FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (17-10, 5-2 ASUN) used an explosive, 17-hit performance to take down Jacksonville (7-19, 0-7 ASUN) 18-4 on Friday night at Swanson Stadium. The 18 runs are the most that the Eagles have ever put up against the Dolphins in the 13-year history between the teams.

Upon completion of the game, head coach Dave Tollett announced some schedule changes for the remainder of the series. Due to the possibility of inclement weather on Sunday, the teams will now play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10. The first game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start with game two to follow approximately 30 minutes after its completion. Both contests will be nine innings.

The Eagles' entire lineup boosted them to the series-opening victory, as 10 different players had hits. Redshirt-sophomore Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) led the team with his 4-for-5 effort at the plate, adding a pair of RBI and as many runs.

"It was a great night for us," Tollett said. "We came out really good, really strong and put up eight in the first two. It felt like we were firing on all cylinders from an offensive standpoint and I was really pleased with our effort."

FGCU's offense was hot out of the gate, putting up a combined eight unanswered runs early in the game. The Eagles used four RBI singles spread across the first two innings before sophomore Joe Kinker's (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) three-run bomb capped off the early scoring in the bottom of the second. His seventh home run of the year plated both Ellis and senior Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS), putting the home team on top 8-0.

Senior starter Mason Studstill (Titusville, Fla./Rockledge HS/Miami/Eastern Florida State) retired the side in the first and worked around a runner that advanced to scoring position in the second. Though a two-out single allowed Jacksonville to get on the board in the top of the third, the Eagles were able to get out of the inning with a 9-5-6-7 putout at third base when a runner tried to extend a double into a triple.

FGCU continued to tack on to its advantage over the next two frames. Garcia skied a sac fly into left field to plate sophomore Alejandro Rodriguez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State) in the third, re-extending the team's lead to 9-1. Senior Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS) then led off the bottom of the fourth with an opposite-field home run, his second of the season. After loading up the bases with just one out on the board, the Eagles were able to push an additional three runs across thanks to Rodriguez getting plunked, a wild pitch and a bases-loaded RBI walk from Garcia.

Following a pair of scoreless frames, a two-run shot allowed the Dolphins to tag Studstill up once again in the top of the sixth. Though the runs trimmed the lead down to 13-3, the margin was not held for long as Garcia collected his fourth RBI of the night in the home team's half of the inning with a single that drove in Rodriguez.

With 6.0 innings under his belt, Studstill was relieved at the top of the seventh by redshirt-freshman Levi Shuck (Cape Coral, Fla./Canterbury HS). The senior finished his quality start with six punchouts while scattering six hits and left the game lined up for the win. Shuck retired the side in his first inning of work, taking a pair down on strikes.

FGCU's offense continued to apply pressure to Jacksonville and quickly juiced the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. The team went on to put up a four-spot, as Wilmer, Farrow, freshman Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./American Heritage Delray) and senior Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) all scored. Coffers additionally picked up an RBI, as he kicked off the scoring when he was plunked with the bases loaded. The additional four runs boosted FGCU to a 18-3 margin over the visiting Dolphins.

Jacksonville plated an unearned run in the following frame using an RBI single, bringing the game to its final 18-4 margin. Though the Eagles had one final chance to score in the bottom of the eighth when sophomore Jalen Townsend (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) tallied his first hit of the year with a pinch-hit single, the team was unable to drive in any additional runs.

Shuck finished his night after tossing 2.0 innings and fanning a season-best three batters. He was relieved by redshirt-sophomore David Mata (Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast HS/Bethune-Cookman/College of Central Florida) at the start of the ninth, marking the first appearance of the newcomer's FGCU career. The Dolphins were able to load up the bases, but Mata got out of the jam and ended the game.

Friday's performance marks the Eagles' fourth multi-home run game of the year. The 17 hits are the most that the team has churned out in 2021, as are the 18 runs. With his effort, Coffers is now just two hits away from joining Garcia in the career 200 club. On the other end, Studstill needs two more strikeouts to tie former Eagle and current major leaguer Richard Bleier (2006-08) for 10th in the program's career record book (181).  

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.

ASUN Roundup
South Division Standings

School	ASUN	Overall
Stetson	5-1	19-10
FGCU	5-2	17-10
UNF	3-3	9-14
Jacksonville	0-7	7-19

North Division Standings

School	ASUN	Overall
Liberty	6-1	19-8
Kennesaw State	5-2	17-8
Bellarmine	5-7	10-17
Lipscomb	4-6	11-14
North Alabama	3-7	4-23

Recent Results
Friday, April 9
Bellarmine 7, Northern Illinois 4
Kennesaw State 8, North Alabma 2
Liberty 4, Lipscomb 1
FGCU 18, Jacksonville 4

Upcoming Games
Saturday, April 10
Jacksonville at FGCU - 1 p.m.
Kennesaw State at North Alabama - 3 p.m. 
Lipscomb at Liberty - 4 p.m. 
Bellarmine at Southern Illinois - 7 p.m. 

Sunday, April 11
Lipscomb at Liberty - 1 p.m. 
Kennesaw State at North Alabama - 2 p.m. 

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 626-374-3 overall record (.625) and a 204-111 (.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 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 40 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 23 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall 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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