FORT MYERS, Fla. – Following a midweek loss to USF, the FGCU baseball team welcomes Big Ten foe Rutgers to Swanson Stadium for a weekend series. The Eagles and Scarlet Knights open the series Friday at 6:30 before wrapping up the weekend Sunday at noon.
 
SERIES HISTORY
FGCU is 4-3 all-time against Rutgers including a three-game sweep last season. Since 2016, the Green and Blue have won four of the last five meetings, outscoring the Scarlet Knight 37-24.
 
PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: RHP Mario Leon (2-1, 2.74 ERA) vs. RHP John O'Reilly (1-1, 6.00 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Josh Dye (3-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. LHP Harry Rutkowski (1-0, 6.98 ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA  
 
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 latest National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Poll.
 
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Winners of four-straight, Rutgers comes to Fort Myers with a 9-6 record after its most recent win over FIU (6-3). In 33 at-bats, Kyle Walker is hitting .525 with a triple and five driven in. Meanwhile, Luke Bowerbank and Carmen Sclafani are both hitting over .320, combining for four doubles with 19 RBI. Through 15 games, Rutgers has stolen 21 bases.

John O'Reilly, Friday's starter, is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA thanks in part to 10 walks through 10.0 innings. Harry Rutkowski meanwhile has allowed 15 earned runs through 19.1 innings while striking out 18.

HOT START
FGCU has claimed all five series thus far and remains 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 .275 with a pair of doubles and eight RBI this season. Defensively, Proffitt leads the team with 40 assists.
 
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 15 batters through 9.0 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 suffered a 10-3 setback to in-state rivals USF Tuesday night in Tampa. Garcia and Eric Gonzalez (Miami, Fla./American Senior HS/ASA College) both recorded an RBI but FGCU was unable to overcome a five-run fourth. The loss the Eagles' first in Tampa during the all-time series.
 
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 546-319-3 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.