FGCU-Troy box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule
 
TROY, Ala. – With a national ranking in tow and a growing target on its back, the 24^th-ranked FGCU baseball team served more notice to the rest of the country Tuesday night: Pitch to us at your own risk.
 
The Eagles (11-2) smashed three home runs against Troy, two coming from senior first baseman Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS), en route to a 10-5 road victory at Riddle-Pace Field.
 
The loss was Troy's first this season, dropping the Trojans to 11-1.
 
Kinker's first-inning two-run blast gave him 47 in his illustrious Green & Blue career, breaking the school record of 46 formerly held by Nick Rivera (2013-17). Kinker also added a three-run shot in the seventh to give FGCU a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
 
Kinker was the only Eagle with multiple hits Wednesday against Troy, but he wasn't the only player in the visiting dugout to leave the ballpark – as senior pitcher/outfielder Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU) hit a solo shot in the sixth.
 
Redshirt senior outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) drew a second-inning walk, extending his streak of reaching base to a school-record 82 games – 19 games shy of the 101-game NCAA record.
 
Kinker wasted no time both breaking FGCU's home run record and giving FGCU a 2-0 lead, crushing the first pitch he saw from Troy starter Ben Thompson over the center-field wall.
 
Troy would take the lead back in the fourth when left fielder Shane Lewis cranked a bases-loaded triple down the first-base line to make it 3-2. The Trojans would add two more runs in the fifth via first baseman William Sullivan's RBI double and designated hitter Kyle Mock's RBI single for a 5-2 advantage.
 
FGCU cut into the lead in the sixth on Wilmer's full-count solo homer to right, and took the lead for good when Kinker plastered an 0-1 pitch from Taiga Yamane (0-1) out to right – scoring senior infielder Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) and sophomore outfielder Harrison Povey (Indian Rocks Beach, Fla./Largo HS).
 
The Eagles tacked on four insurance runs in the ninth when junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) drew a bases-loaded walk, the Trojans committed a throwing error resulting in two unearned runs, and sophomore infielder Jake Mummau (Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University HS/St. Petersburg College) singled to left.
 
Junior pitcher Alejandro Valiente (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/FSW/Bethune-Cookman) earned his first victory of the season in a relief role, and senior pitcher Nick Love (Fernandina Beach, Fla./Yulee HS/Central College of Florida/Jacksonville) threw three scoreless innings to earn his second save.
 
The two teams complete the short series at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Troy expects to start freshman right-hander Zack Szabo (0-0, 9.00 ERA).

After that, the Green & Blue return to Tallahassee on Friday for a three-game series at Florida A&M. 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 682-410-3 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. 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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