GAME 42: North Alabama at FGCU
Time / Date	6:30 p.m. / Friday, April 26
Location	Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium	Swanson Stadium
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Video	YouTube Live
FGCU Starter	RHP Mason Studstill (5-0, 1.31 ERA)
UNA Starter	RHP Kyle Moore (0-4, 9.11 ERA)

GAME 43: North Alabama at FGCU
Time / Date	2 p.m. / Saturday, April 27
Location	Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium	Swanson Stadium
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Video	YouTube Live
FGCU Starter	LHP Justin Gill (1-3, 5.47 ERA)
UNA Starter	LHP Jacob Laws (1-4, 6.51 ERA)

GAME 44: North Alabama at FGCU
Time / Date	1 p.m. / Sunday, April 28
Location	Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium	Swanson Stadium
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Video	YouTube Live
FGCU Starter	RHP Evan Lumbert (4-2, 3.96 ERA)
UNA Starter	LHP Adam Mancour (1-3, 8.25 ERA)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Off to the best start in conference play since the 2014 season, the FGCU baseball team (27-14, 9-3 ASUN) will host North Alabama (11-29, 5-9 ASUN) for an ASUN series April 26-28 at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams will face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday and wrap up the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on YouTube Live and Saturday's game will have live commentary.

A LOOK AT FGCU
•     Junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) was recently named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List. In his first season with the Green and Blue, the closer is already rewriting the record books.
•     With eight saves so far this season, he is tied for third on the FGCU single-season list. The eight saves are also the eighth-most on the Eagles' career records list. During last weekend's sweep over Jacksonville, McGarry picked up two saves in one day, marking the second time an Eagle pitcher has done so (Sterling Koerner, 2017).
•     Last week, junior Mason Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) was named to the College Baseball Foundation's 2019 Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List. He is currently and sixth in the national standings in hits allowed per nine innings (4.52) and seventh in earned run average (1.31).
•     Studstill has struck out a league-high 78 batters and needs just five more to tie for ninth on the FGCU single-season records list.
•     The team's on-base percentage (.391) and slugging percentage (.414) sit at the top of the conference. The Eagles also lead the ASUN in home runs (33), runs (286) and scoring (7.0).
•     Senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) has been getting it done in the batter's box for the Green and Blue. He has cranked out a team-high eight home runs and is credited with 87 total bases, the most of any ASUN player.
•     Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) leads the conference with 60 hits. The catcher has caught nine runners trying to steal and will tie for 10th on the single-season list with two more. Brait has stolen nine bases so far, the eighth-most in the league.
•     Eagle batters have been hit by 75 pitches this season, the second-most in program history and the fifth-most in the nation. The record of 85 has stood since 2006.

LAST TIME OUT
•     FGCU dropped a 6-1 midweek battle to USF on Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium.
•     Six different pitchers made appearances during the designated staff outing for the Green and Blue.
•     Senior Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) led the offense with a pair of hits and scored the only run of the night after coming in on a wild pitch.
•     Junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) and freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) tacked on one hit apiece.
•     Garcia and senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) combined for nine defensive assists.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTH ALABAMA
•     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 the D-I level.
•     North Alabama is the second team listed on the Eagles' 2019 schedule that is a brand-new opponent for FGCU.
•     The Green and Blue took on LIU Brooklyn in a three-game series back in February at Swanson Stadium. FGCU swept its visitors and outscored them 29-2. That series marked 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.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
•     North Alabama enters the weekend at eighth in the ASUN conference standings. However, the Lions recently split a series against UNF and won two-of-three against Jacksonville.
•     After starting off the season 3-19, the Lions have posted an 8-10 record over their last 18 games.
•     Earlier this month, North Alabama upset No. 18 Ole Miss in a 10-6 Lion victory for the program's first win over an SEC team since 1992.
•     Junior Ben Kiefer leads the offense with a .286 batting average and has the most multi-hit games this season (12).
•     Redshirt senior Davis Elliott has been getting it done at the top of the batting order. He has reached base safely in each of the last 12 games and has launched a team-high four home runs. He has also stolen a team-high 10 bases, tied for sixth-most in the ASUN.
•     Junior LHP Bryant Claunch leads the Lions' bullpen with a 2.68 ERA and owns a 4-1 record. The southpaw, who has only started one game, leads the team with 43.2 innings pitched and 51 Ks.
•     Claunch was recently named ASUN Pitcher of the Week for his relief effort during the 8-4 win against UNF. He threw 6.2 frames, the longest outing of any Lion pitcher so far this season, and allowed one run on four hits.
•     North Alabama's projected starting trio has given up a combined total of 85 runs on 110 hits.
•     Senior shortstop Peyton Sockwell leads the defensive effort with 92 assists this season. He has helped turn 14 double plays so far.  

ASUN STANDINGS
T-1. Liberty (29-11, 9-3 ASUN)
T-1. FGCU (27-14, 9-3 ASUN)
3. Stetson (18-22, 7-5 ASUN)
4. UNF (23-17, 8-6 ASUN)
5. Jacksonville (21-19, 7-8 ASUN)
6. Lipscomb (21-19, 5-7 ASUN)
7. Kennesaw State (19-23, 5-7 ASUN)
8. North Alabama (11-29, 5-9 ASUN)
9. NJIT (12-21-1, 4-11 ASUN)

THE STRENGTH OF THE CONFERENCE
•     The ASUN currently has four teams in the top-130 RPI ranking: Liberty (65), North Florida (106), Jacksonville (117) and FGCU (126).
•     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 played 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 included 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 592-351-3 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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