FORT MYERS, Fla. - At this stage of the Atlantic Sun Conference baseball season, every pitch matters.
Having already qualified for next week's ASUN Championship, Florida Gulf Coast University will look to solidify a spot in Pool A as the Eagles take on the University of North Florida. First pitch in the three-game set is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville.
FGCU (26-24, 17-10) sits a game out of first in the ASUN standings, in a three-way tie for second behind Austin Peay. Stetson and Jacksonville are the two squads tied with FGCU at 17-10, while Kennesaw State sits one-half game out of the tie at 16-10 having had a game rained out against UNF.
The team that wins the ASUN regular season title will be the top seed in Pool A. The Eagles still have a chance at the top spot, but the squad would need help from other teams as APSU hosts North Alabama, Stetson hosts Central Arkansas, and Jacksonville travels to Eastern Kentucky.
A spot in Pool A would give the Eagles a clearer path to the four-team championship round, as three teams from Pool A would qualify. In addition to the regular season championship, the top three remaining teams in the NCAA's RPI rankings would be in Pool A, with the next four teams that qualify for the tournament being placed into Pool B.
Following Tuesday night's games around the country, Kennesaw State had the ASUN's best RPI at 94. Stetson was second at 114, with Austin Peay in third at 141 and FGCU at 144. If the season ended after Tuesday's games, APSU would be the top seed in Pool A, with KSU second, Stetson third, and FGCU fourth.
Still, the situation is very fluid entering the weekend. If Jacksonville wins the ASUN regular season, it would be the top seed in Pool A even though its current RPI is 201.
Offensively, the Eagles enter the game coming off their best showing at the plate as a team in recent memory. The team's 28-18 win over Florida Atlantic at Swanson Stadium Tuesday afternoon featured a record-setting three home run day from
Robert Moya. The senior became the first FGCU baseball player to homer three times in a game at home. Moya also finished with a team-record 14 total bases and scored a program-record six runs in the contest.
FGCU trailed 7-0 after the top of the first, but the Eagles would quickly turn the tables and lead 17-7 after two innings of action. The 14 runs in the second inning were a new high in the storied history of the program. The freshman duo of
Charles Davalan and
Evan Dempsey each homered in the contest, with
Ian Farrow joining in on the action in his final game at Swanson Stadium with a grand slam.
UNF (21-27-1, 11-14-1) is fighting for its postseason life entering the series. The Ospreys have yet to qualify for the ASUN Championship. In addition to having a game rained out at KSU two weekends ago, the Ospreys played to a 4-4 tie in 13 innings Sunday at North Alabama as the game was called due to travel curfew.
The Ospreys have a winning percentage in conference play of .442, with EKU and Central Arkansas tied for seventh at .444 (12-15).
Saturday's contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Jacksonville, with Sunday's regular season finale set for 1 p.m. The league will not release the schedule for the ASUN Championship until after the NCAA's final RPI report for the regular season is released.
