FORT MYERS, Fla. --- For the first time in program history, the FGCU baseball team has been honored as a recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Award.
 
The Eagles were one of 94 NCAA Division I programs to earn the honor and one of just three teams in the ASUN to make the list along with Liberty and Bellarmine.
 
"We take great pride as a program in classroom performance," FGCU baseball head coach Dave Tollett said. "I'm happy for our guys because they worked hard for this recognition."
 
This past year, FGCU posted a 3.22 GPA, highlighted by a 3.34 GPA in the fall semester. The Eagles have recorded 10 consecutive semesters with at least a 3.0 semester GPA. Senior pitcher Mason Studstill also earned a spot on the ASUN's All-Academic Team.
 
FGCU finished 28-20 overall this past year, including a 12-6 record in the ASUN. The Eagles won the South Division regular season title before falling to eventual ASUN champion, Jacksonville, in the conference tournament.
 
In order to be considered for the ABCA Team Academic Award, a team must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the 2020-21 academic year.

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its nearly 13,000 members represent all 50 states and 33 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.
 
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COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 636-385-3 overall record (.623) and a 211-115 (.647) 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 58 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 42 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 3.38 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2021 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2020 Fall, 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.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--