FGCU-Hofstra Game 1 | FGCU-Hofstra Game 2 | 2023 FGCU schedule
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 2023 FGCU baseball team (3-0) continued its opening-weekend offensive dominance Saturday, racking up 17 hits and 20 runs for a doubleheader sweep of Hofstra at Swanson Stadium. The Green & Blue won the seven-inning first game 7-2, and tacked on a 10-7 victory in the nine-inning nightcap.
 
"We have guys in the top of the lineup who can really swing the bat, and with the bottom of the lineup hitting like they are – we can have some really crooked innings," said FGCU head baseball coach Dave Tollett.
 
Redshirt senior outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) went 1-for-4 in the first game and was 2-for-3 in the second – increasing his streak of reaching base to 72 games. Senior designated hitter Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) went 3-4or-4 with two RBIs in the first game, and drove in three runs in the second.
 
Junior infielder/catcher Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./Delray American Heritage HS) belted his second homer in as many days in the first game, and junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) went deep for the second straight day in the finale.
 
FGCU picked up where they left off Friday night with Saturday's opener, roughing up Hofstra starter Cade Henry for five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Lojewski smacked a two-run single in the second inning, and the Eagles added another run in the third via a Pride balk.
 
Lojewski wasn't done, as he launched his second homer in as many games down the left-field line in the fourth to make it 4-0. Figueredo then singled in another run for a 5-0 FGCU advantage.
 
Junior lefty Mason Miller (Odessa, Fla./Mitchell HS) was solid in his first start of the season, striking out six over 4 2/3 innings. Hofstra managed two runs in the top of the fifth against him to make it 5-2, but redshirt sophomore reliever Connor O'Hara (St. Thomas Aquinas HS) shut the Pride down in the final 2 1/3 innings.
 
"Mason was really solid, one of the best games I have seen him throw," Tollett said. "We always thought it would one day be him and Woody, and he showed that it could be a really good 1-2 combination for us."
 
The Green & Blue added its final two runs in the sixth when Figueredo doubled in a run and senior first baseman Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla/Venice HS) added a sacrifice fly for the final tally.
 
Game 2 saw Hofstra take an early 3-1 lead on FGCU senior Tyler Tipton (Tampa, Fla. Gaither HS South Florida State), only to ignite a five-run rally in the fifth inning. Figueredo began the outburst with a sacrifice fly, Kinker followed with an RBI double to left, Rodriguez laced a two-run single to left and Felix belted a two-run homer.
 
"Boy we got it rolling there in the fifth, scoring six runs quickly," Tollett said. "It was bang, bang, bang like a punt return."
 
Figueredo kept the offense rolling in the sixth, launching his first homer of the season – a towering shot that ricocheted off the left-field light pole – for a 9-3 lead.
 
Hofstra added a run in the seventh to make it 9-4 and made it interesting in the eighth – scoring three two-out runs after an FGCU error to narrow the Eagles' lead to 9-7. But Lojewski struck again with an RBU single in the bottom half for the final margin.
 
The two teams finish the series at noon Sunday.
 
All games in this weekend's FGCU-Hofstra series will be broadcast on EagleVision, which is available free on the FGCUAthletics.com site. CLICK HERE to see the individual game schedule and links to specific broadcasts.
 
FGCU baseball tickets can be purchased online at www.FGCUTickets.com or at the Alico Arena box office. No pets or emotional support animals are allowed at Swanson Stadium. Only certified service animals are allowed.
 
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.
 
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, MINI PLANS AVAILABLE  
Tickets for the 2023 FGCU baseball season are on sale now and can be purchased by going online to www.FGCUTickets.com or calling 866-FGCU-TIX. Group tickets can also be purchased for 10 or more people – making a memorable evening for families, businesses, or other organizations.  
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 674-408-3 overall record (.621) and a 228-118 (.659) 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 63 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, two National Freshman All-Americans, 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 (https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/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 https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.  
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 94 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 47 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & 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 26 consecutive semesters. The past six semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative 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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