FORT MYERS, Fla. – Early on in conference play, first and last are separated by just two games with the FGCU softball team in the middle of it all. The Eagles enter the week at 3-3 and in a three-way tie for third place in the league, even with their next opponent, USC Upstate. The crucial ASUN series between last season's regular season champions and last season's tournament champions is set to begin Saturday at 4 p.m. with the finale slated for Sunday at 2 p.m.

Live stats will be available for every contest, and links can be found above. Additionally, the first two games of the series will be streamed live on ASUN.tv.

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 doubleheader to create a Blueout atmosphere.

SENIOR TRIBUTE
While it won't be their final appearance at the FGCU Softball Complex, Sunday will be a time to honor the careers of four departing seniors. Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS), Amber Plaza (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/Miami Dade College), Bree Tourtillott (Dixon, Ill./Oregon HS/Tallahassee Community College) and Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) will be recognized prior to Sunday's finale in a ceremony scheduled to begin at 1:40.

THE GREEN AND BLUE
After dropping two games in Jacksonville to UNF last weekend, the Eagles are in the thick of a congested ASUN Conference. FGCU lost both ends of a doubleheader to begin the series before claiming the finale Sunday.

Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) drove in four over the three-game set to lead the Green and Blue. Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) meanwhile paced the lineup with four hits each.

Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) collected her sixth triple of the season, moving into fourth nationally in that category. With 50 hits this season, Huff is also positioned 22nd in the country.

Fournet remains in the top 10 in doubles, entering the weekend eighth in the country and tops in the ASUN with 13 doubles this season.

Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) suffered a difficult loss to open the weekend but bounced back with a win the next day. The left-hander posted a 0.54 ERA last weekend, allowing one earned run over 13 innings to bring her season ERA to 2.18. 

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 .357 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 1.70 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	1.70
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
Six of the ASUN's seven teams find themselves in the top 100 this week. FGCU checks in at #96 with a 21-16 record and an RPI Top 50 win over Fresno State and two Top 100 wins over Boston College and Hofstra. Kennesaw State paces the field, coming in at #39 with Lipscomb behind at #42.

Defending tournament champions USC Upstate is positioned #56 followed by the Stetson (94) and UNF (95). Jacksonville (132) completes the ASUN's members in the latest RPI.

As a conference the ASUN has produced 153 non-conference victories, good for sixth amongst conferences nationally. The win total is also more than the win totals from both the ACC and Big 12.

THE ROAD AHEAD
Coinciding with a strong presence in the RPI, the ASUN also presents a tough road ahead for the defending ASUN champions. With the bulk of conference play in front of them and two formidable non-conference foes also waiting, the Eagles have one of the toughest schedules in the nation to close out the season.
FGCU's future opponents have combined for a 182-77 record and a .703 winning percentage, tied for the 9th toughest schedule in the country to end 2017. In comparison, FGCU has a tougher road ahead than Arizona, UCLA, and Georgia.

Overall, FGCU currently boasts the 50th toughest schedule in the country, alongside the likes of Oklahoma State, Tulsa, and Texas Tech.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Always a threat, USC Upstate was the first team in the ASUN to 30 wins, bringing a 30-9 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference play into a crucial weekend in the ASUN. The strength of the Spartans is their pitching staff, led by Holly McKinnon and Lexi Shubert. Both pitchers enter with an ERA under 2.00, led by an ASUN-best 1.06 ERA from McKinnon to go along with her team-leading 16 wins.

Kayla Beasley leads the Spartans offensively with her .363 average, seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Overall, USC Upstate boasts four players with an average of .300 or better, with Ryan Rector a few points shy of that mark as well. Upstate also presents a threat on the basepaths with 70 stolen bases this season on 82 attempts.

FGCU is 10-15 all-time against USC Upstate after dropping three of the five total contests last season. The Eagles claimed the regular season series, taking two-of-three in Spartanburg, but dropped both in the ASUN Tournament including the championship game.

UP NEXT
FGCU remains at home and welcomes FAU to the FGCU Softball Complex Wednesday for a doubleheader.

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 (563-283-3). 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.