ASUN Postseason HQ | FGCU-Jacksonville box score | 2023 FGCU baseball stats | 2023 FGCU schedule
 
DeLAND, Fla. – What 20-mph wind?
 
The second-seeded FGCU baseball team (39-17) began its journey in the 2023 ASUN Baseball Championship with a flourish Tuesday afternoon, bashing four home runs despite less-than-desired climate conditions to defeat No. 4 seed Jacksonville 7-0 at Melching Field at Conrad Park.
 
"We didn't get that first win last year, and it was an absolute dogfight the rest of the way," said FGCU head baseball coach Dave Tollett. "This was big for our club. We played solid and clean all the way across. I've seen a lot of things in 21 years of this tournament, so we have to keep going.
 
"We are a walk and a home run from being back into just about anything. It is who we are, where hitters 1 through 8 in the lineup can leave the yard. That's our DNA."
 
Newly-minted All-ASUN First Team selection Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State), All-ASUN Third Team pick Stephen Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU), All-ASUN First Team choice Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) and redshirt sophomore Trevor Kole (Parkland, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons HS) all went deep for FGCU.
 
The Eagles have now hit 129 home runs. That total is 10 homers ahead of Maryland's 119 entering Tuesday, and 35 homers beyond the former single-season school record of 94 set in 2022. Tuesday's shutout victory was FGCU's first since their season-opening 13-0 triumph against Hofstra, and was the Green & Blue's first shutout in ASUN Championship play since blanking North Florida 4-0 en route to the 2017 tournament title.

Jacksonville lost its third game in four attempts against FGCU this season, and fell to 33-23.
 
Competing in Pool A along with top-seeded Lipscomb and third-seeded Liberty, the Eagles will enjoy a day off Wednesday before returning to action against the Bisons at 10 a.m. Thursday. The Flames upset the Bisons 12-11 in Game 1 Tuesday. Host Stetson, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay competed in Pool B on Tuesday night. All eight ASUN teams play three pool-play games before the top two teams in each pool advance to Saturday's semifinals.
 
Senior right-hander LJ McDonough (Blanchard, Okla./Blanchard HS/Wichita State), an All-ASUN Third Team choice and the Eagles' only pitcher to be honored this season, shined in just his second Division I start. McDonough (6-2) scattered three hits and struck out three in six-plus innings and 96 pitches to earn his fifth win of the season.
 
"What a great start from LJ," Tollett said. "He has a great fastball, and has been our best all year. When I was 22 years old coaching high school, I didn't throw my best pitcher at a district tournament and someone said 'If you go to the Kentucky Derby, you bring your thoroughbred.' So we threw our thoroughbred."
 
"My mindset was great, ready to attack from the very first pitch," McDonough said. "Coach Toe believes in me, and my teammates believe in me, and I wanted the ball. This is probably the longest I've thrown since high school, but hopefully it leads to the new norm."
 
By the time McDonough gave way in the seventh to senior reliever Nick Love (Fernandina Beach, Fla./Yulee HS/Central College of Florida/Jacksonville), FGCU had already drilled three baseballs out of Melching Field and through a brisk breeze blowing in from left.
 
Figueredo was first, launching a towering shot to right off Jacksonville starter Blake Barquin that went out over the 365-foot sign. Four batters later, Wilmer added a no-doubt two-run blast that ricocheted halfway up the brand-new video board in right for a 3-0 lead.
 
Kole followed that power surge with his first home run of the season and second in an FGCU uniform, a curling solo shot that escaped down the right-field line. And Kinker added a moonshot two-run blast to left-center in the seventh.
 
FGCU finished with nine hits, and limited Jacksonville to just five hits. Love earned his fourth save of the season, scattering two hits and striking out three over 40 pitches.
 
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.
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU caoch Dave Tollett currently owns a 710-425-3 overall record (.626) and a 248-140 (.639) 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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