TAMPA, Fla. – After 347 days without a game, the FGCU baseball team (2-0) opened up its 2021 slate by downing USF (0-2) in both games of the doubleheader played at the USF Baseball Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles first claimed a 4-1 victory before downing the Bulls 11-6 in game two.

Senior Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) led the team at the plate in both games, finishing his day a combined 4-8 and adding three RBI. He became the 15th player in program history to reach 200 career hits with his single in the first game and in the second game he cranked out his 21st career home run. The infielder needs just four more to pass former Eagle Jason Louwsma (2005-06) for fourth all-time in program history.

"What a day for our team against a really good ballclub," head coach Dave Tollett said. "These were two completely different games. The first was a dog fight between the pitchers and the second was a more complete game for our team. In the first one, I was really impressed with our clutch hitting late in the game and our relievers (Mugavero, McGarry). Richie just had a great day all the way around and Kinker hit really well, too. This was a great start to the season against a great team on a day where it could have easily gone either way."

FGCU 4, USF 1
The first game of the day was a pitchers' duel between senior Mason Studstill (Titusville, Fla./Rockledge HS/Miami/Eastern Florida State) and the Bulls' starter, Jasiak. Sophomore Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) tallied the Eagles' first hit of the year with a single in the second, but things were otherwise relatively quiet for both teams through the opening innings.

The Bulls loaded up the bases in the fourth, but Studstill responded with a strikeout and then forced an out to centerfield to get out of the jam. The Eagles had a solid chance a few innings later when freshman Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./American Heritage Delray) led things off with his first career hit, but USF was able to keep the slate clean.

After six scoreless innings of work, Studstill was relieved at the start of the home team's half of the seventh by junior Joey Mugavero (Estero, Fla./Estero HS/Florida Southwestern State). The Preseason All-ASUN pick tossed a quality start, as he scattered six hits, walked two and fanned seven.

Mugavero allowed just three baserunners over the course of 2.1 innings before handing the ball over to junior Gus Carter (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern State) in the bottom of the ninth. Carter faced one batter before senior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, Fla./Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida-Manatee) came out of the bullpen and retired the side, sending the game into extras.

After nine innings of scoreless baseball, FGCU became the first team to strike in the top of the 10th when Garcia's second single brought in redshirt-sophomore Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) and senior Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS). With two outs on the board, the scoring continued after a USF miscue plated both Garcia and junior Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State).

In the home team's half of the frame, the Bulls used a pair of singles to score a run of their own that trimmed the Green & Blue's lead to 4-1. McGarry battled back and ended the game with a strikeout, earning his first win of the season.

With the victory, the Eagles improved to 11-8 all-time in season-openers.
 
FGCU 11, USF 6
FGCU's offense exploded almost immediately in the second game of the day, as the team put up a first inning three spot thanks to freshman Johnny Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Ellis, who each tallied RBI. In their half of the frame, the Bulls responded with a sac fly that plated a run, but the 3-1 deficit was the closest that they ever got to the visiting team as the Eagles continued to score.

The Green & Blue put up all of the second game's runs during a five-inning span that was kicked off in the second and ran through the seventh. Both Garcia and Kinker homered during the stretch.

Though the scoring was relatively spread out, the Eagles did a majority of their damage in the fifth. In addition to Kinker's two-run homer, Ellis pushed across a pair of runs with a single that plated both sophomores Alejandro Rodriguez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State) and Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/ECU/Pasco-Hernando State). In the following frame, FGCU completed its scoring spurt with two additional runs from Figueredo and Wilmer.

Freshman Mason Miller (Odessa, Fla./Mitchell HS) made his first collegiate start during the second game, but handed things over to junior Tyler Shuck (Cape Coral, Fla./Canterbury HS) after 2.1 innings of work. Shuck then tossed 4.0 frames of relief, allowing just one earned run while fanning a career-high six batters. He handed things over to freshman Jason Woodward (Titusville, Fla./Titusville HS) in the bottom of the seventh, who allowed one of the inherited runners to score before recording the final two outs of the inning. After settling in, the rookie retired five-straight Bulls.

USF tried to use its final three outs to its full advantage by capitalizing off another Green & Blue pitching change. Redshirt-freshman Levi Shuck (Cape Coral, Fla./Canterbury HS) was tasked with closing things out for the Eagles, but a miscue extended the inning and allowed three unearned runs to come in. Despite the momentum starting to shift in the Bulls' favor, Shuck battled back and handed the Eagles their 11-6 victory.

For his relief effort, the older of the Shuck brothers (Tyler) was awarded his first win of the season.

Up Next
The Eagles and the Bulls will close out the season-opening series at Swanson Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 21. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at The Nest. For further information regarding game coverage and tickets, click HERE.

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 609-365-3 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!
 
#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 83 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 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 (No. 24, 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 (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each 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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