FORT MYERS, FL – After upsetting No. 22 Pepperdine on Tuesday, the FGCU baseball team (5-7) will face off against Saint Joseph's (5-5) in a three-game series March 6-8 at Swanson Stadium. The first game is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start on Friday, with contests following at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All of the action will be streamed on YouTube Live and Friday's will be additionally broadcasted on Fox Sports Radio by David Moulton.
The win over the Waves marked FGCU's 22nd over a nationally-ranked opponent. Pepperdine led through the opening innings, but freshman
Kyle Machado's (Punta Gorda, FL/Charlotte HS) first career home run handed the Eagles the lead in the bottom of the fifth and they never trailed from there. Senior
Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS) added an insurance run in the seventh as the team held on to its eventual 6-5 victory.
One-Two Punch
Seniors
Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/State College of Florida-Manatee) and
Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) combined for the win and the save during Tuesday's win. The effort moved McGarry to 2-1 on the season, while Gruszecki earned his second save. As a duo, they tossed 5.2 innings, let up three hits and were not charged with any earned runs during the triumph over the Waves.
Four is the Magic Number
With 196 career hits, senior
Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) needs just four more to surpass 200. In doing so, he would become the 15th player in program history to achieve such a feat. His first three years saw him average 61 knocks per season and he has already cranked out 13 in 2020.
Do Your Job
Junior leadoff man
Brian Ellis (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty HS) has reached base safely in each game this season. The outfielder has had a hit in all but two of this year's contests and has had four multi-hit games, most recently doing so in the clash with Pepperdine. Ellis has also proven his ability as a baserunner, having swiped a team-high four bags.
Weekend Warriors
This weekend, the Eagles will be starting the trio of senior
Mason Studstill (Titusville, FL/Eastern Florida State), junior
Nikolas Bitner (Palm Coast, FL/Indian River State) and freshman
Ronaldo Gallo (Miami, FL/Miami Southridge). Together, they average a 2.98 ERA and have combined for 50 punchouts. Studstill leads the group with a pair of wins (2-0), while Gallo has added one (1-1). Bitner has yet to earn a decision either way (0-0).
Scouting Saint Joe's
The Hawks will travel to Fort Myers having taken two-of-three from North Carolina Central in their most recent series. In addition to those two wins, Saint Joe's has picked up victories over Ohio State, Coastal Carolina and Western Carolina.
Following the series in North Carolina, senior Jordan DiValerio was named the Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Pitcher of the Week. Through six innings of work, he fanned 10 and allowed a single, unearned run during Friday night's win. DiValerio owns a 3-0 record on the season and has struck out a team-best 26 batters. Both his punchouts and his 1.06 ERA lead the A10 Conference.
Offensively, the Hawks are led by senior James McConnon's .370 batting average. In addition to the catcher, both sophomore Nate Thomas (.341) and junior Jake Artz (.308) are also batting above .300. Thomas' four extra-base hits (two doubles, two homers) pace the Hawks, while Artz has also chipped in three stolen bases.
The team has yet to play on its home field in Philadelphia, but owns a 3-1 mark in road contests and a 2-4 record at neutral sites.
What to Watch
Construction: Construction has begun on the new Daktronics videoboard addition to Swanson Stadium, which was part of a $1 million gift generously donated by former FGCU baseball standout and current major league ace Chris Sale and his wife Brianne (FGCU, '16). The target date for the first use of the new board is March 27 when the Eagles host Kennesaw State at Swanson Stadium.
The Friday Guy: Studstill, FGCU's go-to Friday guy this season, leads the Eagles with 24 punchouts. He has one double-digit effort under his belt already and owns a 0.82 WHIP. The Hawks strike out an average of almost 11 times per game, which could provide an exciting matchup for Eagle fans.
Wins and Losses: With a 5-7 mark on the year, this weekend provides the Eagles an opportunity to get their win-loss percentage to at least .500. A sweep would put the team at .533. This weekend also gives the Eagles the chance to further extend their all-time lead over the visiting Hawks, which currently sits at 1-0. The teams first met during a midweek contest in 2005, during which FGCU gutted out a 6-5 win.
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 604-365-3 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!
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 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.
#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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