A little recap of the tournament overall:
1. No. 2 seed Stetson was the host of the tournament after winning the previous tournament and season crown.
2. No. 2 seed Stetson was the first team eliminated from the tournament.
3. JU did not lose any games throughout the whole tournament (until the end).
4. The teams eliminated in order are as noted: 1. Stetson 2. UNF 3. Lipscomb and 4. Kennesaw State.
Before the final matchup(s), FGCU and JU played each other previously in the opening conference games of the season. JU won the conference series 2-1. FGCU would win the first game 4-0, but would lose the second game 5-10 and the third game 2-5 in 11 innings. The third game was the most heated game in the series. Words were exchanged and a fight broke out. Five players total were ejected from the game.
The first game of the championship went underway. For the pitcher's duel, JU sent sophomore Mike Cassala (0-4, 5.31 ERA) to start the game while FGCU countered with junior Peyton Gray (3-3, 4.85 ERA).
Through the first two innings, it was quiet for both teams until FGCU struck first. At the top of the third, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Alex Brait started with a leadoff single. After a strikeout by junior Eli Lovell, sophomore Jake Smith would hit a single before junior A-SUN First Team All-Conference member, Julio Gonzalez, hit a single to right to drive in Brait for the first run of the championship game.
JU would strike back, however. Starting with a single from redshirt sophomore Reagan Wright, a sacrifice bunt from A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Ruben Someillan and a strikeout to sophomore Dakota Julylia, senior A-SUN First Team All-Conference and A-SUN All-Acadmic Team member Nathan Koslowski drove in Wright for JU's first run of the game.
By the bottom of the fourth, Gray was struggling. After getting sophomore A-SUN All-Acadmic Team member Angel Camacho to pop out and junior Sam Armstrong to strikeout, sophomore A-SUN All-Academic Team member, Evan Fernandez, hit a solo home run to give JU a 2-1 lead.
By the top of sixth inning, FGCU fought back. Redshirt Senior A-SUN First Team All-Conference member and A-SUN Player of the Year, Nick Rivera, lead off with a solo home run to left to tie the game 2-2. It did not stop there though. A-SUN All-Freshman Team member and A-SUN Freshman of the Year Richie Garcia hit a single to left. After a sacrifice bunt from A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Marc Coffers, back-to-back RBI doubles were struck by Brait and junior Matt Reardon for runs three and four of the game.
From the top of the seventh, Gray was able to relax more and finish through the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, redshirt junior Kenton Hering (7-3, 2.04 ERA) took over in relief. Hering made his fourth postseason appearance in the tournament so far. With Hering on the mound, Brait was switched with junior Spencer Levine as catcher. With the switch, Hering had no problem with the final two innings and closed the door on the Dolphins for the 4-2 win.
Grey was credited with his fourth win after throwing seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits, walked three batters and struck out five. Hering was credited with his sixth save of the year after throwing two scoreless innings of relief and striking out three batters.
Almost everyone of FGCU's batters had at least one hit.
Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with two singles, a double and an RBI.
Reardon was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Brait was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
Smith, Coffers, Garcia and Rivera had one hit each.
Morey and Lovell were the only batters that were hitless. Morey was 0-for-4 with a walk while Lovell was 0-for-3 with a walk.
Rivera was 1-for-4 with a walk and a home run. The home run hit by him was his 17th home run of the year and the 43rd home run of his collegiate career. He holds the record for most home runs overall for FGCU and the A-SUN.
During the tournament, a few of FGCU's players, including Smith and Reardon were battling through injuries. With the win, FGCU and JU had one more game to play for all the marbles.
JU would send sophomore Chris Gau (2-4, 3.41 ERA) to the mound while FGCU tried something different and had senior Sterling Koerner to start. Koerner (2-3, 5.47 ERA) was mainly used as the closer for FGCU. Koerner leads the team and the conference with 12 saves, so this was his first start for FGCU this season.
Now I was really questionable and weary with the choice that head coach Dave Tollett made with Koerner for several reasons:
1. Koerner is a closer, not a starter.
2. Koerner has had some rough games against JU during the season where he blew two saves.
3. When Koerner enters into the game that is not a save situation, there are a few red flags waved that are, to me, questionable. So I was nervous to see what would happen.
In the bottom of the first, JU struck first. After a single from Koslowski, a sacrifice bunt from A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Scott Dubrule and another single from Camacho, Armstrong would hit a sac fly and bring in Koslowski for the first run Cassala flew out to end the top half of the inning.
At the top of the second, FGCU would get their first run on the board. Reardon, despite battling an injury, lead off with a single. After Brait walked, Lovell would make a sac bunt and move Reardon and Brait. Smith would hit a sac fly and drive a hobbling Reardon home for the first run.
Koerner was still struggling. In the fourth inning, Koerner gave up a single to Fernandez. After a sacrifice bunt from redshirt junior Chris Lehane, Someillan would hit an RBI single and drive in Fernandez to make it 2-1 JU. FGCU's bat were very quiet throughout parts of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Koerner gave up a single to Someillan. After a sac bunt from Julylia, Tollett pulled Koerner out of the game and decided to put redshirt sophomore Josh Dye (8-5, 3.32 ERA) to finish the inning. Although it effected Koerner's ERA, Dye would get Koslowski to fly out before giving up an RBI single to Dubrule before striking out Camacho. Camacho would reach first on a wild pitch, but Dye would get out of the inning and get Armstrong to flyout to end the seventh.
It looked like FGCU's chances of getting their first conference tournament championship and automatic bid to the regionals of the national tournament were slipping away fast, but at the top of the ninth, the Eagles fought back. Senior A-SUN All-Acadmic Team member Corey Fehribach would leadoff as a pinch hitter for Brait and start with a walk. Lovell would then follow with a single to left. After that, head coach Chris Hayes would pull Gau out and send junior Spencer Stockton (5-2, 2.42 ERA) to pitch.
In the bottom of the first, JU struck first. After a single from Koslowski, a sacrifice bunt from A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Scott Dubrule and another single from Camacho, Armstrong would hit a sac fly and bring in Koslowski for the first run Cassala flew out to end the top half of the inning.
At the top of the second, FGCU would get their first run on the board. Reardon, despite battling an injury, lead off with a single. After Brait walked, Lovell would make a sac bunt and move Reardon and Brait. Smith would hit a sac fly and drive a hobbling Reardon home for the first run.
Koerner was still struggling. In the fourth inning, Koerner gave up a single to Fernandez. After a sacrifice bunt from redshirt junior Chris Lehane, Someillan would hit an RBI single and drive in Fernandez to make it 2-1 JU. FGCU's bat were very quiet throughout parts of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Koerner gave up a single to Someillan. After a sac bunt from Julylia, Tollett pulled Koerner out of the game and decided to put redshirt sophomore Josh Dye (8-5, 3.32 ERA) to finish the inning. Although it effected Koerner's ERA, Dye would get Koslowski to fly out before giving up an RBI single to Dubrule before striking out Camacho. Camacho would reach first on a wild pitch, but Dye would get out of the inning and get Armstrong to flyout to end the seventh.
It looked like FGCU's chances of getting their first conference tournament championship and automatic bid to the regionals of the national tournament were slipping away fast, but at the top of the ninth, the Eagles fought back. Senior A-SUN All-Acadmic Team member Corey Fehribach would leadoff as a pinch hitter for Brait and start with a walk. Lovell would then follow with a single to left. After that, head coach Chris Hayes would pull Gau out and send junior Spencer Stockton (5-2, 2.42 ERA) to pitch.
Before Stockton could pitch, Tollett sent freshman Tyler Yeager to pinch run for Lovell. Smith would lay down a sac bunt to move Fehribach and Yeager into scoring position for Gonzalez. Scared to look right away, Gonzalez saved FGCU and hit a game-tying two-RBI single up the middle to make it 3-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, FGCU went to the bullpen again and had redshirt junior Parker Hamilton (1-0, 3.54 ERA) pitch in the ninth inning. With Hamilton in the game, Tollett made a few more defensive changes. Levine would come in as the catcher and freshman Cameron Krzeminski would come in at left field. Hamilton had no trouble and swept through the inning with ease.
The game was now going to extra innings. JU would make another pitching change and send freshman Tyler Santana (4-1, 2.79 ERA) to pitch. After Garcia lined out to start the 10th inning, Coffers and Reardon hit back-to-back singles. After a Levine walk, Santana would throw a wild pitch and Coffers would score the hopefully winning run for FGCU before Krzeminski struck out and Smith flew out to end the inning.
Tollett would make one last pitching change for a save situation. He sent senior Garrett Anderson (7-1, 3.43 ERA) to pitch and get the save. Anderson would give up a leadoff single to Dubrule, but it had very little effect on Anderson. Camacho would groundout into a double play. With two outs, Hayes would have sophomore Connor Stephens pinch hit and face Anderson. Stephens grounded out to second and FGCU would claim their first ever A-SUN Conference Championship and secure an automatic bid in the regionals.
Koerner earned a no decision after he threw 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and walked one batter and struck out one. Hamilton was credited with his second win of the year after one scoreless inning. Anderson was credited with his third save of the year.
four players from FGCU had two hits each (Morey, Garcia, Coffers and Reardon).
At the award ceremony, the A-SUN All-Tournament team was announced at the end.
Gau, Dubrule, Cassala and Lehane represented runner-up JU.
Junior Kutter Crawford, Rivera, Hering and Coffers represented FGCU. Coffers was also named A-SUN All-Tournament Team MVP.
Juniors First Team A-SUN All-Conference members, Austin Upshaw and A-SUN Co-Defensive Players of the Year, Grant Williams of Kennesaw and Michael Gigliotti of Lipscomb, were also recognized on A-SUN All-Tournament team, but they were not in attendance due to being eliminated earlier from the tournament.
FGCU is going to the regionals of the national tournament for the first time in program history and will represent the A-SUN Conference. On Monday, the NCAA will provide a selection show for fans to watch on ESPN2 at noon. During the selection show, it won't be just the conference winners that are being selected. Teams that have an at-large bid will also be selected in the tournament. It is unknown who FGCU will play in the tournament and where their regional games are going to be. It's a random selection, so they may play Bethune-Cookman, Florida or Florida State again or they may play a team that they have never played against like UIC or BYU. Whoever FGCU plays, they will give it all they got.
In the bottom of the ninth, FGCU went to the bullpen again and had redshirt junior Parker Hamilton (1-0, 3.54 ERA) pitch in the ninth inning. With Hamilton in the game, Tollett made a few more defensive changes. Levine would come in as the catcher and freshman Cameron Krzeminski would come in at left field. Hamilton had no trouble and swept through the inning with ease.
The game was now going to extra innings. JU would make another pitching change and send freshman Tyler Santana (4-1, 2.79 ERA) to pitch. After Garcia lined out to start the 10th inning, Coffers and Reardon hit back-to-back singles. After a Levine walk, Santana would throw a wild pitch and Coffers would score the hopefully winning run for FGCU before Krzeminski struck out and Smith flew out to end the inning.
Tollett would make one last pitching change for a save situation. He sent senior Garrett Anderson (7-1, 3.43 ERA) to pitch and get the save. Anderson would give up a leadoff single to Dubrule, but it had very little effect on Anderson. Camacho would groundout into a double play. With two outs, Hayes would have sophomore Connor Stephens pinch hit and face Anderson. Stephens grounded out to second and FGCU would claim their first ever A-SUN Conference Championship and secure an automatic bid in the regionals.
Koerner earned a no decision after he threw 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and walked one batter and struck out one. Hamilton was credited with his second win of the year after one scoreless inning. Anderson was credited with his third save of the year.
four players from FGCU had two hits each (Morey, Garcia, Coffers and Reardon).
At the award ceremony, the A-SUN All-Tournament team was announced at the end.
Gau, Dubrule, Cassala and Lehane represented runner-up JU.
Junior Kutter Crawford, Rivera, Hering and Coffers represented FGCU. Coffers was also named A-SUN All-Tournament Team MVP.
Juniors First Team A-SUN All-Conference members, Austin Upshaw and A-SUN Co-Defensive Players of the Year, Grant Williams of Kennesaw and Michael Gigliotti of Lipscomb, were also recognized on A-SUN All-Tournament team, but they were not in attendance due to being eliminated earlier from the tournament.
FGCU is going to the regionals of the national tournament for the first time in program history and will represent the A-SUN Conference. On Monday, the NCAA will provide a selection show for fans to watch on ESPN2 at noon. During the selection show, it won't be just the conference winners that are being selected. Teams that have an at-large bid will also be selected in the tournament. It is unknown who FGCU will play in the tournament and where their regional games are going to be. It's a random selection, so they may play Bethune-Cookman, Florida or Florida State again or they may play a team that they have never played against like UIC or BYU. Whoever FGCU plays, they will give it all they got.
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