The FGCU baseball team (30-17, 12-5 ASUN) will wrap up its conference road swing with a series at NJIT (16-25-1, 6-15 ASUN) May 10-12. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday at Skylands Stadium. Saturday and Sunday’s games are both slated for a noon start. All three games will be streamed on the Highlander Sports Network.
A LOOK AT FGCU
Junior Mason Studstill has established himself as one of the best arms in the nation. His average of 4.40 hits allowed per nine innings is the second-lowest in the nation and his earned run average (1.59) checks in at 13th.
Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) leads the ASUN with 90 strikeouts so far, which stands alone as the sixth-most dealt by an Eagle in single-season history.
As a team, the Green and Blue sit at the top of the league standings. They pace the conference in runs (314), RBIs (279) and on-base percentage (.387).
Junior Alex Brait leads the team in the batter’s box. The catcher owns a .325 batting average and has cranked out 66 hits, the most by any player in the ASUN.
Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) has caught 11 runners stealing so far, which ties for tenth on the FGCU single-season list. He needs just four more to check into the top five. He is also a perfect 10-10 on stolen bases and is one of two players in the league to have stolen at least 10 bags without being caught.
With 289 career assists, junior Richie Garcia is currently tied for ninth in the Eagles’ record book. He and senior Eric Gonzalez have combined for 200 assists and 35 double plays this season.
Junior Hunter McGarry has been a force in the back end of the FGCU bullpen. He has already picked up eight saves this season, which ties for the third-most in Green and Blue single-season history.
McGarry’s (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) eight saves are more than Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Barnes and former Chicago Cubs pitcher Casey Coleman accumulated in their careers as Eagles.
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles dropped two close games to Stetson at the Hatters’ home stadium in DeLand. The series finale was cancelled due to weather.
Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) scored the first run of the series after being pushed across by Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) in the opening frame of Friday night’s game. The initial 1-0 lead was the Eagles’ only advantage of the weekend.
Studstill (5-1) was charged with his first loss of the season as the Eagles eventually fell to the reigning ASUN champs by a score of 2-1.
The Hatters posted a 5-0 edge over FGCU in game two before senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) got the team on the board by driving in Garcia.
Junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) made it a two-run ballgame with a single that sent Garcia and Gonzalez home, but it was the closest the team ever got.
The series loss was the first for the Eagles since dropping two-of-three to UNF back in March.
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
Last weekend, NJIT faced off against conference newcomer North Alabama. The Highlanders and the Lions split the first two games, but North Alabama claimed the series after winning Sunday’s rubber match 8-3.
Sophomore Paul Franzoni finished the three-game series 5-for-12 with seven RBIs, three runs, two doubles and two home runs.
On Tuesday night, the Highlanders rallied to an 18-11 win over St. Peter’s. After scoring just two runs, the Highlanders posted a combined total of 16 over the last two frames of the night.
Freshman Brett Helmkamp finished the night 4-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs. On the season, Helmkamp leads the team with a .329 batting average, the highest of any freshman in the ASUN.
Sophomore Julio Marcano has cranked out a team-high eight home runs and paces the Highlanders with 81 total bases. His twin brother, David Marcano, has stolen nine bags and turned in 10 extra-base hits.
The Highlanders’ starting rotation of junior Tyler Stafflinger, redshirt-senior Sean Lubreski and junior Jared Kasco have a combined ERA of 5.39. The trio has given up 264 hits and been charged with 128 earned runs.
Freshman Joe Georgini has made a team-high 18 appearances. He and Kasco have each picked up one save so far this season.
ASUN STANDINGS
1. FGCU (30-17, 12-5 ASUN)
2. Liberty (33-15, 12-6 ASUN)
3. Lipscomb (26-21, 10-8 ASUN)
4. UNF (28-20, 9-8 ASUN)
4. Stetson (21-16, 9-8 ASUN)
6. Jacksonville (26-23, 9-9 ASUN)
7. Kennesaw State (23-26, 8-10 ASUN)
8. North Alabama (15-33, 7-13 ASUN)
9. NJIT (16-25-1, 6-15 ASUN)
THE STRENGTH OF THE CONFERENCE
The ASUN currently has four teams in the top-130 RPI ranking: Liberty (53), Jacksonville (86), UNF (103) and FGCU (129).
As a whole, ASUN teams are 5-7 against opponents ranked in the nation’s top 25.
FGCU owns a win over then-No. 5 Florida, who is currently No. 32 in RPI.
2019 SCHEDULE
The Eagles began their 55-game campaign with a bang and opened the year playing each of their first 11 games in the friendly confines of Swanson Stadium.
The Green and Blue played a total of nine times against programs from Power 5 universities (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC).
FGCU is billed to play 36 home games and 19 contests on the road. Additional notable non-conference home games included dates with Rutgers (March 15-17), FAU (March 19), FIU (March 26) and Miami (April 10).
The first ASUN matchup was a series at UNF March 22-24, which the Eagles dropped 2-1.
FGCU will compete 16 times against programs who have played in the NCAA Championship tournament at least once over the last two years. The mark includes a Florida squad that won the national championship two years ago and advanced to the 2018 College World Series. FGCU will also grace a Stetson program (May 3-5) that hosted an NCAA Regional last year and advanced to a Super Regional.
The 2019 ASUN Conference Championship will be held May 22-25 in DeLand, Florida, and will be hosted by Stetson.
WE’VE GOT YOUR SEAT
Experience FGCU Baseball and Softball this season. The following ticket opportunities are on sale now:
Group Sales
Bring your group of 15 or more to an FGCU Baseball or Softball game. All group tickets include your choice of concessions or an FGCU hat ($15 value), in-game group recognition and more. For more information on group outings, click HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Single Game Tickets
Single game tickets are available for all remaining home games. Adult tickets are $7 each. Discounted tickets are available for current or former Military and Youth ages 3-15 for just $5 each. Baseball and Softball Frequent Flyer Cards allow multiple entries for more than 50 percent off the adult rate. Choose 34 baseball entries for $105 or 17 softball entries for $55. Purchase online HERE or call 239-590-7145.
