FORT MYERS, Fla. –
Chris Diaz pitched a complete game and
Jaret Nelson hit a pair of two-run home runs, leading Florida Gulf Coast University to a 5-4 win over the University of North Florida on Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium in Atlantic Sun Conference baseball action.
"It's been awesome to see the kids step up," FGCU head coach
Dave Tollett said. "Midway through the season when these injuries kept rolling, we were just trying to find our way and not sink. Now, we're starting to float. We're starting to paddle a little bit. Some guys have really started to step up, and it's really been a nice blessing."
Diaz threw FGCU's first nine-inning complete game since
Chase Kriebel did so on April 7, 2024, in a win over Central Arkansas. The Hialeah native allowed just six hits, walked one and struck out nine in a 102-pitch outing to improve to 3-2 on the season. He gave up a pair of two-run homers—one in the second inning and another in the fourth—that accounted for all of UNF's runs.
Tyler Herb got FGCU on the board with a solo homer in the second inning. The Eagles (20-25, 10-13 ASUN) threatened throughout but struggled to find timely hits—until Nelson delivered.
Batting eighth in the order, Nelson launched a two-run homer to dead center in the seventh inning, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Then, in the eighth, with two out and
Harrison Povey on second after a leadoff walk, Nelson connected again—this time on an 0-2 pitch that rode the wind over the right-field fence to give FGCU a 5-4 lead.
"I had an idea of pitch shape and velocity because of Tyler in front of me," Nelson said. "He did a good job of really grinding out the at-bat, so I got to see some pitches. For me to be able to go into that at-bat having seen some pitches is just as much credit to him as anybody else."
UNF (22-25, 10-13) threatened in the ninth with a leadoff double. A groundout moved the runner to third, but Diaz got a grounder to short and a flyout to left to end the game, sparking a celebration among the Green and Blue as the Eagles clinched the series.
Nelson finished 3-for-4.
Jake McKee and
Cayden Hessemyer each had two hits. The Eagles kept the bases busy, leaving 14 men on base, but the only runs would score via the three homers the home side hit in the contest.
Bryson Treichel started for UNF and pitched five solid innings before being relieved in the sixth. Kaden Humphrey (1-2) took the loss after allowing the go-ahead homer in the eighth.
The win moved FGCU into a tie with UNF for third place in the Atlantic Sun's Graphite Division. The top four teams from each division qualify for the Atlantic Sun Championship.
"I'm excited, man. They keep fighting," Tollett said. "We keep pushing them, and it's been a fun last three weeks."
