FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU baseball team (8-7) will continue its home stand with a midweek game against Georgetown (4-11) on Tuesday, March 10 at Swanson Stadium. First pitch between the Eagles and the Hoyas is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the contest will be a green out. All of the action will be streamed on YouTube Live, which will have David Moulton on the call.
The Eagles are coming off a perfect, 4-0 week during which they picked up a win over No. 22 Pepperdine and swept Saint Joseph's at the Nest. The team has won seven of its last games en route to improving to .533 on the season. The sweep over the Hawks, in which FGCU outscored SJU 22-17, was the Green and Blue's first of the season.
Streaking
Junior
Brian Ellis (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty HS) has reached base safely in all 15 games this season and is currently on a seven-game hitting streak. The outfielder has five multi-hit games under his belt this year, one of which was a three-for-four day against Saint Joseph's (March 8).
The Rookie(s)
In his first season with the Green and Blue, freshman
Kyle Machado (Punta Gorda, FL/Charlotte HS) has solidified his spot in the Eagles' lineup. Batting .304 on the year, he has turned in four doubles, as many RBI and has reached base safely in 11 games. At first base, he has tallied 57 putouts and contributed five assists.
Freshman
Johnny Long (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) has also been heating up in his first season of collegiate baseball. The rookie batted .500 during the series against the Hawks after earning a pair of starts behind the dish. He scored twice, totaled as many RBI and accounted for four total bases. Â
Closing the Door
Seniors
Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/State College of Florida-Manatee) and
Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) have combined for five saves this season, the most of any other duo in the conference. McGarry leads the team with three, while Gruszecki has chipped in two. With 12 throughout his career, McGarry ranks fourth all-time in FGCU's record book. He needs three more to surpass JJ Crumbley (14, 2005-08) and enter the top three.
Doubling Up
With five doubles on the season, senior
Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) paces the Eagles. During two different games this year, he has turned in a pair of extra-base hits. The first time he did so was during the series finale against Tulane (Feb. 16) and he most recently achieved the feat in game two against the Hawks (March 7).
Green Light
As a team, FGCU is 13-14 on stolen bases in 2020. Ellis leads the team, going a perfect six-for-six on the base paths. The six bags are the second-most of any other player in the ASUN Conference. Including Ellis, eight different players have stolen a base this season.
Scouting Georgetown
The Hoyas will come down to Fort Myers from Port Charlotte, where they played in the Snowbird Baseball Classic over the weekend. Georgetown capped off the tournament going 1-2, with the lone victory coming from a 12-4 decision over UIC.
The team owns a 2-6 mark in road contests and has won three of its past 10 games.
Pitching-wise, sophomore southpaw Jack Weeks has stood out this season. A BIG EAST weekly honor roll selection last week, he has notched a 0.47 ERA through 19.0 innings pitched. His 14 punchouts are the third-most on the team and he has been tagged with just one earned run.
From the batter's box, the Hoyas are led by senior AJ Lotsis, who is slashing .339/.508/.426. The outfielder has homered three times and his 12 runs pace the team. His 11 RBI are the second-most on the team, behind senior Freddy Achecar III's 12. Â
Last season, the Hoyas lost four of their arms to the MLB Draft, marking the most selections in program history. Of last year's top eight hitters, senior Ryan Davis is the only returner. This season, he is batting .279 with four extra-base hits and 10 RBI.
What to Watch
The (Not so) New Opponent: While Tuesday's contest will be the first time the two baseball teams have met, FGCU and Georgetown have a storied history. The Hoyas were the first team that men's hoops knocked off during its historic run in the 2013 NCAA tournament. FGCU, the No. 15 seed, downed No. 2 Georgetown by a score of 78-68. The Eagles later went on to become the first No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Garcia's Bat: Senior
Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) is just two knocks away from reaching 200 career hits. Garcia will become the 15th player in program history to surpass the 200-hit mark. Entering the season with 183, he has averaged 61 hits per season in his Green and Blue career.
Construction:Â 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.
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 607-365-3 overall record (.624) 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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--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--
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