FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (27-14, 9-3 ASUN) fell 6-1 to USF (19-20, 2-10 American) in a midweek battle at Swanson Stadium Wednesday night.

"We have to play better," head coach Dave Tollett said. "From a pitching standpoint, we walked a bunch of guys. On the offense side, we struggled in the top of our lineup. It's tough to win ballgames when both parts of the game aren't going well for you. We didn't swing the bats well and we didn't pitch well, so we will have to put it behind us."

The Bulls got on the board quickly, tagging one run up against the Eagles' starting arm in each of the first two frames. Junior Sebastian Gruszecki (0-3) (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) started today's Green and Blue staff day. In his second start of the season, Gruszecki made it through 3.0 innings of work and fanned three.

Sophomore Tyler Shuck (Cape Coral, FL/Canterbury HS) took over the mound in the top of the fourth, but USF kept attacking the Eagle pitching and tacked on another two runs to its lead, making it a 4-0 ballgame. After facing five batters, junior Brenden Heiss (Algonquin, IL/Jacob HS/John A. Logan/Arkansas) relieved Shuck and ended the inning with a strikeout and a play at home plate.

FGCU put up its first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) led off the inning with a double down the right field line and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.

The Bulls responded to the push by sending another two runs across in the top of the fifth to extend their advantage to 6-1. They threatened to score again when they worked runners onto the corners in the sixth, but sophomore Gus Carter (Melbourne, FL/Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern) was called out from the bullpen and closed out the frame with a swinging K.

Carter cruised through a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh – the first, and only, of the night against USF. Juniors Trey Vickery (Port Orange, FL/Spruce Creek HS) and Keegan Collett (Dallas, TX/Trinity Christian School/Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa) combined to toss the final six outs of the night.

Throughout the course of the game, the Green and Blue left 14 on base compared to the visitors' 11. Gonzalez led the offense with two hits, while junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) and freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) tallied one apiece. Tonight's game marked just the fifth time this season that the team has finished a game without recording an RBI.

Up Next
FGCU will host North Alabama (11-29, 5-9 ASUN) for an ASUN Conference series April 26-28 at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. These will be the first meetings between the two teams. The Lions are new to the conference and in the midst of a reclassifying period as they just jumped up to DI.

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 592-351-3 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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