JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Following Tuesday's rainout, the #27 FGCU baseball team is back in action this weekend as conference play continues. The Eagles (24-7, 2-1) travel to Jacksonville to face the Dolphins for a three-game series beginning Friday, April 13.

The Eagles and Dolphins open the weekend Friday at 2 p.m. before a 7 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The weekend then concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.

All games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN3.
 
SERIES HISTORY
FGCU is 19-14 all-time against Jacksonville after winning three of the five matchups last season. The Eagles lost twice to the Dolphins during the regular season, only to come back and beat JU twice on May 27 to eliminate the Dolphins in the ASUN Tournament and advance to the ASUN Championship.
 
PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: RHP Mario Leon (5-1, 2.33 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Gau (5-2, 2.38 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Josh Dye (5-1, 2.09 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Santana (5-1, 3.02 ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. Spencer Stockton (3-4, 5.17 ERA)

IN THE CONFERENCE
FGCU currently has three players in the top 10 in batting average, led by Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS). The sophomore is hitting .362 with and ASUN leading 13 doubles. Behind Garcia, Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) enters the week with a .352 average while Eric Gonzalez (Miami, Fla./American Senior HS/ASA College) has brought his average up to .347, good for fifth and sixth respectively. Garcia continues to lead the ASUN with 37 RBI.
 
Josh Dye (DeLand, Fla/DeLand HS) remains fifth in the conference with a 2.09 ERA. Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) meanwhile is fourth in the conference with 54 strikeouts. 
 
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
One of FGCU's rivals for ASUN supremacy, Jacksonville sits in second place behind FGCU. At 22-12 overall and 4-2 in ASUN play, the weekend figures to present a preview of a late round matchup in the ASUN Tournament.

JU enters with a team average of .289 led by John Cassala's .393 clip. Cassala has six doubles and one home run on the season with nine RBI. Scott Dubrule is one of four Dolphins with 20 or more RBI, he sits second on the team with 25.

Friday's starter, Chris Gau, enters with a 5-2 record behind a 2.38 ERA. Over a team-high 56.2 innings, Gau has struck out 45 batters against nine walks. Tyler Santana is Saturday's probable starter. He comes into the weekend with a 5-1 mark, a 3.02 ERA, and 31 strikeouts in just under 48 innings. Spencer Stockton gets the call in the finale. He is 3-4 this season with a 5.17 ERA averaging almost a strikeout per inning (39 K, 40 IP).
 
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.
 
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 556-323-3 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.