Baseball Heads to #5 Miami, UNF to Conclude Regular Season

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team wraps up the regular season this week as they travel to #5 Miami before heading to The River City to take on North Florida. The Eagles will take on teh Hurricanes, Tuesday at 6 p.m. before opening up a three-game series with the Ospreys on Thursday night. 

The Eagles are currently 31-20 and 15-12 in the ASUN after dropping two of three to Liberty over the weekend. Miami is 37-14, but is coming off a 1-2 weekend in Tallahassee against FSU. Despite this, the Hurricanes are still a consensus top-10 team and are as high as #5 in the NCBWA poll. UNF is 20-30 overall and 10-16 in the ASUN after dropping two games to Jacksonville before Sunday’s game was canceled.

Last Time Out

Against Liberty this past weekend, the Eagles came away victorious on Friday as Joe Kinker delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to win 8-7. After dropping game two on Saturday, the Green and Blue looked to take the series on Sunday, but a five-run eighth inning by the Flames proved to be the difference in an 8-5 Liberty victory.

Postseason Explanation and Scenarios

With the ASUN Tournament fast approaching, here is the format for qualification as well as scenarios as we head into the final weekend.

ASUN Tournament Qualification = The top three teams from each division will qualify automatically for the ASUN Tournament. The tiebreaker criteria shall be used to break ties as needed in the division to determine the three automatic qualifiers from each division. The remaining two spots will be granted to the two remaining teams with the highest NCAA RPI, regardless of division.

POOL A = Four teams, Seeds 1-4: The two divisional winners will be seeded 1 & 2 (separated by RPI); Seeds 3 & 4 will be based solely on NCAA RPI, regardless of divisional standing.

POOL B = Four teams, Seeds 5-8: Remaining (lower four) RPI teams, in order of RPI

Top THREE teams from POOL A will advance to the single-elimination semifinal round

Top ONE team from POOL B will advance to the single-elimination semifinal round

As we stand right now, Liberty and Kennesaw State will battle for the ASUN East Division crown this weekend when they meet in Lynchburg. Regardless of who wins the division, both teams will be in Pool A as they have the two highest RPIs.

FGCU is currently third in the East Division and are 2.5 games ahead of Jacksonville meaning at least one win this weekend will guaruntee an automatic qualification into the tournament. The Eagles can still finish second in the division if they win at least two games this weekend and Liberty sweeps Kennesaw State. The Eagles cannot get the top seed as they are three games behind Liberty and the Flames hold the tiebreaker.

If the Eagles do not qualify by finishing top three in the division, they are still in very good shape to make the tournament based on RPI. If they finish fourth, they would by far have the best RPI out of any teams that didn’t qualify automatically. They could still even be in Pool A as they are currently 16 spots ahead of Jacksonville in the RPI which means in this scenario, the Eagles would still get the #4 seed despite finishing behind JU in the standings. If the Dolphins jump FGCU in the RPI after the weekend, the Eagles would be the #5 seed and would be in Pool B.

Most likely, Pool A will have three teams from the East division. The fourth team and #2 seed will be the West Division champion. There are currently four teams battling for three postseason spots with all four still alive for the division crown. Eastern Kentucky is currently 18-9 and one game ahead of Lipscomb and Central Arkansas. Jacksonville State is currently two games behind at 16-11. If EKU or Lipscomb finish fourth, they may still qualify through RPI rankings. If JSU or Central Arkansas finish fourth, they will not as their RPIs are too low, which means Stetson, currently #145 in the RPI would most likely grab the #8 seed and be the fifth team from the East to qualify. UNF, currently #156 in the RPI, still has a shot, but would probably have to win all three this weekend against the Eagles with the Hatters dropping all three to Jacksonville and even then, it may not be enough.

National Leaders

The Eagles are in the top 30 in multiple categories with just one week remaining in the regular season.

Team

Base on Balls – 260, 25th

Hit-by-pitch – 99, 3rd

Hits – 530, 29th

Home Runs – 74, 30th

On-Base Percentage – .407, 24th

Runs – 427, 15th

Scoring – 8.4, 19th

Shutouts – 4, 22nd

 

Individual

Base on Balls – Joe Kinker, 45, 16th

BB/Game – Joe Kinker, 0.88, 29th

Doubles – Brian Ellis, 21, 13th

Games Started – Jason Woodward, 13, 16th

Games Started – Tyler Shuck, 13, 16th

HBP – Brian Ellis, 20, 12th

HBP/Game – Brian Ellis, 0.39, 22nd

Hits – Alejandro Figueredo, 77, 23rd

OBP – Brian Ellis, .512, 12th

Runs – Ian Farrow, 65, 7th

Runs – Brian Ellis, 64, 9th

Runs/game – Ian Farrow, 1.37, 14th

Runs/game – Brian Ellis, 1.27, 14th

RBI – Ian Farrow, 65, 12th

RBI/Game – Ian Farrow, 1.27, 24th

Ellis Gets CoSIDA Recognition

Redshirt-junior Brian Ellis was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team on Thursday, becoming the first Eagle in program history to earn the accolade. He currently has a 4.00 GPA while pursuing a graduate certificate in Health Services Administration. Ellis was also recently accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at FGCU.

On-Base Machine

With his single the other day against FAU, Brian Ellis has now reached base in all 51 games this season and 62 straight going back to last year. If he reaches bases in the final four games of the regular season, he will break Zach Maxfield’s FGCU record of 65 set back in 2010-11.

Shuck Dominates

Against Stetson (April 22-24) , FGCU took all three games with the highlight being Tyler Shuck’s one-hit complete-game shutout on Saturday, only the second time an Eagle has accomplished that after Chris Sale did so in 2010, also on April 23. For his effort, Shuck was named ASUN Pitcher of the Week, the second time an Eagle has taken home the honor this season and the second time in Shuck’s career.

Getting Ahead is Key

The Eagles almost don’t have to play a full game to figure out who is going to win. In games in which the Eagles are leading after six innings, FGCU is 29-2. Conversely, in games they are trailing after six innings, the Eagles are 0-17.

Walk-Off City

With the walk-off win against Liberty, the Eagles have now had three walk-off victories this season, including two off the bat of Joe Kinker. In the first series of the year against Kennesaw State, the Eagles took two of three against the Owls with both wins coming in walk-off fashion. Kinker hit a walk-off single in the ninth on Saturday before Stephen Wilmer walked it off in the 10th inning on Sunday.

Farrow Named ASUN Player of the Week (2x)

Sophomore Ian Farrow carried the Eagles in the three games at Kennesaw State as he hit .667 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and six runs scored. After splitting a doubleheader on Saturday, Farrow had one of the best and most important performances of the season on Sunday as he went 3-for-3 with two home runs and seven RBI in a 10-9 victory over the Owls. For his efforts, he was named ASUN Player of the Week for the second time this season.

The first time Farrow was named ASUN Baseball Player of the Week came after leding the Eagles to a 4-0 week against North Dakota State and Stetson as he hit .625 (10-for-16) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and 12 runs scored. He also walked five times and was hit by a pitch for a .727 on-base percentage which contributed to an OPS of 1.852.

 

Ellis Picks Up ASUN Weekly Honors

For the first time in his career, redshirt-junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) was named ASUN Player of the Week (Feb 28). Including the game against Minnesota, Ellis hit .556 (10-for-18) with four doubles , two home runs, 12 RBI and had an OPS of 1.747.

 

Victor Honored by ASUN

Sophomore Najer Victor (Philadelphia, Pa./East Ridge HS) was named ASUN Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 21) after tossing 5.2 innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run while striking out 10 and walking none against Cincinnati in the season-opening series.. It was just the second start of Victor’s career and his 10 strikeouts sets a new career-high. It is also the most strikeouts by an Eagle since Mason Studstill struck out 11 on March 6, 2020 against Saint Joseph’s.

D1 Baseball Recognizes Eagles

D1baseball.com released its first set of mid-season positional power rankings and multiple Eagles found themselves ranked.

Alejandro Rodriguez is #29 among catchers which is impressive considering he was not expected to catch before the season started. After a couple of injuries to catchers, Rodriguez went behind the plate and has been hard-pressed to give it up as he is hitting .376 with three home runs, 31 RBI, and 22 runs scored. He’s also really hard to strike out as he is among the nation’s leaders at 11.6 at-bats per strikeout.

Joe Kinker comes in as the 14th-ranked first baseman after he has been tearing the cover off the ball to begin the season, slashing .311/.479/.633 with 7 HR and 25 RBI. He is also second in the nation in walks with 28 and seventh in runs with 34.

Alejandro Figueredo came in at #27 among third basemen and may have only improved his stock after going 4-for-4 against Miami which raised his batting average to an astounding .436. He has also socked five home runs, five doubles, a triple, and driven in 42 runs.

In the outfield, all three – Ian Farrow, Brian Ellis, and Harrison Povey – were ranked in the top 100, one of just five teams along with Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, and Mercer, to place all three in the rankings. Farrow clocks in at #35, Ellis at #39, and Povey at #91 as they are all hitting above .375 and have combined for 20 home runs, 94 RBI, and 102 runs scored. In the Week 12 update, Ellis remained in the rankings at #67.

Jason Woodward also claimed a spot on the power rankings as he comes in at #83 among starting pitchers, improving 61 spots in from the preseason rankings. He is currently 3-1 on the season with a 1.93 ERA and 37 strikeouts while walking just 11 and holding opposing hitters to a .177 batting average.

 

Preseason All-ASUN Selections

Redshirt-junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) and junior Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) return to the Eagles after being named All-ASUN a season ago. They were both also named to the Preseason All-ASUN team a couple of weeks ago.

 

Ellis, a First-Team All-ASUN selection in 2021, is also on the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List, which takes into consideration performance on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Ellis hit .361 last season and also led the ASUN with a .489 on-base percentage while collecting 31 RBI and scoring 45 runs. He was also named the 43rd-ranked outfielder in the country by d1baseball.com.

 

Kinker was a second-team All-ASUN selection last season after leading the Green and Blue with 13 home runs. He also led the Eagles with 44 RBI and 87 total bases while hitting .271.

 

Two other Eagles were named to the Preseason All-ASUN team as transfers Luis Rodriguez (Guarenas, Venezuela/Miami Christian HS/Santa Fe College/Dyersburg State) and Bobby Head (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange HS/Austin Peay) also earned spots. Rodriguez comes from Santa Fe College where he hit .359 with 14 home runs, 78 RBI, and 61 runs scored in two seasons while Head transfers in after playing four years at Austin Peay where he was an All-OVC First-Team selection in 2021.

 

Scouting the Competition

The Hurricanes enter Tuesday’s game as a top-10 team in the country despite dropping two of three games in Tallahassee over the weekend. In two games this season between FGCU and Miami, the Canes have won both contests, winning 11-7 in Fort Myers on March 30 and 5-2 in Coral Gables on April 5.

At the plate, the Hurricanes are led by CJ Kayfus, Jacob Burke, and Yohandy Morales. All three are hitting well above .300 while Morales has a team-high 12 home runs and Burke leads the Canes with 53 RBI.

On the mound, Jake Garland will get the start and is currently 6-2 with a 3.51 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 59.0 innings. The Canes also might have the best closer in the country in Andrew Walters, who has 13 save with a 0.32 ERA and 53 strikeouts in just 28.0 innings for a 17.0 K/9 ratio, which would lead the nation if he had enough innings to qualify.

North Florida enters the weekend with a 20-30 record and 10-16 mark in ASUN play after dropping two games to Jacksonville over the weekend.

Aidan Sweatt leads the team with a .333 batting average while Abraham Sequera leads the team with six home runs and 44 RBI. On the mound, Peter Holden has a team-low 3.22 ERA with Max McKinley leading the team with 63 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

Probable Pitchers

vs Miami, May 17

LHP Mason Miller (2-4, 5.97 ERA, 38 K) vs RHP Jake Garland (6-2, 3.51 ERA, 50 K)

For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

 

COACH TOLLETT

FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 667-405-3 overall record (.622) and a 226-127 (.645) 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 58 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, 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 (www.fgcu.edu/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 www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.

ABOUT FGCU

FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 45 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women’s basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men’s soccer (2018, 2019) and women’s soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. 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.