FGCU-Jacksonville State box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule | ASUN scoreboard/schedule | ASUN standings
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Four home runs. Eighteen hits. Another run-rule victory for the FGCU baseball team.
 
The 24^th-ranked Eagles (28-10 overall, 12-4 ASUN) did what they do best in Friday night's ASUN Conference series opener against Jacksonville State: pounding Gamecocks pitchers from start to finish en route to an 18-8 victory in eight innings at Swanson Stadium.
 
With the victory, FGCU regained solo possession of first place in the ASUN – a game ahead of Lipscomb, which lost to Bellarmine on Friday night. Jacksonville State fell to 17-19 overall and 9-7 in the conference.
 
The most potent offensive team in the conference – and one of the strongest in the country – was on full display against a Jacksonville State team that simply couldn't keep up. FGCU's four homers add up to 91 on the season, eclipsing South Carolina's 89 for the national lead.
 
Junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) strengthened his case for ASUN Player of the Year honors – belting two home runs and driving in four runs in a 3-for-6 night that raised his batting average to .396.
 
"We got behind early on against one of the best arms in the conference, but we just kept swinging the bat," said FGCU head baseball coach Dave Tollett. "Great night by Edrick, too. He is just on fire right now. Figgy has been on fire, and Joe has been on fire. Right now it is Edrick, and we hope it goes as long as it can."
 
Senior infielder Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) and sophomore infielder Jake Mummau (Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University HS/St. Petersburg College) each went 3-for-4 against the Gamecocks. Sophomore outfielder Harrison Povey (Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. Largo HS) and junior infielder/pitcher Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./Delray American Heritage HS) provided the other two FGCU home runs.
 
After a rocky start that saw Jacksonville State score three first-inning runs, the Eagles calmly set about backing up junior starter Nick Love (Fernandina Beach, Fla./Yulee Central College of Florida/Jacksonville) with some run support. Felix launched his first homer, a solo shot to left-center, in the bottom of the first to cut the margin to 3-1. And Povey ripped a line-drive homer to right in the second to make it 3-2.
 
But that was just the appetizer for the fourth inning. FGCU spotted the Gamecocks a run in the top of the inning, but then exploded for six runs in the bottom half to seize control. After a run-scoring wild pitch, senior catcher Alejandro Rodriguez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State) belted a bases-loaded double to score two runs for a 5-4 edge. Senior pitcher/outfielder Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU), Mummau, and graduate outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) then tacked on consecutive RBI singles for an 8-4 lead.
 
Felix and Lojewski each smacked solo homers in the fifth for a 10-4 cushion, and FGCU answered a three-run JSU effort in the top of the sixth with a four-run flurry in the bottom of the inning. Ellis started the effort by getting hit with the bases loaded to force in a run, Felix singled in two more runs, and senior designated hitter Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) singled in another for a 17-8 advantage.
 
Povey added the final icing on the offensive cake in the bottom of the eighth, ripping a double down the right-field line to easily score senior outfielder Jalen Townsend (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) and send JSU to its hotel prematurely.
 
FGCU junior reliever William Haberstock (Roswell, Ga./Centennial HS/North Alabama) earned the victory in relief. A.J. Causey took the loss for the Gamecocks. Ellis extended his unofficial NCAA record for consecutive games safely reaching base to 107.
 
The two teams square off in the second game of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday. Freshman right-hander Justin Henschel (Plantation, Fla./South Plantation HS) starts for FGCU opposite JSU right-hander Tanner Jones.
 
Tollett is just one victory from the 700-win plateau. Tollett's .625 winning percentage (699-418-3) ranks 31st among active Division-I coaches -- with only nine coaches on that list earning more victories. Tollett is also 35th among active Division-I coaches in victories.
 
For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online at http://www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting http://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 699-418-3 overall record (.625) and a 240-133 (.643) 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 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.
 
---FGCUATHLETICS.COM---