FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU softball team will welcome five programs to the Nest this weekend as part of the three-day tournament taking place Friday-Sunday at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Teams Competing
Fordham
Harvard
Michigan State
Southern Illinois*
UMass Lowell
*- Not on FGCU's schedule
The Green & Blue
The Eagles enter the weekend with an overall 8-3 record, most recently falling to then No. 24-ranked Arkansas, 4-1. At the dish,
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, FL/Sebring HS) leads the team in batting with a .485 average with seven stolen bases.
Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA/FSW/Harrison HS) and
McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt HS) have each driven eight runs apiece. Vaughn is second in batting average sitting at .429.
In the circle, the pitching staff owns a collective 1.57 ERA.
Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, CT/FSW/Holy Cross) is 4-1 with a 1.31 ERA while
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, FL/South Sumter HS) is 4-2, boasting a 1.70 ERA.
2020 Game Tickets
Single game tickets are good for all games occurring on a single day and are $7 for adults, $5 for youth (ages 3-15), and $5 for current or former US military service members.
Groups of 15 or more can enjoy a day at the ballpark with reserved block seating, group activities, and the choice of free FGCU gear or concessions. Packages start at just $7 per person. Call the ticket office at 239-590-7145 for more information or to book your group.
The Spring Frequent Flyer Pass allows multiple entries into Softball and Baseball during the 2020 regular season. Passes are available for 15, 30, and 60 entries for any regular season home game. They can be used in any combination until the pass is exhausted. Passes cost $60 for 15 entries, $105 for 30 entries, and $180 for 60 entries. Single game tickets and Frequent Flyer Passes can be purchased in advance online at FGCUTickets.com or over the phone at 239-590-7145.
Fordham
The Rams enter the Nest with a 1-9 record. Offensively, Sarah Taffet (.353) and Madie Aughinbaugh (.333) are both hitting .300 plus as Taffet has a team-best seven RBI. Four different pitchers have been utilized this season for the squad – Aughinbaugh and Devon Miller have thrown 20 plus innings each.
FGCU trails the all-time series, 0-2.
Harvard
The Crimson will be opening its 2020 season this weekend at the FGCU Softball Complex. In 2019, the team produced a 25-19 record going 16-5 in the Ivy League. This year they were picked to finish third in their respective conference and have added seven newcomers to the lineup after graduating their top 3 hitters.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 1-0.
Michigan State
MSU is 1-7 entering the weekend and are led by Erica Holt at the dish who's batting .462. In the circle, three pitchers have seen action as Ali Walker holds a 2.14 ERA in six appearances.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 4-2.
UMass Lowell
The River Hawks are 2-3 this spring and are returning back to the diamond after a one-week layoff. In five games, Sarah Ratcliffe is batting .444, while Maria Moccio has produced a team-best seven RBI. The pitching staff owns a collective 5.30 ERA as Lovina Capria is 2-0, throwing 15 innings of work.
This will be the first meeting between both programs.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.
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COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 18th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 650-340-3 (.657), going 147-90 (.620) in the ASUN, having 13 seasons with a winning record, and nine campaigns with 35 wins. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 81 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus 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 women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
