FORT MYERS, Fla. -- FGCU softball welcomes Eastern Kentucky for a three-day, three-game home series beginning Friday at the FGCU Softball Complex.

The FGCU-Eastern Kentucky is the only conference series on the Eagles' schedule that does not include a doubleheader matchup. Game one and Faculty/Staff MVP Night is set for Friday for 5 p.m. Game two  and Military Appreciation Day's first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, while the series finale commencing Sunday at noon. On Sunday, Kids 12 and under will have the opportunity to run the bases postgame.

All three games will be streamed on EagleVison. Individual watch links for a specific game can be located on the 2023 softball schedule on FGCUAthletics.com. Coming out to the ballpark? Tickets can be purchased online at the FGCU Ticket Office and at the Alico Arena Box Office.

Admission is free for FGCU students, faculty, and staff with valid Eagle I.D. No pets or emotional support animals are allowed at the FGCU Softball Complex. Only certified service animals are permitted.

FGCU enters the weekend slate 24-19 and 6-6 in the ASUN Conference after being swept on the road at first-place Central Arkansas. On Tuesday, the Bears took down and shut out No. 9 Arkansas 4-0. EKU is 20-17 overall and 4-8 in league play having swept Jacksonville at home last weekend. The Eagles are tied for sixth eyeing to keep pace in the conference race, while the Colonels are tied for 10th.

Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Eagles and the Colonels on the softball diamond.

The Eagles have won three of four ASUN series this season, including taking two out of three at preseason favorite Liberty. The Colonels are on a four-game win streak but are 1-3 in ASUN series battles, swept by both Liberty and Kennesaw State.

Despite having the fourth-best batting average on the team, EKU's Lou Bowers leads the conference with 34 RBIs and is tied for third with seven home runs. Three Colonels hold a .300-or-better batting average: Barron Vianna, Maggie Pertee, and Jeaney Riley.

In the circle, Laurren Narvaez holds an 11-11 record and a 5.55 as the Colonels' ace. Defensively, EKU ranks No. 29 in the nation in double plays turned per game.

FGCU has found success by utilizing its speed. The mantra has been get on base, put pressure on the opposing pitcher, and cause havoc. The Eagles still reside within the nation's top 10 for the most stolen bases on the season, coming in at eighth overall with 100.

Grambling State continues to hold the national stolen-base mark at 145. FGCU's single-season stolen base record is 145, set back in 2003. The Eagles are a perfect 14-0 on the season when recording three or more stolen bases.

Five Eagles have successfully recorded 10-or-more steals this season, as freshman Emily Chiarella (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) and freshman Olivia Black (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central HS) are tied for the team lead and third in the conference at 19. Jacksonville State's Emma Jones leads the ASUN with 21 steals.

The Eagles' pitching stable has shown flashes of greatness throughout the season courtesy of senior Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS State College of Florida) and junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS).

Bonilla paces the Eagles in the strikeout category, fanning 73 batters. Bonilla has also tossed four shutouts and nine complete games. Hulme has thrown a team-leading 101 innings en route to nine wins. Hulme is also just two strikeouts away from moving into eighth all-time in career strikeouts at FGCU -- she currently has 160 on her resume.

Graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF) continues to be a statistical offensive weapon for the Eagles. Despite going 0-for-9 last weekend at Central Arkansas, Filla still leads the team in batting average (.318), slugging percentage (.519), hits (41) and in RBIs (26).

For up-to-the-minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball, Instagram at fgcusoftball, Facebook, and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.

COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 21st season as head coach in 2023. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the ground up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 730-416-3 (.635) record, gone 182-115 (.613) in the ASUN, had 16 seasons with a winning record and nine campaigns of 35+ wins. Deiros has also led the Eagles to three ASUN regular season championships (2008, 2012, and 2016) and one ASUN Tournament title (2012). In 2012, FGCU defeated No. 5 Florida in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season (2022), FGCU took down both No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Florida once again. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-Up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-Up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.

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 FGCUCampus 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 97 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 in 2021-22 and No. 22 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 15 in 2023), beach volleyball (No. 20 in 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 3.67 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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