FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU baseball team (1-6) dropped its Sunday afternoon rubber match to Kent State (4-3), as it fell 4-0 at Swanson Stadium. The result marked the first time all season that the Eagles have been shut out.

Junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty HS) and senior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) combined for the team's three hits during what proved to be a quiet game for the Eagles' offense.

"I thought we got a great start from Joey Mugavero," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We just need to figure things out. If we're not going to swing the bats, we need to play better defense because I thought we could've made plays to prevent all four of those runs."

After six-straight batters were sat down by FGCU's junior starter Joey Mugavero (Estero, FL/FSW), the Golden Flashes were able to get something going in the top of the third. An RBI double plated the their first run and the team tried to tack on another, but senior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/ Viera HS) made the play at the dish to keep Eric Wentz from scoring.

The visitors' second RBI double of the day got Kent State back into the run column in the top of the fifth. An overthrown ball earlier in the frame prevented the run from counting against Mugavero, but the Golden Flashes were still able to earn the 2-0 edge.

FGCU made a pitching change an inning later, bringing senior Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) out from the bullpen. Mugavero finished his first start as an Eagle after tossing 5.2 frames. He scattered five hits, struck out two and was charged with one earned run.

On its side of things, FGCU struggled against Kent State's starter Ryan Lane. Garcia opened things up with a double in the first inning, but then the team went silent until another two-bagger by Ellis in the fifth. The Eagles were unable to plate either runner as they were held scoreless.

The Golden Flashes struck again in the seventh, as they put up a two-spot to extend their lead. Kent State's Ben Carew began the scoring with a single that brought in teammate Kevin Dobos, which finished the day for Gruszecki. Freshman Ronaldo Gallo (Miami, FL/Miami Southridge) took over with two away and, after allowing an inherited runner to score, forced a groundout to sophomore Hunter Fornari (Daytona Beach, FL/Spruce Creek HS) for out number three. Neither of the runs that scored were earned, as a dropped third strike and an inaccurate throw had prolonged the inning.  

With one out on the board, Ellis singled to left center in the top of the ninth, giving the home team a spark of hope. However, a fielder's choice and a punchout closed out the game and handed Kent State the overall series win.

Junior Nikolas Bitner (Palm Coast, FL/Indian River State) relieved Gallo in the top of the eighth, and held Kent State scoreless the rest of the way. He fanned two of the five batters that he faced and did not let up any hits. 

Mugavero was ultimately tagged with the loss, moving him to 0-1 on the season. Of Kent State's four runs scored, only one was earned as errors proved to be a problem for the Eagles for the second-straight game. FGCU tallied eight miscues combined over the final two matchups of the series.

FGCU now has its sights set on a midweek game against Eastern Michigan (1-5), which is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The blue out game at Swanson Stadium will be broadcasted on FoxSports Radio by David Moulton and, as always, will be streamed on YouTube Live.

For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 600-364-3 overall record (.622) and a 199-109 (.646) 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 five-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to five 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, 33 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 13 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.

E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT!
Single game tickets, group packages, and Spring Frequent Flyer Passes are on sale now. 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 enties.
 
Single game tickets and Frequent Flyer Passes can be purchased in advance online at FGCUTickets.com or over the phone at 239-590-7145.

#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 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.
 
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