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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With its captain on the edge of history, the 15^th-ranked FGCU baseball team just kept rolling Friday – earning a 12-1, eight-inning victory and an ASUN Conference series sweep over Queens (N.C.) at The Stick Williams Dream Fields.
 
Eagles redshirt senior outfielder Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) tied one of the more enduring national records in college baseball, reaching base safely in his 101^st consecutive game. Ellis drew a third-inning walk on a 3-1 pitch to equal former Texas standout Mark Payton's unofficial NCAA record of 101 straight games reaching base safely set in 2013-14.
 
Ellis' streak began April 30, 2021, by drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch against North Florida. In his record-tying 101 games, Ellis has recorded 143 hits, drawn 77 walks and been hit 39 times in the 101-game streak, and has reached base in 50.2 percent of his plate appearances during that span.
 
"That record says one thing: That's why he is the only captain I have ever had in my career," said FGCU head baseball coach Dave Tollett. "He just radiates unselfishness. It is a record that will stand for a long time, because players like that don't come across you in a program or in a career very often.
 
"It is an unbelievable record. There is no one more deserving, and there is no one who represents that record or our program as much as Brian Ellis."
 
FGCU (26-6 overall, 10-2 ASUN) won its fourth straight conference series, earned its second ASUN sweep of the season, and sit atop the league standings after the weekend. The victory was also FGCU's fifth run-shortened game of 2023, and the 12 runs gives the Green & Blue 327 runs – a total that leads the nation. Queens fell to 6-25, 2-10.
 
Although FGCU is battering teams to the tune of 10.2 runs per game (second in the country), the Eagles got it done Friday with pitching as well. Freshman Justin Henschel (Plantation, Fla./South Plantation HS) scattered six hits, and Queens only scored one unearned run – with the right-hander striking out six and walking just one over 93 pitches to improve to 4-0.
 
The Eagles failed to hit a home run for only the seventh time this season, but got plenty of offense nevertheless – pounding out 18 hits (just three shy of the season-best 21 in a game set earlier this season in a 28-7 road victory against North Alabama) with six doubles.
 
"Justin gave us a great, great start. Probably the best start we have had all year," Tollett said. "Our offense gave him all he needed. It was 44 degrees, raining, and we still had 18 hits with a 35-mph wind blowing in? Those aren't conditions that favor our offense, but Justin put us in position to win."
 
Sophomore infielder Jake Mummau (Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University HS/St. Petersburg College) went 4-for-5, and both junior infielder Edrick Felix (Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) and senior catcher/infielder Alejandro Rodriguez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State) added three hits.
 
FGCU began Friday's victory slowly, as senior designated hitter Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla. Venice HS) lifted a sacrifice fly to begin the scoring in the third.
 
But the Eagles did all the damage they would need in the fifth – uncorking a six-run outburst to put the game out of reach. Junior infielder Jacob Lojewski (West Palm Beach, Fla./Delray American Heritage HS) cranked a three-run double to left-center, and senior outfielder Jalen Townsend (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park HS) added an RBI double in the next at-bat. Mummau laid down a perfect bunt single to score another run, and Ellis capped the scoring binge with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.
 
Queens got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth via an unearned run, but that hardly slowed FGCU. The Eagles made it 8-1 in the sixth when senior infielder Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) scored on a wild pitch, then tacked on the final three runs in the eighth via RBI singles by Rodriguez and senior outfielder Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU), and an Ellis fielder's choice groundout.
 
Senior pitcher Nick Love (Fernandina Beach, Fla./Yulee HS/Central College of Florida/Jacksonville) pitched the eighth to earn his third save. Zach Kelly took the loss for Queens.
 
FGCU returns to Swanson Stadium this week for two mid-week games, as FAU visits at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and FIU visits at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Both games will be telecast on ESPN+. FGCU then travels to Eastern Kentucky next weekend for a three-game ASUN set.
 
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 697-414-3 overall record (.627) and a 238-131 (.645) 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. 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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