TAMPA, Fla. – Riding a seven-game win streak the FGCU baseball team heads north on I-75 for an in-state battle with the USF Bulls. The Eagles and Bulls will meet for the 16th time Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY
The Eagles hold a commanding 11-4 edge in the series including a 2-1 win last year in Fort Myers. Since 2014, the Green and Blue have claimed five of the last six matchups. Of the 15 total meetings, seven have been held in Tampa with the Eagles coming away victorious on every occasion.  

PITCHING MATCHUP
USF will throw freshman right-hander Baron Stuart. FGCU has not announced a starter.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
After earning a spot on the Collegiate Baseball Watch List to open the season, FGCU was introduced to the same publication's Top 30 this week, coming in at #27. Last year, Collegiate Baseball positioned FGCU at #9, the highest ranking in the program's history and the highest ranking of any program at FGCU.

FGCU was also receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Poll, but the latest poll has not been released.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF enters the midweek on a four-game winning streak and winners of five of the last six games. Coming in at 10-6, four of USF's losses have been to ranked opponents, UNC and FSU. Offensively David Villar sets the tone with a .411 average, eight doubles and 18 RBI. Tyler Dietrich has also driven in 17 behind a .356 average.

USF's strength this season has been its pitching. The Bulls enter with a 2.92 team ERA, holding opponents to a .235 average. Tomorrow's starter, Baron Stuart, is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA. Over 12.0 innings, Stuart has allowed five runs on 11 hits.

HOT START
FGCU is one win away from tying the program's best start. Currently 13-2, FGCU has claimed all five series thus far and remain one of the highest scoring teams in the country. The Eagles enter the week averaging just under nine runs per game (8.7) while hitting .331 as a team, the 4th-highest average in the country.

Individually, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) sits alone atop the NCAA standings in sacrifice bunts (7). The senior also sits just outside the Top 20 in runs (19).

Though he cooled off last weekend, Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) remains one of the nation's best power hitters. Gilmore sits 7th in the country in home runs (7) and 20th in RBI (21). Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS), who was named the ASUN's Player of the Week, sits 11th in doubles (8) and 13th in RBI (23).

FRESH FACES, FRESH IMPACT
Gilmore is one of multiple new Eagles to come out of the gates and make an instant impact. Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS) has also impressed, hitting .298 with a pair of doubles and eight RBI this season. Defensively, Proffitt leads the team with 38 assists while compiling a .944 fielding percentage.

On the mound, FGCU has received a trio of positive starts from Bryan Wilcox (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS), Evan Lumbert (Orlando, Fla./Boone HS/South Florida State), and Justin Gill (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region HS/Polk State). Wilcox has been solid for FGCU, striking out 10 batters through 8.1 innings while Gill has struck out 11 in 10.2 with only one walk.

Lumbert has stepped into the third spot in the rotation, earning three wins while posting a team-best 1.77 ERA. Lumbert has also fanned 23 batters while walking only three.

CHAMPS 5X
2017 was a magical season for the Green and Blue that ended in the program's first Division I NCAA Tournament berth. The Eagles ended the year 43-20, which included a midweek sweep over #2 Florida, single wins over #1 Florida State, Miami, and a three-game sweep at RV UNC Wilmington. The wins over Miami, FSU, and UF marked the first time FGCU defeated all three programs in the same season.
 
Reaching as high as #9 in the polls, the highest of any program at FGCU, the Eagles struggled in April but bounced back to finish third in the ASUN. During the ASUN Tournament, FGCU won four games in a span of 29 hours for their first tournament crown.
 
The Green and Blue earned the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional, defeating Michigan 10-6 before losses to Davidson and UNC ended their season.
The tournament title adds to FGCU's four regular season titles.
 
KENTON, WITH A K
Redshirt-senior Kenton Hering's second season wearing Green and Blue put him among elite company with other arms that have come through Fort Myers. With 77 strikeouts in 59.2 innings IN 2017, Hering brought his K/9 inning total to 10.61, good for third all-time at FGCU behind current Minnesota Twins product Brandon Bixler (10.91; FGCU  2011-13) and six-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale (11.53; 2008-10).
 
Hering's seven saves last season also put him seventh all-time in FGCU history while his opponent's batting average of .222 is good for fifth.

LAST TIME OUT
FGCU secured its second sweep of the season and as a result, extended its winning streak to seven games. The Eagles welcomed Evansville to Fort Myers and received stellar pitching from starts Josh Dye (DeLand, Fla/DeLand HS), Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), and Lumbert, who combined to allow just two earned runs over 18.0 innings. FGCU has a team conceded five total.

Offensively, FGCU scored a total of 21 runs, highlighted by Garcia's Player of the Week performance and Morey's contributions at the top of the order.

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.
 
DAVE TOLLETT
In his 16th season, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 546-318-3 record (.626) as the only head coach in the program's history and is coming off the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He is a four-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four ASUN Regular Season Championships and one ASUN Tournament Championship. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions, including as high as #9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 49 All-Conference selections, 29 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 15 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, three ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one five-time MLB All-Star.
 
#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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.