GAME 41: USF at FGCU
Time / Date	6:30 p.m. / Wednesday, April 24
Location	Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium	Swanson Stadium
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Video	Youtube Live
FGCU Starter	RHP Sebastian Gruszecki (0-2, 6.00 ERA)
USF Starter	TBD, Staff Day

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Fresh off its second conference sweep of the season, the FGCU baseball team (27-13, 9-3 ASUN) will host USF (18-20, 2-10 American) for a 6:30 p.m. game on Wednesday, April 24 at Swanson Stadium. This will be the second meeting between the programs this season. The Bulls claimed a 15-4 victory up in Tampa on April 2. The game will be streamed on YouTube Live, but there will be no scheduled commentary. 

A LOOK AT FGCU
•     Junior Mason Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) has proven to be one of the strongest arms in all of DI baseball so far this season and was recently named to the College Baseball Foundations' 2019 Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List. He ranks seventh nationally in earned run average (1.31) and eighth in hits allowed per nine innings (4.52).
•     The junior is currently 5-0, one of just two pitchers in the ASUN's top 10 that have undefeated records. The only Eagle to ever finish on the single-season top-10 wins list with a perfect record was current Red Sox pitcher and 7-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale (11-0) in 2010.
•     Studstill has struck out a league-high 78 batters. With five more, he will tie for ninth on the FGCU single-season records list. 
•     Junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) made history this past weekend when he converted two save chances on the same day. He now has eight saves on the season, the third-most of any arm in Eagle history. He has already made 20 appearances.
•     Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) leads the Green and Blue with a .347 batting average. The catcher has cranked out a team- and conference-high 60 hits and is one of just two players that have started all 40 games for FGCU. Classmate Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) has also started every game.
•     Senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) sits at the top of the league with a .621 slugging percentage and 87 total bases. He checks in at second in RBIs (40) and home runs (8).
•     Hayes (.472) and freshman Joe Kinker (.458) (Northport, FL/Venice HS) check in at first and second, respectively, on the ASUN's top-10 list for on-base percentage.
•     Kinker's batting average (.325) is the second-highest of all ASUN freshmen and good for 11th in the conference.  

LAST TIME OUT
•     Last weekend, the Eagles swept Jacksonville for just the third time in the history between the two teams.
•     Led by senior Justin Gill (Winter Haven, FL/Lake Region HS/Polk State), the Green and Blue held Jacksonville to just one run during Thursday's 12-1 victory over the Dolphins. The only run of the night for JU was unearned.
•     Brait led the offense in the explosive triumph, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs. He and junior Anthony Gonnella (Riverview, FL/Riverview HS/State College of Florida-Manatee) both launched two-run home runs in the fifth inning.
•     The teams won both games (3-1, 2-1) of Saturday's doubleheader against the Dolphins. Senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC)
accounted for all three runs when he cranked out a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth.
•     Sophomore Nikolas Bitner (2-2) (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast HS/Indian River) earned the win after two innings of scoreless relief work. McGarry entered in the final 1.1 frames and earned his first save of the day.
•     Gonnella and senior Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) notched a pair of one-RBI doubles that put the team up 2-0 in the fifth.
•     The Dolphins managed to push one across but senior starter Evan Lumbert (4-2) (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State) and McGarry prevented them from tying things up. McGarry, who recorded the final four outs of the game, picked up his second save of the day and Lumbert was awarded the win.
•     The three runs conceded over the series tied FGCU's record for fewest runs allowed in a three-game series in school history.

SERIES HISTORY VS. USF
•     The Eagles hold an 11-6 advantage in the history between the two teams and a split 4-4 mark at Swanson Stadium.
•     The Bulls have won the last two meetings, both of which have been played at their home park in Tampa. In both of those wins, USF has put up double-digit runs.
•     FGCU has never lost to the Bulls twice in a single season. They have, however, swept USF in home-and-home midweeks twice.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
•     Last weekend, USF swept the Citadel in a three-game non-conference series. The Bulls outscored their competitor 28-12.
•     Senior Joe Genord leads the Bulls with a .346 batting average, .699 slugging percentage and 12 home runs. He and classmate Kyle Phillips are the only two players that have started all 38 games for USF.
•     Phillips leads the team with seven stolen bases and 54 hits.
•     In each of their last three midweek games, the Bulls have thrown five pitchers. Of those three games, the longest a USF arm has gone is 4.2 innings.
•     Junior lefty Logan Lyle and senior right-hander Richie Cruz lead the USF bullpen with 17 appearances each. Each have started one game.
•     Junior Nelson Alvarez leads the Bull relievers with 28 Ks. He has been charged with nine runs through 22.0 innings and has 5 saves.

THE STRENGTH OF THE CONFERENCE 
•     The ASUN currently has four teams in the top-110 RPI ranking: Liberty (64), North Florida (103), Jacksonville (108) and FGCU (110).
•     The Dolphins and the Ospreys were both ranked in the top-100 last week. JU fell after being swept by the Eagles and UNF dropped after splitting a series with North Alabama.
•     As a whole, ASUN teams are 5-7 against opponents ranked in the nation's top 25.
•     FGCU owns a win over then-No. 5 Florida, who is currently No. 23 in RPI.

2019 SCHEDULE
•     The Eagles began their 55-game campaign with a bang and opened the year playing each of their first 11 games in the friendly confines of Swanson Stadium.
•     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).
•     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 592-350-3 overall record (.628) and a 192-104 (.648) 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 in November and April 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 77 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 36 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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