FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (16-8, 1-2 ASUN) swept a midweek series against FIU (11-14, 2-4 C-USA) after claiming an 11-6 victory at the Panthers' baseball stadium Wednesday night.

"We had a great start from Trey Vickery," head coach Dave Tollett said. "He had a no-hitter through five innings and just did an outstanding job. I thought our offense did a great job tonight and our bats really came through for us. We need to be able to close games out as the season goes on and tonight we did that. All in all, it was a great two days."

The Eagles' offense got off to an early start and scored eight unanswered runs in the first six innings. Junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS, freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) and senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) each scored one run for the Green and Blue in the first few frames. Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) came around twice for FGCU in the spree.

Senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) capped off the Eagles' unanswered push with an RBI double that scored junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) and Hayes, putting the Eagles up 8-0.

Junior Trey Vickery (Port Orange, FL/Spruce Creek HS) pitched the strongest game of his career as an Eagle so far. The southpaw started the game and pitched a career-high five innings, struck out a career-high six batters and gave up two hits. He faced just two over the minimum and did not allow any Panther baserunners until his final inning of work.

Sophomore Nikolas Bitner (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast HS/Indian River) and junior Keegan Collett (Dallas, TX/Trinity Christian School/Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa) each made relief appearances for the Eagles. Bitner was charged with two earned runs and Collett was charged with one. 

Freshman Cody Woodring (Lakeland, FL/McKeel Academy of Technology) made his first appearance as an Eagle when he was brought out from the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs. Woodring got out of the frame after a fielder's choice and a double play. He finished the day after allowing two runs that cut FGCU's lead to 10-5.

Juniors Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) and Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) combined to toss the final two frames for the Green and Blue. McGarry allowed one run and ended the game with a strikeout.

Eight different Eagles finished with hits in tonight's well-balanced attack. Kinker and Stevens led the offense with three RBIs apiece. Gonzalez tacked on two and junior Elijah Eusebio (Miami, FL/Coral Gables HS) and freshman Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) added one each.

The last time the Eagles swept the Panthers in a series was in 2013. Tonight's win marks the Eagles' eighth time putting up double-digit runs this season.

Up Next
The Eagles will return to Swanson Stadium to host Towson in a non-conference weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29. The teams will face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 30 before capping off the series with a noon game on Sunday, March 31. This will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams.

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.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 581-345-3 overall record (.627) 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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