FGCU-Liberty series notes | FGCU-Liberty live stats
2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule
FORT MYERS, Fla. – After a nearly two-week road trip that saw a historic series victory and more national attention garnered, the No. 20 FGCU baseball team (14-3) returns to Swanson Stadium to begin ASUN Conference play this weekend against a premier opponent – the Liberty Flames.
First pitch for FGCU-Liberty on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m., with Saturday's game scheduled at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon. The games will not be available for broadcast.
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.
Liberty (7-9) was the preseason choice to win the conference in the ASUN Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll, with FGCU third behind the Flames and Kennesaw State. But it has been the Green & Blue that has put the nation on notice with one of the hottest starts in collegiate baseball.
The Eagles earned a huge road non-conference series victory at then-No. 16 Florida State as part of an eight-game road trip that also included a two-game sweep of Troy and a series win at Florida A&M. The series victory against the Seminoles marked the first time FSU lost a non-Power 5 series in Tallahassee since Cal State-Fullerton went to Dick Howser Stadium and took two of three games in February 1993 – a span of 30 years. FGCU also won its first weekend series against a ranked opponent since 2013 – when the Eagles swept No. 13 Florida in Gainesville.
That FSU series win earned the Eagles their first top-25 national ranking (No. 24 in NCBWA), and the subsequent four victories against Troy and Florida A&M vaulted the Green & Blue into the No. 20 spot in the Baseball America poll.
Senior first baseman
Joe Kinker (
North Port, Fla./Venice HS) has swatted seven home runs this season, including his 47
th career blast in the first Troy victory that earned him FGCU's all-time homer record. Kinker is hitting .408 with seven doubles and 28 RBIs – also FGCU bests in 2023.
Senior infielder
Alejandro Figueredo (
Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) isn't far behind Kinker, boasting a .406 batting average with five doubles, five home runs, and 17 RBIs.
Redshirt senior outfielder
Brian Ellis (
Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) continues in his consummate leadoff role – as he has extended his school-record steak of reaching base to 86 games. That is just 15 games shy of the 101-game NCAA record set by Mark Payton of Texas from 2013-14.
FGCU expects to start junior left-hander
Alejandro Valiente (
Bayamon, Puerto Rico/FSW/Bethune-Cookman) Friday night. He will oppose Liberty left-hander Garrett Horn.
The Flames enter the weekend's ASUN opener mired in a four-game losing streak, including a 12-5 home setback against No. 4 Wake Forest on Wednesday night.
Cather Gray Betts is the only Liberty player hitting over .300 this season, at .305, as the team is hitting just .228 so far with 11 home runs. Liberty does lead the all-time series against FGCU 7-3, including a three-game winning streak.
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 685-411-3 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 96 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 48 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 and No. 23 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 20 in 2023), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022), and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as five 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 3.66 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 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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