FGCU-Kennesaw State series notes | FGCU-Kennesaw State Game 1 live stats | Watch FGCU-Kennesaw State | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (37-15 overall, 19-8 ASUN) makes its final push for an ASUN Conference regular season championship beginning Thursday night against Kennesaw State at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be telecast on ESPN+.
FGCU's task is simple: Trailing Lipscomb by a game in the conference standings, the Eagles – who have already clinched a postseason spot – must win one more game this weekend than do the Bisons to secure the title and the No. 1 seed in next week's ASUN Championship in DeLand, Fla. Lipscomb (30-22) plays host to Jacksonville State (25-25, 18-9) in a three-game series starting Thursday night.
The Green & Blue is coming off a 15-5 loss Tuesday night at FAU, but has won seven of nine conference series so far this season. FGCU is also a sterling 18-5 at Swanson Stadium, which includes three straight wins.
FGCU owns arguably the most explosive offense in college baseball – leading the nation in home runs (122), home runs per game (2.35) and slugging percentage (.591). The Eagles are also second in scoring (9.8 runs per game) and third in runs (508) – all leading the ASUN. FGCU needs just five more runs to smash the school's single-season scoring record, set in 2007.
Sophomore infielder
Edrick Felix (
Orlando, Fla./Victory Charter HS/College of Central Florida) is a candidate for the conference Most Valuable Player award, as he leads the nation with 172 total bases (an FGCU record) and is fifth with a team-high 23 home runs. Felix is hitting a team-best .380 and is slugging .808 – in line to become the first Eagle to slug over .800 in program history. Felix also has 20 doubles and a .465 on-base percentage.
Felix is far from the only hot-hitting FGCU talent. Senior designated hitter
Joe Kinker (
North Port, Fla./Venice HS) carries a .366 batting average with 14 doubles, 17 homers and 68 RBIs. Kinker smashed the FGCU career home run record earlier this season, and has 59 in his illustrious career.
Five other every-day Eagles – senior infielder
Alejandro Figueredo (
Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State), senior catcher/infielder
Alejandro Rodriguez (
Cidra, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy/Eastern Florida State), senior pitcher/outfielder
Stephen Wilmer (
Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU), graduate outfielder
Brian Ellis (
Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) and sophomore outfielder
Harrison Povey (
Indian Rocks Beach, Fla./Largo HS) – are all hitting above .300 for a team that is hitting a conference-best .322.
FGCU makes a significant change in its starting rotation heading into the final weekend, sending senior reliever
LJ McDonough (
Blanchard, Okla./Blanchard HS/Wichita State) to the mound Thursday for his first Division I start. He will be opposed by Kennesaw State's Blake Wehunt.
The Owls have lost four straight, and eight of their last nine, and in 10
th place find themselves on the outside looking in of the eight-team ASUN Championship format. With just two games separating KSU from fifth place, however, a strong season-ending series could propel the Owls to DeLand next week.
Kennesaw State endured a 7-3 setback against Florida State on Tuesday in Tallahassee as part of the recent slide – notching only five hits against the Seminoles.
Spencer Hanson leads KSU with a .331 batting average, 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. He is one of four every-day Owls that hit over .300 on a team that hits .282 as a team with 57 homers.
Friday's KSU-FGCU game is also at 6:30 p.m., with Saturday's regular-season finale – which will see 10 Eagles celebrated pre-game in Senior Day activities – is set for 1 p.m.
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 708-423-3 overall record (.626) and a 247-138 (.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 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 49 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 3.57 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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