FORT MYERS, Fla. – With the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament drawing closer, each series becomes a little bigger. This weekend will be no different as two teams separated by just a game in the Graphite Division standings face off when FGCU travels to DeLand to battle Stetson in a three-game series.

The Eagles (26-17, 10-10 ASUN) look to claim a second consecutive ASUN series and second consecutive series over the Hatters (18-26, 9-11). All three games will be broadcast online with Friday's game available at GoHatters.com and the remaining games on ESPN+. Game times are set for Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

However, as has become a common factor whenever these two teams meet, weather could play a factor with scattered rain showers predicted for Saturday and Sunday. Weather played a factor in the earlier ASUN series this season, held in Fort Myers. FGCU swept the two-game set as the third game was canceled due to inclement weather.

 Since that meeting in late March, Stetson has climbed out of the cellar of the Graphite Division thanks mostly to the play of other teams. The Hatters have gone 6-10 since departing Fort Myers but have pulled within one game of FGCU and 2 ½ games of second-place Jacksonville in the division.

However, the Hatters are coming off a sweep of West Georgia in the Peach State and dropped a one-run game to UCF, a team just outside the national rankings but sitting at No. 25 in RPI.

Stetson's offense came alive in that series in Carrollton, Georgia, scoring 43 runs in total and 13-or-more runs in all three games. The Hatters employ speed to their advantage, leading the conference in stolen bases and ranking second in sacrifice bunts.

FGCU, on the other hand, looks to reignite its powerful bats that briefly went silent on Tuesday night against Florida Atlantic. The Eagles lead the ASUN in batting average, hits, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Florida Gulf Coast also leads the all-time series over Stetson by a 36-30 margin. That includes a 33-26 mark in ASUN play and a 19-16 lead when playing in DeLand.

Evan Dempsey, a 2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Semifinalist, will start for the Eagles on Friday, while Hunter Possehl is projected to start on Sunday. Saturday's starter is still TBA.
 
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on FGCU Baseball, follow the Eagles on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit FGCUathletics.com.