FORT MYERS, Fla. – Hoping to bounce back from a pair of losses to end the weekend, the FGCU softball team returns home to face Holy Cross and Ball State Tuesday and Wednesday. FGCU – 7-3 at home this year and 10-9 overall – begins play Tuesday against Holy Cross at 5:45 followed by an 8 p.m. first pitch against Ball State. The Eagles and Crusaders meet once more Wednesday at 5 p.m.

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.

THE GREEN AND BLUE
The Eagles ended a short three-game losing skid with a pair of victories over Providence to begin the UCF Invite. After the back-to-back wins, the Eagles faced the UCF Knights for the second time in four days. FGCU came back from 3-1 down to tie the game in the fifth but suffered a heartbreaking loss on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. The Green and Blue then ended the weekend with a 5-2 loss to the Friars Sunday.

Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) went 1-2 with a save last week, including a complete game seven-strikeout performance against Providence on Saturday. Her strikeout total briefly became her career-high until the senior fanned nine Friars Sunday afternoon.

Both Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) and Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) enter the midweek games with four-game hitting streaks and have combined to drive in 27 runs thus far in 2017.

Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) has been crucial for the Eagles this season, hitting .412 on the year with 15 runs scored and three triples. Huff has added another dimension to her game this season, producing 14 RBIs, six shy of a career-high with more than half the season remaining.

In the circle Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) continues to pace the pitching staff with five wins and a 2.94 ERA.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
While FGCU's season is well underway, Holy Cross' is just beginning. The Crusaders are 2-3 on the season and have not played since Feb. 19. Taylor Moss and Emily Krisanda went a combined 15-for-32 from the plate with five runs scored to open the season. Moss also leads the Crusaders with six RBIs.

Alexandra Held has earned both of Holy Cross' wins to date, tossing 18.1 innings while allowing nine earned in the opening weekend. Behind Held is Kay Watson, who comes to Fort Myers with an 0-2 record and a 3.82 ERA.

This marks the first ever meetings between the two programs.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Winners of four of the last five, Ball State comes to Southwest Florida with a 7-12 record despite outscoring opponents 84-70 this season. Rachel Houck already has seven home runs and 18 RBIs this season to go along with her .328 average. Janae Hogg leads the Cardinals with a .431 average and six doubles.

Darcie Huber brings a 5-3 record and a 2.33 ERA to Fort Myers. Over 54 innings, Huber has allowed 18 earned runs on 47 hits.

After splitting a pair of contests last season, the Eagles lead the all-time series 2-1.

UP NEXT
FGCU remains at home for nine games in a six-day span starting Tuesday, March 14. The action begins with two contests against potential Top 5 opponent Florida State March 14 and 15. Canisius, IUPUI, Iowa State, Drexel, and Cleveland State also appear on the schedule for the Green and Blue next week.

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 (552-276-3). 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.