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TROY, Ala. – Fresh off a rare series victory at then-No. 16 Florida State, the 24^th-ranked FGCU baseball team (10-2) continues its road trip Tuesday and Wednesday with a two-game set against undefeated Troy. First pitch both nights is set for 7 p.m. ET from Riddle-Pace Field, and both games are available to view on ESPN+.
 
The Eagles vaulted into the Baseball America Top 25 after taking the first two games against the Seminoles last weekend – the first time FSU lost a non-Power 5 series at home since Cal State-Fullerton went to Dick Howser Stadium and took two of three games in February 1993 – a span of 30 years.
 
Although FGCU lost Sunday's series finale to end a six-game winning streak, the Green & Blue visits Troy sporting its best pre-conference record in the program's 21-year history.
 
Standing in the Eagles' way Tuesday and Wednesday is an 11-0 Trojans squad that has matched the 1990 Troy baseball team for the second-best start in program history. Playing exclusively at home so far in 2023, the Trojans offensively are one of the top teams in the nation – averaging 2.64 home runs per game and sporting the second-highest slugging percentage among all of Division I at .655.
 
Troy outfielder Shane Lewis was named national player of the week by Collegiate Baseball, leading the Trojans to a midweek victory over UAB and a weekend sweep of USC-Upstate. Lewis hit a team-high .615, going 8-for-13 at the plate with 14 RBIs, four home runs, and five runs scored.
 
Not to be outdone, FGCU ranks eighth nationally with 26 home runs, ninth with a .339 team batting average, and is 11^th in the country by hitting 2.17 home runs per game. The Eagles are also ninth in the country by getting hit by a pitch 28 times, and 10^th in slugging percentage at .611.
 
Three Eagles are hitting over .400 – senior first baseman Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) leads the way at .420, junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) is hitting .408 and senior infielder Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) is at .404.
 
Felix has smacked six home runs this season, and Kinker has four – which gives him 46 in his Green & Blue career and has drawn him even with Nick Rivera (2013-17) for FGCU's all-time home run record.
 
Redshirt senior outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) belted a three-run shot Sunday against Florida State, extending his streak of reaching base to a school-record 81 games – 20 games shy of the 101-game NCAA record.
 
FGCU expects to start freshman left-hander Chase Kriebel (Shippenville, Pa./Clarion HS) on the mound. Troy will counter with junior right-hander Ben Thompson.
 
The Green & Blue return to Tallahassee on Friday for a three-game series at Florida A&M. FGCU returns home 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 681-410-3 overall record (.622) 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. 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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