GAME 23: FIU at FGCU
Time / Date	6:30 p.m. / Tuesday, March 26
Location	Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium	Swanson Stadium
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Video	Facebook Live
FGCU Starter	RHP Tyler Shuck (3-0, 2.05 ERA)
FIU Starter	RHP Angel Tiburcio (0-0, 4.35 ERA)

GAME 24: FGCU at FIU
Time / Date	6:30 p.m. / Wednesday, March 27
Location	Miami, Fla.
Stadium	FIU Baseball Stadium
Live Stats	SIDEARM Stats
Video	ESPN +
FGCU Starter	Staff Day
FIU Starter	Staff Day

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (14-8, 1-2 ASUN) will return to Swanson Stadium for the first game of a home-and-home series against FIU (11-12, 2-4 C-USA) on Tuesday, March 26. The Eagles will then head to Miami on Wednesday, March 26 to take on the Panthers at FIU Baseball Stadium. Both games are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. Tuesday's matchup will be streamed on Youtube Live and Wednesday's will be on ESPN+.

A LOOK AT FGCU
•     The Eagles have won all but one of their six weekend series to start the season and own a 1-2 record in midweek games.
•     The team on-base percentage (.404) stands alone at the top of the ASUN and the team batting average (.293) is tied with Kennesaw State for first in the league.
•     With 170 runs, the team has outscored all other ASUN programs by at least 14.
•     Freshman Joe Kinker (.416) (Northport, FL/Venice HS) and senior Jay Hayes (.410) (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) rank second and third in the conference, respectively, in batting average. Kinker (.540) leads the ASUN in on-base percentage and Hayes (.511) checks in at third.
•     Hayes has 27 RBIs so far this season, the most of any other player in the conference.
•     Kinker (26) and junior Alex Brait (25) (Viera, FL/Viera HS) are second and third in the league in runs. Brait has cranked out a team-high 34 hits, good for third in the conference.
•     Both junior Mason Studstill (1.32) (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) and sophomore Tyler Shuck (2.05) (Cape Coral, FL/Canterbury HS) own ERAs that rank in the top five in the ASUN.

LAST TIME OUT
•     FGCU dropped a rubber match and, consequently, its first series of the season to UNF at Harmon Stadium last weekend in the conference-opener for both programs.
•     On Friday, the Eagles dropped a 7-4 battle to the Ospreys. Kinker, Hayes and junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) each cranked out a home run for the team but the solo shots were not enough to overcome the deficit.
•     The Green and Blue rallied to a 5-2 victory over UNF on Saturday. Studstill took a scoreless game into the fifth inning and finished his outing after allowing just one hit and striking out seven. Six different Eagles recorded hits in the matchup and junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) led the team with two RBIs.
•     Sunday's game had the only two lead changes of the weekend. Junior Elijah Eusebio (Miami, FL/Coral Gables HS) hit the first two home runs of his career in the game, tying the program record for most in a single game. His second shot was a grand slam that gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, but the Ospreys regained their lead after a powerful eighth inning.

SERIES HISTORY VS. FIU
•     Tuesday's meeting will be the 18th in the series, which FGCU currently leads 10-7.
•     The teams have a split record of 4-4 at Swanson Stadium but the Eagles hold a 6-3 edge at FIU's ballpark.
•     Last year, the Green and Blue won both meetings between the programs, including a 13-6 victory in Miami.
•     Every year that the teams have met twice, with the exception of 2008 and 2010, the program that wins the first game has also claimed the second.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
•     The Panthers are coming off of their second series loss in conference play after falling to Western Kentucky last weekend and Marshall the weekend before.
•     In both matchups, FIU won on Friday night but dropped both Saturday and Sunday's games.
•     The Panthers are 2-4 in midweek matchups. All but one of those games have been played at their home stadium. FIU traveled to Florida State last week and dropped a 9-6 decision at the Seminoles' ballpark.
•     Senior Lorenzo Hampton Jr. leads the Panthers with a .350 batting average through a team-high 80 at-bats. The outfielder has cranked out seven doubles, two triples and two home runs.
•     Junior Austin Shenton's 19 RBIs are the most of anyone on the team by at least six and he has hit five home runs so far this season. Shenton led the Wareham Gateman to a Cape Cod League Championship last summer and was named postseason MVP.
•     Sophomore Logan Allen has pitched a team-high 36.2 innings and owns a 0.74 ERA. The southpaw has hurled double-digit strikeouts in four games this season. He has been charged with just three earned runs through his six appearances.

2019 SCHEDULE
•     The Eagles have begun their 55-game campaign with a bang, opening the year playing each of their first 11 games in the friendly confines of Swanson Stadium.
•     On top of games with Ohio State and Florida, the Green and Blue will play a total of nine times against programs from Power 5 universities (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC), which includes this weekend's series against Rutgers.
•     FGCU is billed to play 36 home games and 19 contests on the road. Additional notable non-conference home games include dates with Rutgers (March 15-17), FAU (March 19), FIU (March 26) and Miami (April 10).
•     The first ASUN matchup was a series at UNF March 22-24, which the Eagles dropped 2-1.
•     FGCU will compete 16 times against programs who have played in the NCAA Championship tournament at least once over the last two years. The mark includes a Florida squad that won the national championship two years ago and advanced to the 2018 College World Series. FGCU will also grace a Stetson program (May 3-5) that hosted an NCAA Regional last year and advanced to a Super Regional.
•     The 2019 ASUN Conference Championship will be held May 22-25 in Deland, Florida, and will be hosted by Stetson.

WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT
Experience FGCU Baseball and Softball this season. The following ticket opportunities are on sale now:
Group Sales
Bring your group of 15 or more to an FGCU Baseball or Softball game. All group tickets include your choice of concessions or an FGCU hat ($15 value), in-game group recognition and more. For more information on group outings, click HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Single Game Tickets
Single game tickets are available for all remaining home games. Adult tickets are $7 each. Discounted tickets are available for current or former Military and Youth ages 3-15 for just $5 each. Baseball and Softball Frequent Flyer Cards allow multiple entries for more than 50 percent off the adult rate. Choose 34 baseball entries for $105 or 17 softball entries for $55. Purchase online HERE or call 239-590-7145.

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.con/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 579-345-3 overall record (.625) and a 184-103 (.641) record in the ASUN. 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 75 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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