FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU baseball team (4-7) will kick off a nine-game home swing with a midweek contest against Pepperdine (10-1) on Tuesday, March 3 at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. against the Waves and the action will be streamed on YouTube Live for fans that cannot attend. It will be the first meeting in the history between the two teams.
The Eagles are back at home following a weekend in which they took two-of-three games from Bethune-Cookman on the road in Daytona Beach. The Eagles claimed back-to-back wins on Friday and Saturday to earn the series lead before dropping the finale on Sunday. Saturday's game tied the program's record for the longest played, as it went into 16 innings.
He CAM do it
In his final campaign with the Green and Blue, senior
Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS) has been getting it done for the team. A four-year senior, he has played in the outfield throughout his baseball career until this weekend when he started all three games at second base. In the infield, he racked up six assists en route to posting a perfect fielding percentage through the series.
Krzeminski also leads the team offensively, slashing .353/.412/.389. He has one double to his credit so far and has added three RBI.
Run Coffers, Run
When senior
Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) gets into scoring position, the Eagles feel confident. The center fielder has scored a team-high six runs this season and of that total, half have been clutch for FGCU. His run against Eastern Michigan walked the visiting Eagles off 3-2, he scored the final insurance run during the 16-inning victory over Bethune-Cookman and when he scored in Sunday's game against the Wildcats, it prevented FGCU from being shut out.
The Swiss Army Knife
Senior
Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) has appeared all over the infield this season, from the hot corner to shortstop to second base. His 34 assists pace the Eagles and are the third-most of any player in the league. With 341 throughout his career, he has passed former MLB player Casey Coleman (FGCU 2006-08) for eighth in the program's record book. With 70 more, he will enter the team's all-time top five.
The New Arm
Freshman
Ronaldo Gallo (Miami, FL/Miami Southridge) has been making waves in his first season playing collegiate baseball. Last week, the rookie tossed a combined 9.3 innings and allowed two hits, one earned run, three walks and 10 strikeouts. His week was highlighted by the second game against Bethune-Cookman, which he closed out after entering in the 11th inning, earning him his first career win.
With an average of 2.51 his allowed per nine innings, he is currently ninth among all players in NCAA Division I.
Scouting the Waves
Pepperdine will travel across Alligator Alley to play the Eagles after taking on FIU in a three-game series over the weekend. The Waves, who swept the Panthers, outscored their hosts 30-12. Overall, the team has won all but one of its 11 games. The lone loss was an 8-2 decision at the hands of No. 6 UCLA.
Pepperdine is another team on this year's non-conference slate that has a long history with the NCAA Tournament. The Waves, who won the College World Series in 1992, have played in 30 regionals since the program's inception in 1939.
As a team, Pepperdine is ranked by numerous polls this season. Their highest ranking, at No. 22, comes from the Collegiate Baseball poll, but they are also ranked by D1Baseball (24).
Offensively, the visiting team has power throughout the lineup and has outscored opponents 73-37. Five different players have combined for 26 extra-base hits, led by junior Billy Cook's four homers, one triple and one double. Four of the team's starters are batting over .300 and the team has stolen 10 bags through its 11 games.
As a staff, the Waves own a 2.74 ERA and have allowed an average of seven hits per game. Five different players have double-digit punchouts, led by redshirt-sophomore Cooper Chandler's 20. He is followed closely by redshirt-junior Wil Jensen, who has fanned 18. Â
What to Watch
The Ranked Opponent: Pepperdine is the first nationally-ranked opponent that the Eagles have faced this season. Overall, FGCU owns a 21-50-1 mark against nationally-ranked teams, which includes a 5-16-1 record at Swanson Stadium.
The Californians: Tuesday's game will be the first that FGCU has played against an opponent that hails from the state of California.
For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online atÂ
www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visitingÂ
www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
COACHÂ TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 603-365-3 overall record (.623) 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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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