FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (5-2) ended the weekend with a 9-1 triumph over LIU Brooklyn (0-6) Sunday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.
 
The Eagles outscored the Blackbirds 29-2 and outhit the visitors 39-8. This was the first time in FGCU's NCAA Division I era that the Green and Blue held an opponent to two runs or fewer in a three-game series. The only other two such occurrences in school history came when the Eagles competed at the Division II level. FGCU held Albany State to two runs in 2005 and Clark Atlanta to one run in 2007.
 
The Eagles also continued their torrid pace at the plate, as they are now up to 67 runs through seven games. That mark is the highest run total for FGCU through the opening seven games to any season since 2010, and the run production is also the second-most in the NCAA Division I era.
 
"We swung the bats really well against a pretty good pitcher who started (an NCAA Regional) game for (LIU Brooklyn) last year. We came out and had a good approach at the plate," FGCU coach Dave Tollett said. "We also pitched well this weekend. Our starters were very good, and we had a lot of good production out of the bullpen. All the way around we played a great series."
 
Junior Mason Studstill (1-0) (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) was dominant in 6.0 innings of work on the mound. He struck out 11 Blackbirds and gave up no runs with just one hit and one walk conceded.
 
Senior Evan Lumbert (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State), junior Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) and junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian/State College of Florida-Manatee) all tossed an inning on the mound. Lumbert gave up just one run on one hit, and the final two hurlers did not allow a baserunner.
 
Juniors Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) and Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) joined true freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) with two hits each. The trio scored four combined runs. Seniors Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American Senior HS/ASA College) and Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) both drove in a pair of teammates.
 
A suicide squeeze from sophomore Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, FL/Ida Baker HS) got the Green and Blue on the board in the second frame. Gonzalez hit a two-RBI single to cap a three-run third, and the Eagles added two more in the fourth to take a comfortable 6-0 lead. LIU Brooklyn scored its lone run in the seventh, but FGCU came right back and added three insurance tallies in the eighth.
 
The lone hits of the day by the Blackbirds came from Andrew Smith and Rob Griswold. Griswold's RBI brought in Gregory Vaughn. Patrick Clyne (0-2) suffered the loss on the mound after conceding four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. LIU utilized four more pitchers in the final 5.2 innings.
 
The sweep was the first of the young season for FGCU. The team finished with four sweeps last year.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles remain at home for a four-game set with Siena College Feb. 28-March 2. The Saints (1-4) are currently wrapping up a series with reigning ASUN Conference champion Stetson and will play two more times against the Hatters before venturing to Fort Myers. Siena competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). First pitch is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start on Thursday.
 
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.
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 570-339-3 record. He is the only head coach in the program's history and led the program to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. 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 No. 9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 54 all-conference selections, 31 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 seven-time MLB All-Star.
 
5X CHAMPS
The 2017 season was a magical one for the Green and Blue that ended in the program's first Division I NCAA Championship tournament berth. The Eagles ended the year 43-20, which included a midweek sweep over No. 2 Florida, single wins over No. 1 Florida State, Miami, and a three-game sweep at 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 No. 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 Championship, 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 North Carolina ended their season. The tournament title added to FGCU's four regular season crowns.
 
#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.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 73 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 34 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the Spring, 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport.  The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runner-ups for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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