FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team will play four games in two days at Kennesaw State as part of the ASUN crossover weekend portion of the slate. FGCU will face three opponents from the North Division – games will not count towards the conference record.
The Green and Blue
This past weekend, FGCU fell to UNF on the road in game one before bouncing back to claim the next two and the series. During that stretch, pitcher
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, Fla./South Sumter HS) posted a 2-0 record in three appearances (two starts). The Bushnell native combined for one shutout, the 3-0 win in game two where she yielded just two hits and fanned two batters in six frames. She was named the ASUN Pitcher of the Week Monday afternoon. Overall, she is 10-4 this season with a 3.70 ERA in 83.1 innings of work.
At the plate,
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, Fla./Sebring HS) is hitting .378 with 22 stolen bases (22-for-23) which is tied for eighth in the nation. Three Eagles have posted double-digit RBI numbers as
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, Fla./Bartram Trail HS) leads the bunch with 20, hitting .322 (second on the team).
Bellarmine
The Knights enter the weekend having dropped two of three games to Marshall on the road. Sydney Young leads the team in batting (.303) and in the RBI column (14). Meanwhile, five pitchers have seen action this year with Carson Goatley posting three wins with a 2.68 ERA.
This will be the first meeting between the programs.
Kennesaw State
The Owls are on a two-game skid, most recently falling to SEC foe Georgia at home, 3-1. Leading the attack is Brea Dickey with a .344 average as she's produced a team-best eight doubles to go along with two triples and three home runs. Taylor Cates though is slugging at a .656-clip, thanks to 11 home runs, which is tied for 20th in the country. She also leads KSU in RBI (25).
In the circle, Melanie Bennett is 11-9 with a 2.40 ERA, tossing just over 125 innings to go along with 14 complete games.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 25-12, and has taken the last four contests. On the road, the Eagles are 8-6.
Lipscomb
The Bisons lineup features three hitters batting over .300 as Amy Vetula spearheads it at .364 and leads the team in stolen bases (11). In the RBI column, Oliva Ward has driven in a team-best 16 runners in 21 games.
In the circle, Breana Burke has tossed the most innings (82.1) and leads Lipscomb in wins (seven) and complete games (10).
FGCU trails the all-time series, 14-19. The last 10 meetings between the Eagles and the Bisons have been split down the middle.
ASUN Standings
South Division
| Place |
Team |
ASUN |
Overall |
| 1. |
FGCU |
10-2 |
19-12 |
| 2. |
Jacksonville |
7-5 |
19-11 |
| 3. |
North Florida |
5-7 |
13-18 |
| 4. |
Stetson |
2-10 |
6-16 |
North Division
| Place |
Team |
ASUN |
Overall |
| 1. |
Kennesaw State |
7-2 |
14-18 |
| 2. |
Liberty |
4-2 |
23-12 |
| 3. |
North Alabama |
5-4 |
17-11 |
| 4. |
Lipscomb |
2-4 |
11-12 |
| 5. |
Bellarmine |
0-6 |
5-18 |
Upcoming Games (Friday, Apr. 9)
Bellarmine @ Kennesaw State (1:30 pm)
Saturday, Apr. 10
North Alabama @ Liberty (2 & 5 pm)
Stetson vs Bellarmine (KSU site, 2:30 pm)
Stetson vs Lipscomb (KSU site, 5 pm)
North Florida @ Jacksonville (3:30 & 5 pm)
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.
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!
COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 19th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 680-357-3 (.655), going 157-92 (.630) in the ASUN, having 14 seasons with a winning record, and nine campaigns with 35 wins. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 85 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 39 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.
