquel Fournet	2016-17	.357
8.	Lauran Ziegler	2009-10	.356
9.	Courtney Platt	2008-11	.355
10.	Jessica Gary	2007-10	.342

 
Doubles

	Name	Years	2Bs
1.	Courtney Platt	2008-11	49
	Cheyenne Jenks	2006-09	49
3.	Jessica Rouse	2004-07	38
4.	Kelsey Carpenter	2012-15	32
5.	Racquel Fournet	2016-17	29
	Jessica Carter	2007-09	29
7.	Louie Ross	2012-16	28
	Desiree Miller	2012-16	28
9.	Kirsten Bembnowski	2011-14	27
	Blaire Toleman	2003-05	27

 
Earned Run Average

	Name	Years	ERA
1.	Kelly Powe	2004-05	0.87
2.	Sarah Backe	2006-07	1.18
3.	Rachael Edinger	2006-08	1.29
4.	Annie Voyles	2004-05	1.53
5.	Riley Randolph	2016-17	1.81
6.	Dana Frantz	2006-09	2.10
7.	Catherine McDaniel	2009-11	2.16
8.	Shelby Morgan	2012-15	2.33
9.	Christine Beck	2003-06	2.34
10.	Stephanie Sullivan	2010-11	2.56

 
RPI WATCH
Five of the ASUN's seven teams find themselves in the top 100 of the first RPI of the season. FGCU checks in at #91 with an 18-13 record and an RPI Top 50 win over Fresno State and a Top 100 win over Boston College. Kennesaw State paces the field, coming in at #46 with Lipscomb immediately behind at #47.

Defending tournament champions USC Upstate is positioned #78 followed by the Eagles. UNF (94), Stetson (109), and Jacksonville (149) round out the first set of RPI rankings.

SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
One of five ASUN teams to produce 20 wins through the first six weeks of the year, the Dolphins boast one of the best run producers in the ASUN in Heather Roberts. The junior is batting .372 this year with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Not to be overlooked, Madison Ragan has driven in 25 runs this season behind four home runs. Allie McCourt provides a different kind of threat, swiping 23 bases this season to go along with her .404 average.

Taylor Thorpe leads the Dolphins pitching staff with a 2.03 ERA and seven wins. The senior is one of four pitchers this season with a win, a list that includes Ragan.

The Eagles swept the Dolphins last season to wrap up their regular season championship. In doing so, the Green and Blue improved to 19-4 all-time against JU, including six wins in their last seven tries.

UP NEXT
The Eagles hit the road for the first time in nearly a month when the Green and Blue travel to Jacksonville to face UNF in a three-game series. The Eagles and Ospreys begin the series with a doubleheader April 1 before wrapping up the weekend with a single game 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 recently enters his 15th 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 .669 (560-280-3). 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.