FORT MYERS, Fla. – Behind a quality start from senior Mason Studstill (Titusville, Fla./Rockledge HS/Miami/Eastern Florida State), the FGCU baseball team (8-4) took game one of its weekend series against USF (7-4), earning a 7-1 win on Friday night at Swanson Stadium. Studstill (2-0) tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and fanned seven batters, while scattering three hits and issuing two walks.

With the win, the Eagles snapped the Bulls' seven-game winning streak and earned their fourth victory over USF this season.

"Anytime you win on Friday night, especially in the state of Florida, it's a special night," head coach Dave Tollett said. "Richie (Garcia), Marc (Coffers) and Johnny (Long) had great offensive nights for us and Mason Studstill was fabulous once again. He had an awesome start and that's the sort of thing that gives us a chance to win. That kind of start and the offense that we had make for a pretty great partnership."

FGCU got on the board quickly during the Friday tilt, putting up its first run of the night in the opening frame. Senior Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) tallied the team's first hit when he roped a double and eventually crossed home plate after a USF miscue, putting the team up 1-0.

The Eagles continued their scoring in the top of the third with a pair of runs from seniors Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS) and Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS), both of whom came in on junior Alejandro Figueredo's (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) double. The offense then continued to have success in the following frame, as Coffers' RBI single plated freshman Johnny Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and extended the Green & Blue lead to 4-0.

While FGCU's offense continued to tack on runs, Studstill held USF's scoreless. The right-hander allowed a combined four baserunners in his opening four innings of work before sitting down six-straight in the fifth and sixth frames.

In the home team's half of the sixth, the Bulls made their first pitching change of the game, ending the night for freshman starter Jack Jasiak. Junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) led off with a single and eventually came around to score after a dirt ball got past USF's catcher. Garcia, who had reached with a base knock, then added a run of his own when Coffers' RBI single pushed him across. The run, which was Garcia's second of the night, handed the Eagles a 6-0 advantage.

The Bulls had one of their best chances to score in the top of the seventh when they were able to push a pair of two-out runners on, but Studstill worked around them and ended the frame with a punchout. In FGCU's half of the inning, Garcia cranked out his second double to bring in Long, plating the Eagles' seventh and final run of the ballgame.

Freshman Najer Victor (Philadelphia, Pa./East Ridge HS) took over the mound at the top of the eighth and USF was able to gain some momentum from the pitching change, as back-to-back walks allowed the team to get runners into scoring position. A blooper into left field then scored the visiting team's first run of the night, but Victor ended the inning with a strikeout. In his final frame of work, the rookie retired the Bulls in order, preserving the Eagles' 7-1 margin of victory.

The teams will continue the series with a 5 p.m. game on Saturday, March 13 in Tampa. Though the game at the USF Baseball Stadium will only be opened to a pre-determined pass list, there will be a stream on ESPN+.

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 616-369-3 overall record (.626) 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 84 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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