FORT MYERS, Fla. – Returning home for the first time in nearly three weeks, the FGCU baseball team plays host to ASUN-leaders Kennesaw State beginning Friday. The crucial conference series is slated to start at 6:30 p.m. Friday with game two scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The finale is currently scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
FGCU (28-11, 5-4 ASUN) currently trails Kennesaw State (23-18, 9-3 ASUN) by 2.5 games in the league standings. The Eagles sit fourth, one game behind both Stetson and Jacksonville.
 
PROMOTIONS
Fans are encouraged to wear white Friday night as part of a Whiteout. In addition, there will be a postgame poster signing to conclude Youth Night. Friday also marks Babe Ruth Day and the first 50 fans will receive a free mini Baby Ruth candy bar.
 
Sunday marks the halfway point to Halloween and all youth will receive free candy.
 
SERIES HISTORY
FGCU has had the better of Kennesaw State all-time, leading the series 23-13. The Eagles have won five of the last six matchups, including a series sweep in Kennesaw during the 2017 regular season and a win in the ASUN Tournament.
 
FGCU is 7-5 against Kennesaw State at Swanson Stadium.
 
PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: Mario Leon (5-2, 2.90 ERA) vs. AJ Moore (4-0, 2.53 ERA)
Saturday: Josh Dye (6-2, 2.89 ERA) vs. Brooks Buckler (3-1, 2.89 ERA)
Sunday: Justin Gill (1-0, 2.59 ERA) vs. Jake Rothwell (3-1, 4.11 ERA)
 
THE ROAD AHEAD
FGCU's path to a regular season title only gets more difficult. The ASUN currently ranks sixth among all conferences in terms of RPI, ahead of the Big Ten. In addition, the ASUN trails only the American Athletic Conference in terms of mid-major rankings.
 
The Eagles currently sit fourth in the ASUN, 2.5 games out of first place and a game behind Jacksonville and Stetson who sit tied for second. FGCU dropped two of three to the Dolphins and will face Stetson May 11-13 in Fort Myers.
 
2018 ASUN STANDINGS

	CONFERENCE			OVERALL
Team	Record	Win %	GB	Record	Win %
Kennesaw State	9-3	.750	-	23-18	.561
Stetson	6-3	.667	1.5	31-11	.738
Jacksonville	6-3	.667	1.5	28-13	.683
FGCU	5-4	.556	2.5	28-11	.718
UNF	4-5	.444	3.5	19-19	.500
NJIT	4-8	.333	5	17-16	.515
USC Upstate	4-8	.333	5	21-22-1	.489
Lipscomb	4-8	.333	5	16-23	.410

 
 
IN THE NATION
FGCU remains one of the most dangerous offensive lineups in the country, averaging 7.1 runs per game (32nd in NCAA DI). The Eagles have hit above .300 all season and remain above that mark entering the week hitting .301 (19th in NCAA).
 
LEADING THE CHARGE
A Freshman All-American last season, Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) has headlined the potent offense in 2018. The Davie-native leads FGCU with a .361 average and 41 RBI (both lead the ASUN). Garcia has also tallied 14 doubles. Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) has started to regain his groove. Gilmore currently has nine home runs and 36 RBI this season to go along with his .295 average.
 
On the mound, Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Viera HS/Eastern Florida State College) has five wins and seven saves to lead the bullpen. Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) will get the nod Friday carrying a 5-2 record and a 2.90 ERA into the contest. Leon leads FGCU with 63 strikeouts in 2018. Josh Dye (DeLand, Fla/DeLand HS) boats the lowest ERA on the team, just ahead of Leon at 2.89 en route to a team-high six wins. Justin Gill (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region HS/Polk State) has bounced back from an injury-plagued start and enters the weekend with a 1-0 record along with a 2.59 ERA.
 
 
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Kennesaw State leads the conference with a 9-3 record as part of a 23-18 season. The Owls, however, are under. 500 away from home, posting a 5-8 mark heading into the weekend. Tyler Simon paces the Owls lineup with a .344 average and nine doubles. Grant Williams and Jake Franklin have each tallied 34 RBI to lead the team with Franklin adding a team-high seven home runs.
 
Friday's starter, AJ Moore, enters with a 4-0 record along with a 2.53 ERA. Moore has struck out 63 batters over 57 innings. Brooks Buckler is expected to get the ball Saturday for Kennesaw State. Buckler is 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA. Buckler is more of a contact pitcher with 37 strikeouts in 53 innings. Jake Rothwell is the probable starter for Sunday and comes into the start with a 4.11 ERA and a 3-1 record.
 
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 561-327-3 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.