Box Score FGCU-Florida A&M box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Needing a clutch effort to maintain a wave of positive momentum, the No. 24 FGCU baseball team (13-3) got it at the perfect time – turning in a two-run ninth inning Saturday night for a 9-8 victory over Florida A&M at Moore-Kittles Field.
Junior infielder
Edrick Felix (
Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Senior pitcher/outfielder
Stephen Wilmer (
Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and sophomore outfielder
Harrison Povey (
Indian Rocks Beach, Fla./Largo HS) was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Redshirt senior outfielder
Brian Ellis (
Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) was hitless, but was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth to extend his streak of reaching base to a school-record 85 games – 16 games shy of the 101-game NCAA record.
Not only did Ellis getting plunked drive in a run, but the captain also drove in the winning run via a ninth-inning sacrifice fly that scored Felix from third. Wilmer's base hit earlier in the inning drove in senior outfielder
Jalen Townsend (
Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) to tie the game.
FGCU won the game despite not hitting a home run for only the second game this season. The Green & Blue have mustered just two extra-base hits in two games against the Rattlers (6-10) this weekend.
FGCU senior reliever
L.J. McDonough (
Blanchard, Okla./Blanchard HS/Wichita State) struck out seven over the final three innings to earn his first win of 2023.
"Great win for us today, great grind win," said FGCU head baseball coach
Dave Tollett. "L.J. was really good for us, we got some good clutch hitting from the guys and earned another come-from-behind win."
Florida A&M grabbed an early lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first via a Will Brown RBI single and an Adam Haidermota two-run single. But FGCU narrowed it to 3-1 in the top of the second on an RBI single by junior catcher
Mac Moise (
Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS).
The Eagles narrowed it further when the Rattlers kicked an Ellis grounder in the third to score Povey, and took the lead with a four-run fourth. Ellis' HBP scored the first run, Povey followed with a sacrifice fly, senior infielder
Alejandro Figueredo (
Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) roped an RBI single, and Florida A&M booted a senior first baseman
Joe Kinker (
North Port, Fla./Venice HS) fly ball to make it 6-3.
Florida A&M scored in the bottom of the fourth via an FGCU error, but the Eagles got that run back in the seventh via a sacrifice fly from junior infielder/pitcher
Jacob Lojewski (
West Palm Beach, Fla./Delray American Heritage HS) for a 7-4 lead.
That lead dissolved in the bottom of the seventh in a three-run Rattlers flurry. Ty Hanchey hit a solo homer, Jared Weber doubled in a run and Ty Jackson added a sacrifice fly. Florida A&M then grabbed an 8-7 lead in the eighth via a Weber sacrifice fly.
Down to their final three outs, however, FGCU came through in the ninth. Wilmer popped an 0-1 pitch to right to drive in Townsend to tie it, and Ellis lifted a full-count offering to center to bring in Felix for the winning run. Florida A&M had its chances in the bottom of the ninth, putting two runners on base, but McDonough got the final two Rattlers to strike out looking to clinch the victory.
The Eagles and Rattlers finish the three-game series at noon Sunday. FGCU is back at Swanson Stadium on March 17-19 for its ASUN Conference-opening series against Liberty.
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 684-411-3 overall record (.623) 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 95 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. Nine FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), baseball (No. 24 in 2023), 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.
---FGCUATHLETICS.COM---
