FORT MYERS, Fla. - After months of anticipation and hard work on the field, in the cages, and in the bullpen, Florida Gulf Coast University's baseball team is set to begin its 2024 season Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. EST in Fort Worth, Texas against No. 5 Texas Christian University.

The Eagles are coming off a record-setting season for the program. FGCU led all of NCAA Division I in runs per game (9.6), slugging percentage (.592) and home runs per game (2.37). The Eagles combined to hit 142 long balls in 2023, just four off the NCAA lead in that category. FGCU paced the Atlantic Sun Conference in team batting average (.322), hits (681) and on-base percentage (.432). As a team, the Eagles had an eye-popping OPS of 1.024.

TCU, meanwhile, also had one of its best seasons in program history. Sitting at 23-20 April 30, 2023, the Horned Frogs went 21-4 over their next 25 games, making it all the way to college baseball's promised land in Omaha, Nebraska and the Men's College World Series. While there, the team won a pair of elimination games and fell just one game short of making the Championship Series, finishing in a tie for third place nationally. Along the way, TCU knocked off the No. 3 seed nationally in Arkansas and the No. 14 national seed Indiana State. In a quirk of the schedule, FGCU's next game after this weekend will be against Indiana State.

Still, 2024 is a new year and with it comes fresh optimism for what a new season could bring. The Eagles are picked to finish second in the ASUN behind defending champion Lipscomb University. Harrison Povey and Jacob Lojewski were each named to the league's preseason all-conference squad. The two combined for 37 homers and 119 RBI in 2023.

Both FGCU and TCU are dotted with newcomers looking to make an impact. One of those newcomers will get the start Friday night for FGCU as Anthony Ursitti gets the nod on the hill for head coach Dave Tollett. Ursitti only had three appearances for the University of Florida in his sophomore season, but as a freshman, the Fort Myers native made 15 appearances, holding batters to a .235 batting average while also striking out 26 in 21.1 innings of action.

On the other side, Payton Tolle is the projected Friday night starter for TCU. A transfer from Wichita State University, Tolle was 9-3 in his sophomore season for the Shockers.

Saturday afternoon's contest is set for 3 p.m. EST, with the finale to follow Sunday at 12:30 p.m. EST.