FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The FGCU softball team shifts its focus toward in-state foe Stetson this weekend for another key ASUN series battle on the road in DeLand, Fla.
Only three conference series remain on the slate for the Eagles as the 2023 ASUN Championship approaches. Only the top eight programs in the regular-season standings qualify, and FGCU is currently tied for fifth heading into the weekend (Stetson is seventh).
The weekend kicks off with a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader, and the series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Hatters have notched two ranked wins this season, taking down both No. 23 UCF 4-3 and No. 16 Georgia 2-1 on the road. Stetson also upended South Carolina 4-3 for its second SEC victory of the 2023 campaign. The Hatters dropped a 7-2 battle vs. No. 5 Florida State on Tuesday.
Bonita Springs native and Estero High School great Lauren Hobbs notched pitching wins in each of the Hatters' upset victories. Hobbs sports a 11-9 record, a 2.21 ERA, and has struck out 81 batters this season. Hannah Marien has fanned a team-high 93, and also holds a team-best ERA of 2.01.
Stetson has obtained ASU series victories over Lipscomb and Jacksonville State. FGCU has won four of its five conference series, including taking two out of three at preseason favorite Liberty.
Saturday marks the 48th all-time meeting between the Eagles and the Hatters. Stetson swept FGCU in 2022 to snap an eight-game skid to the Eagles. Still, FGCU has won 10 out of the last 15 series meetings.
Stetson's Kami Eppley is tied for third in the ASUN with 20 stolen bases along with Eagles freshman Emily Chiarella (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS). Eppley and Chiarella are just behind FGCU freshman Olivia Black (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central HS) who has 22 stolen bases -- second in the ASUN, and 30th nationally.
Black has recorded 22 steals on just 23 attempts. Five Eagles have recorded 10 or more steals this season: Black, Chiarella, sophomore Avery Viancos (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona HS), redshirt sophomore Meagan Ricks (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS), and graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF).
As a team, the Eagles continue to rank in the top 10 in the nation in total stolen bases, swiping 105 bags for No. 8 overall and averaging 2.33 steals per contest (11th nationally). FGCU is perfect 15-0 on the season when recording three or more steals.
Junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS) and senior Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS State College of Florida) have emerged as the one-two pitching punch for the Eagles -- combining for 191 innings, 18 wins, and 132 strikeouts. Hulme is one strikeout away from moving into eighth all-time in FGCU history for career strikeouts. Four of Bonilla's five shutouts this season have come in ASUN play.
Three Eagles are hitting .300 and above, with Filla leading FGCU in five offensive categories: batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.522), hits (45), doubles (11), and RBI (27). Her 27 runs batting in are tied for seventh across the league.
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 is in his 21st season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the ground up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 732-417-3 (.635) record, gone 184-116 (.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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