FGCU-Austin Peay box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule | ASUN scoreboard/schedule | ASUN standings
 
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The FGCU baseball team has won games all season long with power, power, and more power.
 
Sunday, the 30^th-ranked Eagles picked up a huge ASUN Conference win with defense and timely hit from an unlikely source.
 
Senior outfielder Jalen Townsend (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) delivered a clutch go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 10^th inning, and sophomore outfielder Harrison Povey (Indian Rocks Beach, Fla./Largo HS) stole the game-winning home run from Austin Peay in the bottom of the 10^th to clinch a wild 6-5 victory at Raymond C. Hand Park.
 
With the victory, FGCU (33-11, 16-5) moved back into solo possession of first place in the ASUN – one game ahead of Stetson, which visits Swanson Stadium for a massive three-game series next weekend. Austin Peay fell to 22-23 overall and 12-9 in league play.
 
"That's a hard-fought win, battling through the cold and multiple weather delays," said FGCU baseball coach Dave Tollett. "Povey made an unbelievable play to rob a walk-off home run, and that describes the entire afternoon. It was a real dogfight from the start. Jalen with the game-winner in two outs is huge. We feel comfortable when he comes up to the plate after we make the defensive changes, because he can make things happen."
 
FGCU's fourth straight victory – and third ASUN series sweep of the season – was secured in a 10^th inning that went much like the first nine. Junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) led off with a walk and advanced to third on a double down the left-field line from senior designated hitter Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS). Austin Peay earned two outs to bring up Townsend – a typical late-game defensive replacement in just his 32^nd at-bat of the season. Townsend calmly lofted an 0-1 fastball the opposite way to left, scoring Felix easily for a 6-5 lead.
 
Austin Peay nearly stole FGCU's first extra-inning win right out from under it in the bottom of the 10^th. Jon Jon Gadzar roped a one-out double and, after a strikeout, Ambren Voitik was intentionally walked. Jaden Brown ripped a potential game-winning shot to right, but Povey – who moved from center to right as part of the defensive switch that put Townsend in center – leapt at the wall and pulled back the blast for an out instead of a three-run homer.
 
FGCU nearly pulled off a victory in the ninth. With the game tied 4-4, graduate outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) launched a two-out solo homer to center field for the lead. But the Eagles gave up that lead in the bottom of the ninth via Voitik's solo shot to lead off. The Governors had a chance to win it, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but FGCU forced a groundout to end the inning.
 
The eighth was almost a mirror image, as senior catcher/infielder Alejandro Rodriguez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State) singled in FGCU's go-ahead run to make it 4-3, only to see Austin Peay tie it in the bottom half with an RBI single.
 
Kinker and Rodriguez each had two hits as part of FGCU's 12-hit offensive output. The first of two rain delays before the sixth inning threatened to end Ellis' unofficial record streak of reaching base safely had the game ended in a tie, but Ellis drew a one-out walk when play resumed to extend his streak to 113 games.

Senior reliever LJ McDonough (Blanchard, Okla./Blanchard HS/Wichita State) pitched the final three innings to earn the victory. Tyler Hampu took the loss for Austin Peay.
 
FGCU now has 103 doubles and 106 home runs this season – the only program in the country with 100-plus doubles and 100-plus homers. The 106 homers is already a single-season FGCU record, and the 103 doubles moves the 2023 team into 10^th all-time.
 
FGCU and Stetson begin their three-game series at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Swanson Stadium. Saturday's game is set for 2 p.m., with 1 p.m. Sunday marking the series finale.
 
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 704-419-3 overall record (.627) and a 244-135 (.644) 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 98 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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