FGCU-Jacksonville box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule | ASUN scoreboard/schedule | ASUN standings
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 16^th-ranked FGCU baseball team delivered another display of game-changing power Sunday afternoon, as senior designated hitter Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla. Venice HS) belted two of his team's four home runs to defeat Jacksonville 15-7 and earn a key ASUN Conference series victory at Swanson Stadium.
 
FGCU, which has won nine of its last 10 games, improved to 23-5 overall and 7-2 in the ASUN. Jacksonville fell to 19-10 and 5-4. Sunday's victory marked the Eagles' 15^th double-digit scoring effort (all wins) in 28 games, and the Green & Blue average 10.2 runs per game this season.
 
Kinker's two-homer outburst gives him 10 this season, improving on his all-time FGCU record of 52. The Eagles have belted 64 home runs this season – eight against the Dolphins this weekend – and are on pace to shatter the single-season school record of 94 homers set in 2022. FGCU's 13 hits marked the 21^st time it has recorded 10 or more hits in a game this season, and the Eagles are 19-2 in those games. FGCU is also now tied for the ASUN Conference lead with Stetson and Jacksonville State -- all at 7-2.
 
Senior infielder Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) went 3-for-5 on Sunday with an RBI and three runs scored – raising his batting average to a team-high .408. Both Kinker and redshirt senior outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) drove in four runs each.
 
Ellis, who finished 2-for-5 with a walk, extended his school-record streak of reaching bases safely to 97 games. The unofficial NCAA record for consecutive games reaching base is 101, held by former Texas standout Mark Payton.
 
"It isn't the same people producing every game, which makes it great," said FGCU head baseball coach Dave Tollett. "Saturday, it was 5-6-7 (in the batting order) with nine hits. Today it was Ellis and Joe Kinker and Figgy. With so much depth, you don't know where it is going to come from. But you know it is going to come.
 
"We are trying to win every series, win every game. We aren't trying to win just one game. So we like that kind of pressure."
 
Jacksonville started paper-cutting its way to an early lead in the third, denting FGCU freshman right-hander Justin Henschel (Plantation, Fla. South Plantation HS) for five runs. Kris Armstrong, one of the nation's hottest hitters, doubled off the right-field chalk line to score two runs, Chandler Howard blooped home a run, Blake DeLammiellure doubled in another, and Cam Ridley drew a bases-loaded walk.
 
FGCU answered in the bottom of the inning with one swing of the bat – as Kinker blasted a 2-0 pitch from JU starter Christian Graham over the right-field wall to make it 5-3.
 
The Dolphins added two more runs in the fourth via a Howard RBI single and a run-scoring groundout, but all that did was fire the Eagles up some more – as Figueredo launched a solo homer to left and Kinker followed with a solo shot to right to make it 7-5 through five.
 
The Eagles evened it up one inning later in the sixth when senior pitcher/outfielder Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU) doubled home junior infielder/pitcher Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./Delray American Heritage HS), and Ellis singled Wilmer home.
 
FGCU completed its comeback with a five-run outburst in the seventh. The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs, and took an 8-7 lead when Kinker scored on a Lojewski fly ball to short center field. Wilmer lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 9-7, and Ellis followed two batters later by smacking a 1-0 fastball off the right-field scoreboard for a 12-7 advantage.
 
The Eagles added three more runs in the eighth – as Lojewski was hit in the ankle with the bases loaded for one run, senior outfielder Jalen Townsend (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) singled home another run, and Felix scored on a groundout.
 
Senior reliever LJ McDonough (Blanchard, Okla./Blanchard HS/Wichita State) allowed just two hits in three innings to earn the victory. Leighton Alley earned the loss for Jacksonville.
 
FGCU travels to Boca Raton to play FAU at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, then heads to Charlotte, N.C., for a three-game ASUN series against Queens (N.C.) starting Thursday. The Eagles return to Swanson Stadium on April 11, hosting FAU at 6:30 p.m.
 
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 694-412-3 overall record (.627) and a 235-131 (.642) 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 in 2021-22 and No. 22 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 16 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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