In a rematch from the A-SUN Conference Tournament Championship last year, the FGCU men’s tennis team (6-9, 1-1 A-SUN) claimed their first conference win as they defeated Lipscomb (6-9, 1-1 A-SUN) by a score of 5-2.
With the win, the Eagles are now 9-3 all-time against the Bison. In addition, the Eagles are currently in a four-way tie with Lipscomb, NJIT, and Stetson for second place in the A-SUN Conference standings.
“Today was a great college match,” said head coach CJ Weber. “Lipscomb competed well, but we did a great job of getting on top and not letting go. We actually had a great crowd out there who supported us well, which is always nice to have on the road. Now we shift our focus to Kennesaw State.”
In the doubles portion of the matchup, the duo of sophomore Felipe Ramirez and senior Austin Bates defeated senior Daniel Cardenas and freshman Pedro Uribe 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.
Juniors Mateo Ruiz and Ezequiel Cerrini would follow with a 6-1 win over sophomore Jorge Ortegon and freshman Francesco Tacconi at the No. 3 doubles, claiming the doubles point for the Eagles.
The duo of senior Oliver Landert and sophomore Marcelo Tebet, who were playing at the No. 1 singles did not finish their match against senior Alejandro Manzanares and freshman Victor Chaw, which was tied 4-4, due to the Eagles already claiming the point.
Heading into singles competition, junior Javier Fernandez would add to the Eagles lead as the Ibiza native defeated Tacconi with a pair of 6-4 decisions.
The Bison would then claim their first point of the matchup as Tebet would fall with a pair of 4-6 decisions to Cardenas. Cerrini would then fall fell 4-6, 5-7 to Chaw as the Bison tied the matchup.
With the score 2-2, the Eagles would manage to regain the lead from Ramirez as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year won his match 6-3, 7-5 over Manzanares before Bates sealed the deal with a 7-5, 7-6 win over Uribe, claiming the automatic win for the Eagles.
Landert would add to the win in his match as the Switzerland native won his match over Ortegon with a final score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-6.
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match conference road trip as they face Kennesaw State before traveling back to FGCU with a three-match homestead against NJIT, USC Upstate, and Stetson.
About Me
FGCU Beach Volleyball vs Coastal Carolina/Mercer Recap: Day One
The FGCU beach volleyball team (7-6, 2-0 A-SUN) earned two wins over Costal Carolina (0-4, 0-2 A-SUN) (5-0) and Mercer (6-9, 0-2 A-SUN) (4-1) to begin A-SUN Conference play on Bear Beach at Mercer, snapping a three-match losing streak. With the wins, the Eagles, who are receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Top 20 poll, improved to 8-7 all-time against the Bears and 4-0 all-time against Chanticleers.
"I liked the way we competed today in both matches," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Being down 2-0 to South Carolina after the 4's and 5's makes for a tough road, but I thought we handled it well. Ashley and Gio, along with Amanda and Mac, responded well with two highly competitive matches."
"Against TCU, we got some great play across the board. I thought defensively we did a great job disrupting a very physical group."
Beginning with Costal Carolina, all five pairs for the Eagles defeated the Chanticleers. The No. 1 duo of junior Amanda Carroll and senior Mackenzie Allen defeated juniors Dora Lulic and Carla Cahill by a score of 21-12, 21-11.
No. 4 pair of freshmen duo Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone would follow defeating freshman Kyla Manning and sophomore Autumn Otto 21-15, 19-21, 15-11 before No.3 pair of sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti and senior Ashley Glickert defeated seniors Aleksandra Djuric and Leah Hardeman 21-17, 13-21, 15-11 to claim the win for the Eagles.
The No. 5 pairing of junior Kaitlan Krivdo and freshman Alayna Ryan defeated the freshman duo of Kalin Eske and Aristea Tontai 19-21, 21-16, 15-10 before the No. 2 pairing of juniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis defeated sophomore Kinga Windisch and freshman Tanner Gauthier 21-15, 21-11.
Going into match two against Mercer, Carroll and Allen defeated senior Sophie Peel and freshman Kasey Ogden 21-12, 18-21, 16-14.
Whetstone and Burnam would defeat the freshman duo of Kylie Keeling and Elli Merchant 21-17, 20-22, 15-9 before Borgiotti and Glickert defeated sophomore Amber Gibson and freshman Gracie Garanich 21-19, 21-18, claiming another Eagles win.
Krivdo and Ryan would fall 21-16, 17-21, 12-15 to senior Marina Chavez and freshman Emilee Wissmach before Rhoades and Puisis defeated senior Jessica Johnson and junior Elli Gibson 18-21, 21-15, 15-11.
The Eagles return to action as they face Coastal Carolina and Mercer for the second time. The Eagles will wrap up their road trip in a doubleheader against #17 Stetson before returning home to for their final five matches of the regular season.
"I liked the way we competed today in both matches," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Being down 2-0 to South Carolina after the 4's and 5's makes for a tough road, but I thought we handled it well. Ashley and Gio, along with Amanda and Mac, responded well with two highly competitive matches."
"Against TCU, we got some great play across the board. I thought defensively we did a great job disrupting a very physical group."
Beginning with Costal Carolina, all five pairs for the Eagles defeated the Chanticleers. The No. 1 duo of junior Amanda Carroll and senior Mackenzie Allen defeated juniors Dora Lulic and Carla Cahill by a score of 21-12, 21-11.
No. 4 pair of freshmen duo Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone would follow defeating freshman Kyla Manning and sophomore Autumn Otto 21-15, 19-21, 15-11 before No.3 pair of sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti and senior Ashley Glickert defeated seniors Aleksandra Djuric and Leah Hardeman 21-17, 13-21, 15-11 to claim the win for the Eagles.
The No. 5 pairing of junior Kaitlan Krivdo and freshman Alayna Ryan defeated the freshman duo of Kalin Eske and Aristea Tontai 19-21, 21-16, 15-10 before the No. 2 pairing of juniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis defeated sophomore Kinga Windisch and freshman Tanner Gauthier 21-15, 21-11.
Going into match two against Mercer, Carroll and Allen defeated senior Sophie Peel and freshman Kasey Ogden 21-12, 18-21, 16-14.
Whetstone and Burnam would defeat the freshman duo of Kylie Keeling and Elli Merchant 21-17, 20-22, 15-9 before Borgiotti and Glickert defeated sophomore Amber Gibson and freshman Gracie Garanich 21-19, 21-18, claiming another Eagles win.
Krivdo and Ryan would fall 21-16, 17-21, 12-15 to senior Marina Chavez and freshman Emilee Wissmach before Rhoades and Puisis defeated senior Jessica Johnson and junior Elli Gibson 18-21, 21-15, 15-11.
The Eagles return to action as they face Coastal Carolina and Mercer for the second time. The Eagles will wrap up their road trip in a doubleheader against #17 Stetson before returning home to for their final five matches of the regular season.
FGCU WTEN vs Lipscomb Recap
Opening conference on the road, the FGCU women’s tennis team (5-7, 1-0 A-SUN) sealed the deal with another game-winner as they defeated Lipscomb (7-10, 0-2 A-SUN) 4-3 to open conference. With the win, FGCU improved to 12-0 all-time against the Bisons.
“Today was a battle,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “The girls did a great job adjusting to going indoors. I am proud of the fight in this team and Laura did a great job clinching the match today.”
“Our energy was really good, but our focus wasn’t always there in the third sets,” Lipscomb head coach Jamie Aid said. “That hurt us in the end, but all in all, (the third sets) showed that we are right there.”
Going into doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font fell 3-6 to sophomore Madeleine Brooks and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba.
The duo of freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-2 win over redshirt sophomore Kateryna Kandyba and junior Thabile Tshatedi before junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 1-6 to sophomore Denise Buberl and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba in the decider as the Bison claimed the doubles point.
“Today was one of the better doubles showings we’ve had,” Aid said. “The girls were up at the net and being aggressive, and I was very pleased with how they played.”
Heading into singles, sophomore Bridget Forster defeated Kandyba with a 6-2 pair win to tie the score at 1-1.
The Eagles would then take a 3-1 lead after sophomore Sofia Perez defeated Tshatedi 6-4, 6-0 and Ornberg, who bounced back after falling in the first set, won 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 over Dzyuba. Perez earned her fifth singles win of the season while Ornberg earned her ninth.
The Bison would tie the game after Gallegos fell 2-6, 7-5, 2-6 to Brooks and Ascua fell 7-6, 0-6, 3-6 to freshman Kateryna Popova leaving it down to one match between Falceto Font and Burberl.
After a losing battle in the first set, the native of Zaragoza, Spain bounced back in the second set before claiming the third set against Burberl winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“We told the girls beforehand to expect a lot of third sets and the match would probably be determined in third sets,” Aid said. “(Popova and Brooks) did well to win their matches, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match conference road as they face Kennesaw State next before returning home facing NJIT and USC Upstate for two straight home conference matchups.
“Today was a battle,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “The girls did a great job adjusting to going indoors. I am proud of the fight in this team and Laura did a great job clinching the match today.”
“Our energy was really good, but our focus wasn’t always there in the third sets,” Lipscomb head coach Jamie Aid said. “That hurt us in the end, but all in all, (the third sets) showed that we are right there.”
Going into doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font fell 3-6 to sophomore Madeleine Brooks and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba.
The duo of freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-2 win over redshirt sophomore Kateryna Kandyba and junior Thabile Tshatedi before junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 1-6 to sophomore Denise Buberl and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba in the decider as the Bison claimed the doubles point.
“Today was one of the better doubles showings we’ve had,” Aid said. “The girls were up at the net and being aggressive, and I was very pleased with how they played.”
Heading into singles, sophomore Bridget Forster defeated Kandyba with a 6-2 pair win to tie the score at 1-1.
The Eagles would then take a 3-1 lead after sophomore Sofia Perez defeated Tshatedi 6-4, 6-0 and Ornberg, who bounced back after falling in the first set, won 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 over Dzyuba. Perez earned her fifth singles win of the season while Ornberg earned her ninth.
The Bison would tie the game after Gallegos fell 2-6, 7-5, 2-6 to Brooks and Ascua fell 7-6, 0-6, 3-6 to freshman Kateryna Popova leaving it down to one match between Falceto Font and Burberl.
After a losing battle in the first set, the native of Zaragoza, Spain bounced back in the second set before claiming the third set against Burberl winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“We told the girls beforehand to expect a lot of third sets and the match would probably be determined in third sets,” Aid said. “(Popova and Brooks) did well to win their matches, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match conference road as they face Kennesaw State next before returning home facing NJIT and USC Upstate for two straight home conference matchups.
FGCU Softball vs Upstate Preview
The FGCU softball team (27-7, 2-1 A-SUN) prepares for their next wave in A-SUN Conference play as they travel to Spartanburg to face USC Upstate (22-12, 3-3 A-SUN) for their second wave of conference play.
Last Time Out:
After splitting a series with Marshall, the Eagles played Stetson to open up their part of conference play winning a series against Stetson winning 2-0 and 9-5 in the first two games before falling 0-3 in the series finale.
The players of highlight for FGCU are juniors Riley Randolph and Racquel Fournet as they were both named A-SUN Pitcher (Randolph) and A-SUN Player (Fournet) of the Week.
In the series against Stetson, Randolph played in all three games throwing 13.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out 16 batters. In two of Randolph's games, she came in relief. Randolph is currently 12-2 with a 1.12 ERA, which is ranked 24th in the nation, and 84 strikeouts.
Despite not getting any hits in the series finale against Stetson, Fournet went 4-for-6 in the series with two triples, one home run and two RBIs. Fournet is currently batting .371 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.
Save Nation:
Save Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman continues her strong role as the official closer for the team. Bauman currently had 13 saves for the team. The Jacksonville native not only leads the team and the A-SUN, but is also No. 1 in the nation. Bauman is three saves away from breaking the single season record in saves. The record is currently set by Canisius' Mallory Aldred (15) in 2008.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans recently competed against NC State and Duke. The Spartans would fall 1-2 to the Wolfpack before splitting with the Blue Devils winning 3-1 in the first game before losing 5-6 in the second game.
During conference, Upstate lost a series against Kennesaw State (Gm 1: 1-2 L; Gm 2: 1-0 W; 0-1 L) before winning a series against Lipscomb (Gm 1: 4-0 W; Gm 2: 11-12 L; Gm 3: 2-0 W).
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff is currently 10-7 with a 1.70 ERA and 147 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN Conference. Currently in conference, Biggerstaff is 1-3, but in her last game against Duke, she threw eight innings while giving one run on six hits and walking three and striking out three.
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way.
Gilstrap is currently batting .306 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 28 stolen bases. Ansley went 0-for-5 two stolen bases in the series against Duke.
Beasley is currently batting .400 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Beasley was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Morris is batting .366 with three home runs and a team-leading 23 RBIs. Morris was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 10-19 overall against the Spartans. Last time both teams met, the Eagles fell to the Spartans five times last season after being swept in the season series and losing in the A-SUN Tournament Championship Game. The last Eagles wins against Upstate was on March 25, 2016 where they took the series 2-1 in Spartanburg (Gm 1: 3-0 W; Gm 2: 10-2 W; Gm 3: 4-5 L)
Current Standings:
As it sits, these are the current standings overall with conference rec:
1. Jacksonville (19-13, 3-0)
2. FGCU (27-7, 2-1)
3. Kennesaw (22-12, 2-1)
4. Upstate (22-12, 3-3)
5. Lipscomb (20-9, 1-2)
6. Stetson (21-12, 1-2)
7. UNF (20-17, 0-3)
The series will begin on March 30-31 with two games on March 30 at 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. before wrapping with a game on March 31 at 1 P.M., and live stats will be available for fans who are unable to attend.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans recently competed against NC State and Duke. The Spartans would fall 1-2 to the Wolfpack before splitting with the Blue Devils winning 3-1 in the first game before losing 5-6 in the second game.
During conference, Upstate lost a series against Kennesaw State (Gm 1: 1-2 L; Gm 2: 1-0 W; 0-1 L) before winning a series against Lipscomb (Gm 1: 4-0 W; Gm 2: 11-12 L; Gm 3: 2-0 W).
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff is currently 10-7 with a 1.70 ERA and 147 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN Conference. Currently in conference, Biggerstaff is 1-3, but in her last game against Duke, she threw eight innings while giving one run on six hits and walking three and striking out three.
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way.
Gilstrap is currently batting .306 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 28 stolen bases. Ansley went 0-for-5 two stolen bases in the series against Duke.
Beasley is currently batting .400 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Beasley was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Morris is batting .366 with three home runs and a team-leading 23 RBIs. Morris was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 10-19 overall against the Spartans. Last time both teams met, the Eagles fell to the Spartans five times last season after being swept in the season series and losing in the A-SUN Tournament Championship Game. The last Eagles wins against Upstate was on March 25, 2016 where they took the series 2-1 in Spartanburg (Gm 1: 3-0 W; Gm 2: 10-2 W; Gm 3: 4-5 L)
Current Standings:
As it sits, these are the current standings overall with conference rec:
1. Jacksonville (19-13, 3-0)
2. FGCU (27-7, 2-1)
3. Kennesaw (22-12, 2-1)
4. Upstate (22-12, 3-3)
5. Lipscomb (20-9, 1-2)
6. Stetson (21-12, 1-2)
7. UNF (20-17, 0-3)
The series will begin on March 30-31 with two games on March 30 at 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. before wrapping with a game on March 31 at 1 P.M., and live stats will be available for fans who are unable to attend.
FGCU Men's Golf: FAU Invite Recap
After beginning with a fifth place finish on day one and falling behind tied for seventh on day two, the FGCU men’s golf team managed to claim a sixth place finish out 19 teams, and a final round score of 279 on day three at the FAU Slomin Autism Invitational.
The Eagles' 279 performance is tied for the 12th-best in program history, and equals the 4th-best final round all-time. The Eagles finished one shot behind Georgetown and 13 shots behind runner-up U-Conn. The eventual winner of the invitational was NCAA DII #6 Lynn University.
"Today was a nice bounce-back performance from the previous two days," said FGCU head coach Eric Booker. "The team had something to prove to themselves and they did that in the final round. We're still trending in the right direction, and I'm very proud of this round today. We'll continue the process of understanding the playing strategy and implementing."
Junior Andrew Potter tied for 6th overall out of 113 golfers. Potter signed for a final-round 69 to finish the 54-hole event with a 210 total (-6). His final-round 69 was matched by senior Grant Renegar. Renegar tied for 17th after breaking par for the first time on the weekend following a pair of even-par 72 performances on Friday and Saturday to record a 213 total (-3).
All four of FGCU's counting scores were below par on the day as freshman Cole Castro shot a 2-under 70 and sophomore Doug Smith signed for a 1-under 71. Castro tied for 30th overall with a 217 total, while sophomore Smith finished one shot back at 218.
Senior Michael Keymont bounced back from a tough two rounds with a 73 on Sunday while sophomore Brent Fredericksen, who played in the tournament as an Individual, recorded a final-round 72 after bouncing back from a 4-over start through his first seven holes to finish at even par.
Next up, the Eagles will wrap up their regular season across the country at Loyola Marymount's Geiberger Invitational Apr. 9-10 in Palm Springs, California before preparing for the A-SUN Conference Championship in Braselton, Georgia.
FAU Slomin Autism Invitational Competing Teams (# Golfstat Ranking)
1) #6 (D-II) Lynn: 281-273-272: 826
2) #141 Connecticut: 273-285-287: 845
3) #143 Jacksonville State: 290-279-281: 850
4) #195 Houston Baptist: 282-283-286: 851
5) #170 Georgetown: 285-296-276: 857
6) #178 FGCU: 287-292-279: 858
7) #138 Oakland: 292-287-281: 860
8) #224 Hartford: 289-288-289: 866
9) #191 Bethune-Cookman: 288-287-293: 868
10) #157 FAU: 291-291-288: 870
11) #216 DePaul: 298-292-286: 876
12) #180 North Dakota State: 298-299-281: 878
13) #237 Murray State: 293-288-300: 881
14) #257 Monmouth: 298-292-293: 883
15) #247 Stetson: 289-303-292: 884
16) #278 Manhattan: 299-304-291: 894
17) #277 Hofstra: 297-306-295: 898
18) #214 Morehead State: 306-301-293: 900
19) #283 Canisius: 307-307-301: 915
Quotes From Other Coaches:
Monmouth: "Our team was very consistent throughout the tournament. It certainly was a very good start to our spring season and I am very pleased with the team's performance this weekend," said head coach Dennis Shea
Morehead State: "I'm extremely proud of Tyler's performance this week," said head coach Matthew Martin. "He took absolute advantage of an opportunity. I was thrilled for him over the course of the tournament."
"As a team, we've got to put our heads down and get to work," Martin said. "We need to be playing our best a month from now (at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship on April 23). We're still in position to improve."
The Eagles' 279 performance is tied for the 12th-best in program history, and equals the 4th-best final round all-time. The Eagles finished one shot behind Georgetown and 13 shots behind runner-up U-Conn. The eventual winner of the invitational was NCAA DII #6 Lynn University.
"Today was a nice bounce-back performance from the previous two days," said FGCU head coach Eric Booker. "The team had something to prove to themselves and they did that in the final round. We're still trending in the right direction, and I'm very proud of this round today. We'll continue the process of understanding the playing strategy and implementing."
Junior Andrew Potter tied for 6th overall out of 113 golfers. Potter signed for a final-round 69 to finish the 54-hole event with a 210 total (-6). His final-round 69 was matched by senior Grant Renegar. Renegar tied for 17th after breaking par for the first time on the weekend following a pair of even-par 72 performances on Friday and Saturday to record a 213 total (-3).
All four of FGCU's counting scores were below par on the day as freshman Cole Castro shot a 2-under 70 and sophomore Doug Smith signed for a 1-under 71. Castro tied for 30th overall with a 217 total, while sophomore Smith finished one shot back at 218.
Senior Michael Keymont bounced back from a tough two rounds with a 73 on Sunday while sophomore Brent Fredericksen, who played in the tournament as an Individual, recorded a final-round 72 after bouncing back from a 4-over start through his first seven holes to finish at even par.
Next up, the Eagles will wrap up their regular season across the country at Loyola Marymount's Geiberger Invitational Apr. 9-10 in Palm Springs, California before preparing for the A-SUN Conference Championship in Braselton, Georgia.
FAU Slomin Autism Invitational Competing Teams (# Golfstat Ranking)
1) #6 (D-II) Lynn: 281-273-272: 826
2) #141 Connecticut: 273-285-287: 845
3) #143 Jacksonville State: 290-279-281: 850
4) #195 Houston Baptist: 282-283-286: 851
5) #170 Georgetown: 285-296-276: 857
6) #178 FGCU: 287-292-279: 858
7) #138 Oakland: 292-287-281: 860
8) #224 Hartford: 289-288-289: 866
9) #191 Bethune-Cookman: 288-287-293: 868
10) #157 FAU: 291-291-288: 870
11) #216 DePaul: 298-292-286: 876
12) #180 North Dakota State: 298-299-281: 878
13) #237 Murray State: 293-288-300: 881
14) #257 Monmouth: 298-292-293: 883
15) #247 Stetson: 289-303-292: 884
16) #278 Manhattan: 299-304-291: 894
17) #277 Hofstra: 297-306-295: 898
18) #214 Morehead State: 306-301-293: 900
19) #283 Canisius: 307-307-301: 915
Quotes From Other Coaches:
Monmouth: "Our team was very consistent throughout the tournament. It certainly was a very good start to our spring season and I am very pleased with the team's performance this weekend," said head coach Dennis Shea
Morehead State: "I'm extremely proud of Tyler's performance this week," said head coach Matthew Martin. "He took absolute advantage of an opportunity. I was thrilled for him over the course of the tournament."
"As a team, we've got to put our heads down and get to work," Martin said. "We need to be playing our best a month from now (at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship on April 23). We're still in position to improve."
FGCU Softball vs Stetson Recap
After a successful outing in non-conference play, the FGCU softball team (27-6, 2-0 A-SUN) opened up A-SUN Conference play with two wins over Stetson (20-12, 0-2 A-SUN). With the wins, the Eagles, who are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25, are now 15-17 against the Hatters.
In addition, head coach Dave Deiros earned his 599th and 600th win in his 16th season as head coach for the Eagles.
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against junior Tori Perkins.
Not a surprise to many, the Eagles scored the first run. After the first two outs, junior Racquel Fournet would draw a walk, opening up a door for the Eagles to score. Junior Brooke Clemens would also follow with a walk before senior Ashley Swiderski reached first on a fielding error while Fournet took advantage of the error and scored the first run.
At the top of the fifth, Randolph got herself in a small fix after giving up a lead-off triple to freshman Lizzie Shubert, but it did not seem to phase the St. Pete native as she struck out freshman Devin Lewis and got senior Maggie Fritts and sophomore Blake Crews to groundout to end the top half of the inning.
The Eagles would then add an insurance run to the lead. After a lead-off triple from Fournet, Clemens would bring in Fournet on a sacrifice fly for the second run.
At the top of the seventh, Randolph had no problem. Despite giving up a one-out single, Randolph struck out two batters before and after the single before Fritts fouled out to end the game.
Randolph would earn her 11th win after throwing a four hit shutout while striking out eight batters and giving up no walks. This was Randolph's ninth game where she threw no walks as a starter.
Perkins would earn her sixth loss after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two.
Fournet was one of two Eagles that went perfect as she went 2-for-2 with two triples and two runs scored. Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game.
Clemens, sophomore Kate Kelly, senior Brittany McGuire, and freshman Haley Morrell also had one hit each.
In game two, Derios sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against Stetson's freshman Jamie Tino.
In the first inning, the Hatters struck first. After giving up a lead-off single to freshman Kasey Fava, who then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, White would then walk junior Ashly Smith before both Fava and Smith attempting a successful double-steal with Fava scoring the first run. After White got sophomore Molly McLaughlin to popout, the Hatters would add another run on an RBI double from Shubert to make it 2-0, Stetson.
After giving up a walk to Lewis, Derios would send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to come in relief for White. Lewis would then advance to third on a wild pitch before junior Talli Sharp came in to pinch run. After Mesimore walked Fritts, Crews would hit a two-RBI single to make it 4-0 for the Hatters. Sophomore Linda Ross would then drive in Fritts for the fifth run on an RBI single before Fava grounded out to end the Eagles' bleeding.
The Eagles would then attempt to make a comeback. After one-out singles from senior Kelsey Huff and Fournet, Clemens would hit a double to left driving in Huff for the first run. Swiderski would follow with a bloop single to center bringing in Fournet for the second Eagles run.
After the Hatters failed to score in the second inning, the Eagles would soon find the strength they needed to gain the lead. Beginning with a lead-off double from Morrell, who then advanced to third on a wild pitch, Huff would bring in Morrell with an RBI single to right. With Huff on first, Fournet would have her time to shine again as the Windermere native clocked a two-run homer to center to tie the game at 5-5. It was Fournet's fourth home run of the season. The Hatters would make a pitching change as Perkins, who started the previous game, came in. Clemens would then hit a single before freshman Ahnie Jumper came in to pinch run. After Swiderski and McGuire reached base on back-to-back Hatter fielding errors, senior Lulu Newmark would clear the bases with a three-run triple to right, giving the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
The Eagles would add one more run in the fourth inning. After back-to-back singles from Clemens and Swiderski, McGuire would lay a sacrifice bunt to move the runners. After a passed ball occurred, Clemens would score the ninth Eagles run and the win.
"Just a great day for Riley Randolph for her to come in and pitch almost 12 innings of shutout ball, she did a fantastic job," said Deiros. "Racquel had an unbelievable day at the plate just swinging and I'm really proud of the kids and the way they were able to deal from coming back in that deficit in game two. Being down 5-0 looks like an unbelievable hole to get out of, but our kids scrapped and they made some immediate impacts. Once we got the lead it was time to go ahead and lock the door so we'll be ready to come out tomorrow and see if we can take all three."
Mesiemore would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while walking one batter.
White had a no-decision after throw one third of an inning.
Randolph threw 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out five batters.
Tino would be credited with her fifth loss of the season after 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Four Eagles had two or more hits in the game: Huff was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, Fournet was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Clemens was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Swiderski was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Kelly, Newmark, and Morrell had one hit each. Newmark had three RBIs.
Up next, the Eagles attempt to go for the sweep as they face Stetson on Sunday at 1 P.M.
I was also thankful to get a photo with head coach Derios after the games.
In addition, head coach Dave Deiros earned his 599th and 600th win in his 16th season as head coach for the Eagles.
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against junior Tori Perkins.
Not a surprise to many, the Eagles scored the first run. After the first two outs, junior Racquel Fournet would draw a walk, opening up a door for the Eagles to score. Junior Brooke Clemens would also follow with a walk before senior Ashley Swiderski reached first on a fielding error while Fournet took advantage of the error and scored the first run.
At the top of the fifth, Randolph got herself in a small fix after giving up a lead-off triple to freshman Lizzie Shubert, but it did not seem to phase the St. Pete native as she struck out freshman Devin Lewis and got senior Maggie Fritts and sophomore Blake Crews to groundout to end the top half of the inning.
The Eagles would then add an insurance run to the lead. After a lead-off triple from Fournet, Clemens would bring in Fournet on a sacrifice fly for the second run.
At the top of the seventh, Randolph had no problem. Despite giving up a one-out single, Randolph struck out two batters before and after the single before Fritts fouled out to end the game.
Randolph would earn her 11th win after throwing a four hit shutout while striking out eight batters and giving up no walks. This was Randolph's ninth game where she threw no walks as a starter.
Perkins would earn her sixth loss after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two.
Fournet was one of two Eagles that went perfect as she went 2-for-2 with two triples and two runs scored. Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game.
Clemens, sophomore Kate Kelly, senior Brittany McGuire, and freshman Haley Morrell also had one hit each.
In game two, Derios sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against Stetson's freshman Jamie Tino.
In the first inning, the Hatters struck first. After giving up a lead-off single to freshman Kasey Fava, who then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, White would then walk junior Ashly Smith before both Fava and Smith attempting a successful double-steal with Fava scoring the first run. After White got sophomore Molly McLaughlin to popout, the Hatters would add another run on an RBI double from Shubert to make it 2-0, Stetson.
After giving up a walk to Lewis, Derios would send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to come in relief for White. Lewis would then advance to third on a wild pitch before junior Talli Sharp came in to pinch run. After Mesimore walked Fritts, Crews would hit a two-RBI single to make it 4-0 for the Hatters. Sophomore Linda Ross would then drive in Fritts for the fifth run on an RBI single before Fava grounded out to end the Eagles' bleeding.
The Eagles would then attempt to make a comeback. After one-out singles from senior Kelsey Huff and Fournet, Clemens would hit a double to left driving in Huff for the first run. Swiderski would follow with a bloop single to center bringing in Fournet for the second Eagles run.
After the Hatters failed to score in the second inning, the Eagles would soon find the strength they needed to gain the lead. Beginning with a lead-off double from Morrell, who then advanced to third on a wild pitch, Huff would bring in Morrell with an RBI single to right. With Huff on first, Fournet would have her time to shine again as the Windermere native clocked a two-run homer to center to tie the game at 5-5. It was Fournet's fourth home run of the season. The Hatters would make a pitching change as Perkins, who started the previous game, came in. Clemens would then hit a single before freshman Ahnie Jumper came in to pinch run. After Swiderski and McGuire reached base on back-to-back Hatter fielding errors, senior Lulu Newmark would clear the bases with a three-run triple to right, giving the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
The Eagles would add one more run in the fourth inning. After back-to-back singles from Clemens and Swiderski, McGuire would lay a sacrifice bunt to move the runners. After a passed ball occurred, Clemens would score the ninth Eagles run and the win.
"Just a great day for Riley Randolph for her to come in and pitch almost 12 innings of shutout ball, she did a fantastic job," said Deiros. "Racquel had an unbelievable day at the plate just swinging and I'm really proud of the kids and the way they were able to deal from coming back in that deficit in game two. Being down 5-0 looks like an unbelievable hole to get out of, but our kids scrapped and they made some immediate impacts. Once we got the lead it was time to go ahead and lock the door so we'll be ready to come out tomorrow and see if we can take all three."
Mesiemore would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while walking one batter.
White had a no-decision after throw one third of an inning.
Randolph threw 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out five batters.
Tino would be credited with her fifth loss of the season after 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Four Eagles had two or more hits in the game: Huff was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, Fournet was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Clemens was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Swiderski was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Kelly, Newmark, and Morrell had one hit each. Newmark had three RBIs.
Up next, the Eagles attempt to go for the sweep as they face Stetson on Sunday at 1 P.M.
I was also thankful to get a photo with head coach Derios after the games.
FGCU Softball vs Stetson Preview
After wrapping up non-conference play, the FGCU softball team (25-6) prepares to face Stetson (20-10) to open up A-SUN Conference play at home.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off a doubleheader split against Marshall this past Wednesday claiming a comeback 4-3 victory in game one then fell in the second match 8-4 as the Thundering Herd posted a seven-run seventh to complete their comeback win.
Rac City:
Leading the pack for the Eagles is junior Racquel Fournet. Fournet has driven in 23 runs this season behind her .356 average. In the opening contest against Marshall, Fournet drove in all four of the Eagle's runs to go along with her third homer as her single in the seventh gave FGCU the walk-off win. Senior Kelsey Huff provides a different threat swiping 16 bases to go along with her .310 average.
Ranked Pitching:
FGCU continues to get quality production from its pitching staff as three pitchers all boast an ERA that ranks inside the top-37 in the nation. Sophomore Morgan White leads the Green and Blue with a 1.22 ERA while junior Riley Randolph has notched 10 wins for the Eagles.
Save Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman continues her strong role as the official closer for the team. Bauman currently had 13 saves for the team. The Jacksonville native not only leads the team and the A-SUN, but is also No. 1 in the nation. Bauman is three saves from breaking the single season record in saves. The record is currently set by Canisius' Mallory Aldred (15) in 2008.
RPI Watch:
After coming off a 4-1 trip in Clearwater, Fla., it was announced Monday morning in the NCAA's first softball 2018 RPI rankings that the Eagles are ranked #42 in the nation. FGCU leads a total of five A-SUN members that landed a spot in the top-80 as Lipscomb (56), Kennesaw State (63), USC Upstate (71) and UNF (79) rounded out the RPI top-80. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, the A-SUN boasted the 5th highest conference RPI, at one point being ranked as high as 4th in the nation
In the latest installment of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25, the Eagles joined USC Upstate as one of two teams from the ASUN receiving votes.
Scouting the Hatters:
The Hatters recently competed and hosted the Stetson Hatter Roundup. They would earn wins over George Mason (2-1) and Manhattan (5-1) before falling to Manhattan in a rematch (5-7) and cancelling a game against Princeton due to rain.
Junior Ashly Smith is featured as one of the best run producers in the A-SUN. Smith is batting .468 with 10 doubles and 25 RBIs. Sophomore Molly McLaughlin and senior Maggie Fritts have also chipped in with 26 and 23 RBIs, respectively.
Junior Tori Perkins leads the Hatters' pitching staff with a 2.28 ERA and 12 wins.
Series History:
FGCU trails the all-time series versus the Hatters 13-17 as the Eagles claimed the last series on the road in 2017.
The games will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 and 4 P.M. and one game on Sunday at 1 P.M. and livestats will be provided.
It will also be a whiteout as marketing is encouraging fans to wear white to the game.
In addition, the first 100 fans that attend the game will receive a 'Stomp Stetson' rally towel.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off a doubleheader split against Marshall this past Wednesday claiming a comeback 4-3 victory in game one then fell in the second match 8-4 as the Thundering Herd posted a seven-run seventh to complete their comeback win.
Rac City:
Leading the pack for the Eagles is junior Racquel Fournet. Fournet has driven in 23 runs this season behind her .356 average. In the opening contest against Marshall, Fournet drove in all four of the Eagle's runs to go along with her third homer as her single in the seventh gave FGCU the walk-off win. Senior Kelsey Huff provides a different threat swiping 16 bases to go along with her .310 average.
Ranked Pitching:
FGCU continues to get quality production from its pitching staff as three pitchers all boast an ERA that ranks inside the top-37 in the nation. Sophomore Morgan White leads the Green and Blue with a 1.22 ERA while junior Riley Randolph has notched 10 wins for the Eagles.
Save Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman continues her strong role as the official closer for the team. Bauman currently had 13 saves for the team. The Jacksonville native not only leads the team and the A-SUN, but is also No. 1 in the nation. Bauman is three saves from breaking the single season record in saves. The record is currently set by Canisius' Mallory Aldred (15) in 2008.
RPI Watch:
After coming off a 4-1 trip in Clearwater, Fla., it was announced Monday morning in the NCAA's first softball 2018 RPI rankings that the Eagles are ranked #42 in the nation. FGCU leads a total of five A-SUN members that landed a spot in the top-80 as Lipscomb (56), Kennesaw State (63), USC Upstate (71) and UNF (79) rounded out the RPI top-80. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, the A-SUN boasted the 5th highest conference RPI, at one point being ranked as high as 4th in the nation
In the latest installment of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25, the Eagles joined USC Upstate as one of two teams from the ASUN receiving votes.
Scouting the Hatters:
The Hatters recently competed and hosted the Stetson Hatter Roundup. They would earn wins over George Mason (2-1) and Manhattan (5-1) before falling to Manhattan in a rematch (5-7) and cancelling a game against Princeton due to rain.
Junior Ashly Smith is featured as one of the best run producers in the A-SUN. Smith is batting .468 with 10 doubles and 25 RBIs. Sophomore Molly McLaughlin and senior Maggie Fritts have also chipped in with 26 and 23 RBIs, respectively.
Junior Tori Perkins leads the Hatters' pitching staff with a 2.28 ERA and 12 wins.
Series History:
FGCU trails the all-time series versus the Hatters 13-17 as the Eagles claimed the last series on the road in 2017.
The games will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 and 4 P.M. and one game on Sunday at 1 P.M. and livestats will be provided.
It will also be a whiteout as marketing is encouraging fans to wear white to the game.
In addition, the first 100 fans that attend the game will receive a 'Stomp Stetson' rally towel.
FGCU W-Golf: MSU Citrus Classic Recap
The FGCU women’s golf team wrapped up a shortened round game as they claimed first out of 14 teams in the Morehead State Citrus Classic at the Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento, Fla, hosted by Morehead State. The MSU Citrus Classic is the Eagles’ first outright tournament championship they won since the Southern Illinois Spring Lake Invitational in 2008. The most recent share of a first place finish came on Sept. 16, 2013, where the Eagles tied for first in the FGCU Eagles Invitational with NCAA DII Barry University.
"I am ecstatic about our play this week," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said after the tournament's final round was called due to bad weather. "This tournament, we really stuck to our process goals and functioned well as a cohesive unit. We played very consistently throughout the tournament. All of our rounds were very strong across the board. We had a lot of distractions that could have derailed us. Yesterday, we came off the course a couple times and as the conditions got tougher, so did we. I don't think we did anything flashy but just hung tough and came away with the W."
All six Eagles finished in the top 25 of the tournament as a team and in individual. It was sophomore Kate Williamson’s performance that helped pave the way for the Eagles to claim first place. Williamson, who entered day two with tied for fifth place, was able to finish tied for second place with Morehead State's Sarah Debnekoff, Austin Peay State's Reagan Greene, and High Point University's Tonrak Tasaso. The Deerfield Beach native finished +4 with an overall score of 148 (74-74). With a 74 in each of her two rounds, Williamson was five strokes behind Michaela Fabiankova of Keiser (NAIA) for first place, but it was her best finish and the third sub-75 score for this year.
"I am very proud of Kate for her top three finish. She was so solid for us. We are excited about getting back out there again this weekend in Georgia," said Trew on Willamson's performance.
Junior Kelsy Holbert and freshman Natalia Nassar would finish tied for sixth and ninth respectively. Holbert, who began with tied for 11th, would finish with a +5 and an overall score of 149 (76-73) while Nassar, who began tied for first place, finished with a +6 and a score of 150 (76-73).
Junior Madeline Marck-Sherk began tied for 20th, but was able to finish tied for 12th with a +9 and an overall score of 153 (78-75), while senior Madison Easterbrook began tied for 11th before finishing tied for 19th with a +10 and an overall score of 154 (76-78).
Sophomore Ailsa Clark represented the Eagles as an individual as she finished tied for tied for 12th with a +9 overall and a final score of 153 (80-73).
The Eagles have now finished fifth or better in five of last seven tournaments since the start of the fall season, including four straight.
Team Standings:
1. #120 - FGCU - 297-300---597 (+21)
T-2. #84 - Murray State - 306-303---609 (+33)
T-2. #12 Keiser (NAIA) - 302-307---609 (+33)
4. #197 - Austin Peay - 312-298---610 (+34)
5. #215 - Morehead State - 311-307---618 (+42)
6. #177 - Western Illinois - 318-301---619 (+43)
7. #1 Savannah College of Art and Design (NAIA) - 312-309---621 (+45)
8. #169 - High Point - 311-311---622 (+46)
9. #234 - Western Carolina - 321-314---635 (+59)
10. #243 - Siena College - 313-335---648 (+72)
11. #220 - Dayton - 331-319---650 (+74)
12. #253 - Eastern Illinois - 334-320---654 (+78)
13. #228 - Northern Kentucky - 325-335---660 (+84)
14. #59 IU-East (NAIA) - 375-370---745 (+169)
Quotes from Other Coaches:
Keiser: "We loved the beauty and strategic challenge of Red Tail. Our team played their hearts out and I could not be more proud of each and every one of them. A special shout out to Michaela (Fabiankova), who never faltered and played solid golf throughout, earning her second collegiate win," said assistant coach Debbie Dove said.
Austin Peay: "I'm so proud of this team's ability to fight," said interim head coach Amy McCollum. "They battled through three rain delays yesterday and fought some tough wind today for their round."
I'm really happy for Reagan's (Greene) second place finish," McCollum added. "She was solid all week. Anna Michelle played a great last two rounds. Even though today's round didn't count, we really got a lot out of it, which is only going to help us this weekend in Illinois."
Western Illinois: "We had a good second round and a very solid third," said head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen. "The third round won't count because not all of the teams were able to finish today, but we did have some good things to build on."
High Point: "It was a really frustrating week for us overall," High Point head coach Alexis Bennett said. "We had a really strong round going today before the wash out, so we are disappointed we weren't able to get round three in, but beyond that we have a lot of work to do, especially in our ability to close rounds out. We've given up a lot of strokes this spring on the final five holes."
IU East: "This tournament was a great learning experience," said IU East coach Brittany Whatley, a Morehead State alum. "We had a few bumps with the weather delays and the heat, but we fought through it. I saw continuous improvement throughout the week and am really proud of the hard work the team put in."
FGCU will return to action on March 25-27 in the John Kirk Panther Invitational. The three-day event will be hosted by Georgia State University in Stockbridge, Georgia.
*side note: After the event, I was more than happy to share the article I wrote on the whole team's win in the tournament and personally delivered it to her, and she loved it:
"@patrickeclines (my Instagram handle, now @big_patman91) just personally dropped of a copy of his @eaglenews article of our win yesterday. Thanks Patrick!"
"I am ecstatic about our play this week," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said after the tournament's final round was called due to bad weather. "This tournament, we really stuck to our process goals and functioned well as a cohesive unit. We played very consistently throughout the tournament. All of our rounds were very strong across the board. We had a lot of distractions that could have derailed us. Yesterday, we came off the course a couple times and as the conditions got tougher, so did we. I don't think we did anything flashy but just hung tough and came away with the W."
"I am very proud of Kate for her top three finish. She was so solid for us. We are excited about getting back out there again this weekend in Georgia," said Trew on Willamson's performance.
Junior Kelsy Holbert and freshman Natalia Nassar would finish tied for sixth and ninth respectively. Holbert, who began with tied for 11th, would finish with a +5 and an overall score of 149 (76-73) while Nassar, who began tied for first place, finished with a +6 and a score of 150 (76-73).
Junior Madeline Marck-Sherk began tied for 20th, but was able to finish tied for 12th with a +9 and an overall score of 153 (78-75), while senior Madison Easterbrook began tied for 11th before finishing tied for 19th with a +10 and an overall score of 154 (76-78).
Sophomore Ailsa Clark represented the Eagles as an individual as she finished tied for tied for 12th with a +9 overall and a final score of 153 (80-73).
The Eagles have now finished fifth or better in five of last seven tournaments since the start of the fall season, including four straight.
Team Standings:
1. #120 - FGCU - 297-300---597 (+21)
T-2. #84 - Murray State - 306-303---609 (+33)
T-2. #12 Keiser (NAIA) - 302-307---609 (+33)
4. #197 - Austin Peay - 312-298---610 (+34)
5. #215 - Morehead State - 311-307---618 (+42)
6. #177 - Western Illinois - 318-301---619 (+43)
7. #1 Savannah College of Art and Design (NAIA) - 312-309---621 (+45)
8. #169 - High Point - 311-311---622 (+46)
9. #234 - Western Carolina - 321-314---635 (+59)
10. #243 - Siena College - 313-335---648 (+72)
11. #220 - Dayton - 331-319---650 (+74)
12. #253 - Eastern Illinois - 334-320---654 (+78)
13. #228 - Northern Kentucky - 325-335---660 (+84)
14. #59 IU-East (NAIA) - 375-370---745 (+169)
Quotes from Other Coaches:
Keiser: "We loved the beauty and strategic challenge of Red Tail. Our team played their hearts out and I could not be more proud of each and every one of them. A special shout out to Michaela (Fabiankova), who never faltered and played solid golf throughout, earning her second collegiate win," said assistant coach Debbie Dove said.
Austin Peay: "I'm so proud of this team's ability to fight," said interim head coach Amy McCollum. "They battled through three rain delays yesterday and fought some tough wind today for their round."
I'm really happy for Reagan's (Greene) second place finish," McCollum added. "She was solid all week. Anna Michelle played a great last two rounds. Even though today's round didn't count, we really got a lot out of it, which is only going to help us this weekend in Illinois."
Western Illinois: "We had a good second round and a very solid third," said head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen. "The third round won't count because not all of the teams were able to finish today, but we did have some good things to build on."
High Point: "It was a really frustrating week for us overall," High Point head coach Alexis Bennett said. "We had a really strong round going today before the wash out, so we are disappointed we weren't able to get round three in, but beyond that we have a lot of work to do, especially in our ability to close rounds out. We've given up a lot of strokes this spring on the final five holes."
IU East: "This tournament was a great learning experience," said IU East coach Brittany Whatley, a Morehead State alum. "We had a few bumps with the weather delays and the heat, but we fought through it. I saw continuous improvement throughout the week and am really proud of the hard work the team put in."
FGCU will return to action on March 25-27 in the John Kirk Panther Invitational. The three-day event will be hosted by Georgia State University in Stockbridge, Georgia.
*side note: After the event, I was more than happy to share the article I wrote on the whole team's win in the tournament and personally delivered it to her, and she loved it:
"@patrickeclines (my Instagram handle, now @big_patman91) just personally dropped of a copy of his @eaglenews article of our win yesterday. Thanks Patrick!"
FGCU MTEN vs Illionis St. Recap
After falling to Grand Canyon, the FGCU men’s tennis team (5-8) bounced back with a 4-3 win over visiting Illinois State (9-5).
“We’ve got a tough schedule this year, so we’re not having any pushover matches,” said FGCU head coach CJ Weber. “We’ve lost some close matches already this season, but we’ve tried to just not allow that to affect us and who we are. I was proud of the guys to come through after a tough loss yesterday.”
Beginning with doubles, the duo of juniors Ezequiel Cerrini and Mateo Ruiz defeated senior Andreas Boers and freshmman Pol Botifoll Ruis 6-4 on No. 2 doubles while the duo of senior Austin Bates and sophomore Felipe Ramirez defeated junior Egehan Sertkaya and freshman Cameron Petersen in No. 3 doubles, securing the doubles point for FGCU. The duo of senior Oliver Landert and sophomore Marcelo Tebet were ahead 5-3 over junior Igor Kolaric and senior Christoffer Greve, but did not finish as the Eagles had secured the point.
Going into singles, the Redbirds tied the score after Ramirez fell 2-6, 0-6 to Kolaric before junior Javier Fernandez defeated freshman Manuel Bernhard 7-6, 6-3 to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead. The Redbirds retied the score after Tebet fell 6-7, 3-6 but Cerrini would bring the Eagles’ lead back with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Sertkaya.
“I’m certainly excited. It’s been a tough year so far,” said Cerrini. “I’m super excited for my first win of the year, and I am happy to have pulled through because it was a lot tougher in the end than I expected, sort of like my bad results sort of got to me a little bit, and I was happy I was strong enough to pull through.”
Ruiz was the player that got the Eagles the win as the Bucaramanga, Colombia native defeated Ruis 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Landert fell in the final match as losing 6-2, 6-7, 5-7 to Greve.
“I think the good thing about our team is that we have a deep team,” Cerrini added. “Anybody can play any position. That also helps you a little bit because I know my teammates can move up if I move down, and I mean it’s good to move down and feel a little bit less pressure and try to get my game back.”
The Eagles will return to action on Mar. 25 as they host Princeton at 5 P.M. before continuing conference on the road against Lipscomb and Kennesaw State.
“We’ve got a tough schedule this year, so we’re not having any pushover matches,” said FGCU head coach CJ Weber. “We’ve lost some close matches already this season, but we’ve tried to just not allow that to affect us and who we are. I was proud of the guys to come through after a tough loss yesterday.”
Beginning with doubles, the duo of juniors Ezequiel Cerrini and Mateo Ruiz defeated senior Andreas Boers and freshmman Pol Botifoll Ruis 6-4 on No. 2 doubles while the duo of senior Austin Bates and sophomore Felipe Ramirez defeated junior Egehan Sertkaya and freshman Cameron Petersen in No. 3 doubles, securing the doubles point for FGCU. The duo of senior Oliver Landert and sophomore Marcelo Tebet were ahead 5-3 over junior Igor Kolaric and senior Christoffer Greve, but did not finish as the Eagles had secured the point.
Going into singles, the Redbirds tied the score after Ramirez fell 2-6, 0-6 to Kolaric before junior Javier Fernandez defeated freshman Manuel Bernhard 7-6, 6-3 to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead. The Redbirds retied the score after Tebet fell 6-7, 3-6 but Cerrini would bring the Eagles’ lead back with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Sertkaya.
“I’m certainly excited. It’s been a tough year so far,” said Cerrini. “I’m super excited for my first win of the year, and I am happy to have pulled through because it was a lot tougher in the end than I expected, sort of like my bad results sort of got to me a little bit, and I was happy I was strong enough to pull through.”
Ruiz was the player that got the Eagles the win as the Bucaramanga, Colombia native defeated Ruis 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Landert fell in the final match as losing 6-2, 6-7, 5-7 to Greve.
“I think the good thing about our team is that we have a deep team,” Cerrini added. “Anybody can play any position. That also helps you a little bit because I know my teammates can move up if I move down, and I mean it’s good to move down and feel a little bit less pressure and try to get my game back.”
The Eagles will return to action on Mar. 25 as they host Princeton at 5 P.M. before continuing conference on the road against Lipscomb and Kennesaw State.
FGCU Baseball vs Rutgers: Game Two Recap
The FGCU baseball team (13-5) dropped the second game of a three-game series Saturday afternoon to Rutgers (11-6) as the Eagles lost 6-3.
“We had some chances to score a few times, but he [Rutkowski] was good,” stated FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. “We didn’t get a lead-off hitter on until the seventh, but we still had some opportunities. They were better than us today, but hopefully we can salvage a game out of the series tomorrow.”
Redshirt junior Josh Dye (3-1) started on the mound for the Eagles in his first loss of the season after going six innings while allowing three runs only, one earned, on six hits while striking out six and walking just one.
Dye was countered by Rutgers starter Harry Rutkowski, who also went six innings and scattered four hits while allowed one earned run. He struck out seven and walked three, but was able to dance around some trouble to pick up the win.
The Scarlett Knights took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third off of a two-run single from Mike Nyistor. Both runs were unearned as the Eagles’ fielding did Dye no favors after the southpaw retired the first two batters of the inning. Rutgers would add to its lead in the sixth after a lead-off double, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly by Tyler McNamara plated Kyle Walker to make it 3-0.
The Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with redshirt junior Jay Hayes’s one-out solo shot to left center. However, the Scarlett Knights bounced back with three runs in the seventh to extend their lead to 6-0.
That score line would stay intact into the eighth, thanks to a quality appearance out of the bullpen by sophomore Trey Vickery. Vickery retired all four batters he faced after relieving senior Parker Hamilton.
Redshirt senior Gage Morey led off the Eagles’ portion of the eighth with a single to center. Morey moved up 90 feet on a single to left by Hayes, and both players scored on a single from redshirt sophomore Kohl Gilmore, aided by a miscue by the Rutgers’ center fielder.
After sophomore Sebastian Gruszecki worked a scoreless ninth, the Eagles would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom, but to no avail as a ground out ended the contest.
The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m.
“We had some chances to score a few times, but he [Rutkowski] was good,” stated FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. “We didn’t get a lead-off hitter on until the seventh, but we still had some opportunities. They were better than us today, but hopefully we can salvage a game out of the series tomorrow.”
Redshirt junior Josh Dye (3-1) started on the mound for the Eagles in his first loss of the season after going six innings while allowing three runs only, one earned, on six hits while striking out six and walking just one.
Dye was countered by Rutgers starter Harry Rutkowski, who also went six innings and scattered four hits while allowed one earned run. He struck out seven and walked three, but was able to dance around some trouble to pick up the win.
The Scarlett Knights took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third off of a two-run single from Mike Nyistor. Both runs were unearned as the Eagles’ fielding did Dye no favors after the southpaw retired the first two batters of the inning. Rutgers would add to its lead in the sixth after a lead-off double, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly by Tyler McNamara plated Kyle Walker to make it 3-0.
The Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with redshirt junior Jay Hayes’s one-out solo shot to left center. However, the Scarlett Knights bounced back with three runs in the seventh to extend their lead to 6-0.
That score line would stay intact into the eighth, thanks to a quality appearance out of the bullpen by sophomore Trey Vickery. Vickery retired all four batters he faced after relieving senior Parker Hamilton.
Redshirt senior Gage Morey led off the Eagles’ portion of the eighth with a single to center. Morey moved up 90 feet on a single to left by Hayes, and both players scored on a single from redshirt sophomore Kohl Gilmore, aided by a miscue by the Rutgers’ center fielder.
After sophomore Sebastian Gruszecki worked a scoreless ninth, the Eagles would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom, but to no avail as a ground out ended the contest.
The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m.
FGCU Softball: Clearwater Invitational Recap Three
Wrapping up on the final day of the Clearwater Invitational Recap, the FGCU Softball team (24-5) defeated Princeton 6-2 finishing 4-1 in the tournament. In the previous four games, the Eagles defeated Chattanooga and St. Joseph 2-1 on day one of the tournament, split day two with a loss to Maine (3-5) and win over Lehigh (4-2).
"Really nice team win to end the weekend," stated head coach David Deiros. "We played well in all facets, I thought we pitched it well and we played some good defense when Princeton put some good pressure on us. I also thought we hit the ball hard all over the field today which really made a difference for us. Great way to end the weekend, we're ready for a couple of good mid-week games and see if we can get ready for our first conference tilts."
Deiros sent Freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch against Princeton’s Allie Reynolds. The game was scoreless through two innings, but the Eagles opened up with a four-run third inning. Beginning with a lead-off bunt single from sophomore Kate Kelly, junior Racquel Fournet would then drive Kelly in with an RBI Triple. After senior Brittany McGuire walked, junior Brooke Clemens would then hit a two-RBI double bringing in Fournet and McGuire. Senior Erica Ward would follow with an RBI double of her own bringing in Clemens to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
The Tigers attempted to mount a comeback scoring two runs on an Eagle fielding error and an RBI single, but it was all the Tigers could produce.
The Eagles were able to add two more runs in the sixth inning. After back-to-back singles from Kelly and senior Kelsey Huff and a walk from Fournet, McGuire would drive in Kelly and Huff on a two-RBI sacrifice fly before the Eagles secured the final inning.
Mesiemore earned a no-decision after throwing 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out two batters.
Sophomore Morgan White earned her fifth win after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.
Huff went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Huff also added one stolen base to the mix.
Kelly and Ward had two hits each while Fournet, Clemens and senior Ashley Swiderski had one hit each.
The Eagles return to action at home as they face Buffalo in a doubleheader at 5 and 7 P.M.
"Really nice team win to end the weekend," stated head coach David Deiros. "We played well in all facets, I thought we pitched it well and we played some good defense when Princeton put some good pressure on us. I also thought we hit the ball hard all over the field today which really made a difference for us. Great way to end the weekend, we're ready for a couple of good mid-week games and see if we can get ready for our first conference tilts."
Deiros sent Freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch against Princeton’s Allie Reynolds. The game was scoreless through two innings, but the Eagles opened up with a four-run third inning. Beginning with a lead-off bunt single from sophomore Kate Kelly, junior Racquel Fournet would then drive Kelly in with an RBI Triple. After senior Brittany McGuire walked, junior Brooke Clemens would then hit a two-RBI double bringing in Fournet and McGuire. Senior Erica Ward would follow with an RBI double of her own bringing in Clemens to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
The Tigers attempted to mount a comeback scoring two runs on an Eagle fielding error and an RBI single, but it was all the Tigers could produce.
The Eagles were able to add two more runs in the sixth inning. After back-to-back singles from Kelly and senior Kelsey Huff and a walk from Fournet, McGuire would drive in Kelly and Huff on a two-RBI sacrifice fly before the Eagles secured the final inning.
Mesiemore earned a no-decision after throwing 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out two batters.
Sophomore Morgan White earned her fifth win after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.
Huff went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Huff also added one stolen base to the mix.
Kelly and Ward had two hits each while Fournet, Clemens and senior Ashley Swiderski had one hit each.
The Eagles return to action at home as they face Buffalo in a doubleheader at 5 and 7 P.M.
FGCU WBB: National Tournament First Round
Entering as the No. 12 seed in the Lexington Regional of the women’s national basketball tournament, the FGCU women’s basketball team (31-8) battled and maintained their lead throughout the whole game eliminating No. 5 seed Missouri (24-8) 80-70 in the first round of the NCAA National Tournament in Stanford, Cal. This was the Eagles second national tournament win and the second time in program history that they made it to the second round of the tournament since the 2014-15 season.
"Obviously it was a great win for our program and a great effort by every kid we had that got on the floor," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "They all contributed in a big way to the success at different points during the game, and I'm proud of them."
Missouri, an at-large selection out of the SEC that defeated three nationally-ranked teams during the year, including defending national champion South Carolina, became the third nationally-ranked opponent FGCU has defeated this year (#20 Kentucky, #21 Depaul). The Tigers came into the contest ranked No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
"It's an upset in terms of seeding, but we definitely came in with the mindset that this was a game we can win if we executed at a high level," Smesko added. "A big thing that we emphasized was the last four times we've been here, we performed well. But at the beginning of each game, there was a sense of a little bit of nervousness or tension, and we never got off to good starts. So we made a real emphasis this time to let our team know, hey, you belong here; you're just as good."
The Eagles closed the first 10 minutes of the first quarter with a 6-0 run including a buzzer-beating layup from senior Rosemarie Julien and maintained the lead, settling for a 41-32 halftime lead.
FGCU’s lead got as large as 13, 45-32, following a pair of Julien free throws in the early minutes of 3rd quarter, but the Tigers whittled their deficit down to as little as four at 54-50. However, the Eagles responded with a patented yet unexpected 3-point shot from sophomore Tytionia Adderly which extended the lead for the Eagles back to seven, 57-50. The Eagles added another point to their advantage in the closing minute and carried a 61-53 lead into the 4th quarter.
Entering the 4th quarter, sophomore Nasrin Ulel to push the FGCU lead back to 10, 63-53 with an opening layup. From there, the Eagles maintained their lead to the end of the game by double figures despite taking many punches from Missouri All-American Sophie Cunningham had as she led all scorers with 35 points, including going 14-16 from the free-throw line. Cunningham was the only Tiger in double figures.
The Eagles had four players in double figures: Julien (12), senior Erica Nelson (11), and redshirt seniors China Dow (21) and Jessica Cattani (10).
Adderly finished with seven points and nine rebounds with three of them being on the offensive side With her three offensive boards, Adderly now has 239 career offensive rebounds and is two away from passing Adrianne McNally (240) for second all-time in that category.
Nelson added four assists and Julien added one rebound and one assist before both fouled out.
Redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka finished with seven points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Eagles hit seven 3-pointers in the game and need 15 to break the all-time NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers made held by Sacramento State (424).
The Eagles return to action as they play No. 4 seed Stanford who defeated No. 11 seed Gonzaga 82-68 following FGCU’s win. The Game will start at 9 P.M. EST/6 P.M. PST on Monday.
"Obviously it was a great win for our program and a great effort by every kid we had that got on the floor," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "They all contributed in a big way to the success at different points during the game, and I'm proud of them."
Missouri, an at-large selection out of the SEC that defeated three nationally-ranked teams during the year, including defending national champion South Carolina, became the third nationally-ranked opponent FGCU has defeated this year (#20 Kentucky, #21 Depaul). The Tigers came into the contest ranked No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
"It's an upset in terms of seeding, but we definitely came in with the mindset that this was a game we can win if we executed at a high level," Smesko added. "A big thing that we emphasized was the last four times we've been here, we performed well. But at the beginning of each game, there was a sense of a little bit of nervousness or tension, and we never got off to good starts. So we made a real emphasis this time to let our team know, hey, you belong here; you're just as good."
The Eagles closed the first 10 minutes of the first quarter with a 6-0 run including a buzzer-beating layup from senior Rosemarie Julien and maintained the lead, settling for a 41-32 halftime lead.
FGCU’s lead got as large as 13, 45-32, following a pair of Julien free throws in the early minutes of 3rd quarter, but the Tigers whittled their deficit down to as little as four at 54-50. However, the Eagles responded with a patented yet unexpected 3-point shot from sophomore Tytionia Adderly which extended the lead for the Eagles back to seven, 57-50. The Eagles added another point to their advantage in the closing minute and carried a 61-53 lead into the 4th quarter.
Entering the 4th quarter, sophomore Nasrin Ulel to push the FGCU lead back to 10, 63-53 with an opening layup. From there, the Eagles maintained their lead to the end of the game by double figures despite taking many punches from Missouri All-American Sophie Cunningham had as she led all scorers with 35 points, including going 14-16 from the free-throw line. Cunningham was the only Tiger in double figures.
The Eagles had four players in double figures: Julien (12), senior Erica Nelson (11), and redshirt seniors China Dow (21) and Jessica Cattani (10).
Adderly finished with seven points and nine rebounds with three of them being on the offensive side With her three offensive boards, Adderly now has 239 career offensive rebounds and is two away from passing Adrianne McNally (240) for second all-time in that category.
Nelson added four assists and Julien added one rebound and one assist before both fouled out.
Redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka finished with seven points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Eagles hit seven 3-pointers in the game and need 15 to break the all-time NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers made held by Sacramento State (424).
The Eagles return to action as they play No. 4 seed Stanford who defeated No. 11 seed Gonzaga 82-68 following FGCU’s win. The Game will start at 9 P.M. EST/6 P.M. PST on Monday.
FGCU Softball: Clearwater Invitational Recap Day Two
The FGCU softball team (22-5) wrapped up day two of the Clearwater Invitational splitting a pair with a 3-5 loss to Maine (9-14) and 4-2 win over Lehigh (4-15).
"We had the tying run on base in our last at-bats of both games," said head coach David Deiros. "That's all I can ask of our team and we went 1-for-2 on the day. The trials we are going through now will serve us well when we start A-SUN play next week."
In game one against Maine, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch for FGCU while Maine sent Lilly Volk to counter White.
In the first inning, White was able to get the first out after a lead-off walk, but after drawing another walk, Derios would pull White and send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch. After putting in Mesimore, the Black Bears struck first after an RBI double from Alyssa Derrick.
The Eagles remained scoreless until the third inning. After a lead-off double from senior Emily Demurius and an infield single from Kelly, Huff would smack a triple to left center bringing in Demurius and Kelly. Fournet would follow with a sacrifice fly bringing in Huff to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles held the lead until a three-run shot from Maine's Maddie Decker gave the Black Bears a 4-3 lead. The Black Bears added one more run as Erika Leonard hit a bases-loaded single. From there, the Eagles did not score any more and the Black Bears would win.
Mesiemore would be credited with her second loss of the season as she threw 5.2 innings giving up four runs on eight hits while walking two batters and striking out four.
Kyleigh O'Donnell, who came in relief for Volk, would earn her second win after throwing 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walked three batters and striking out three.
Huff went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run. Huff also added a stolen base.
Kelly, Fournet, Clemens, McGuire and Demurius had one hit each. Kelly also added two stolen bases.
Hoping to bounce back from the loss, Deiros sent Randolph back on the mound to face Lehigh’s Parker Boyd.
The Eagles would drive in the first run at the top of the fourth. After back-to-back walks drawn from Huff and Fournet, Bennett would drive in Huff on a sacrifice fly. The Mountain Hawks would then tie the game after an RBI single from Rachel Timberman.
By the sixth inning, the Mountain Hawks would take the lead after Nicole Yozzo hit an RBI single of her own.
Going into the seventh, Clemens would hit a two-out single before freshman Riley McCarthy came in to pinch run. Swiderski would then hit a single putting McCarthy at third for senior Erica Ward. The SCF transfer would tie the game for the Eagles with an RBI single. Freshman Ashley Biddle would bring the Eagles back in the lead after reaching on a fielding error while Swiderski scored. Kelly would then bring in Ward for the fourth run which would be the decider.
Randolph would earn a no-decision after throwing five innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out four.
Bauman would earn her second win of the season after throwing two scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one and striking out one.
Boyd would be credited with her eighth loss as she threw a complete game, giving up four runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out eight.
Kelly and Swiderski had two hits and a run each. Huff, McGuire, Clemens and Ward had one hit each. Huff also added a stolen base.
The Eagles will wrap up their participation as they face Princeton at 11:15 A.M.
"We had the tying run on base in our last at-bats of both games," said head coach David Deiros. "That's all I can ask of our team and we went 1-for-2 on the day. The trials we are going through now will serve us well when we start A-SUN play next week."
In game one against Maine, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch for FGCU while Maine sent Lilly Volk to counter White.
In the first inning, White was able to get the first out after a lead-off walk, but after drawing another walk, Derios would pull White and send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch. After putting in Mesimore, the Black Bears struck first after an RBI double from Alyssa Derrick.
The Eagles remained scoreless until the third inning. After a lead-off double from senior Emily Demurius and an infield single from Kelly, Huff would smack a triple to left center bringing in Demurius and Kelly. Fournet would follow with a sacrifice fly bringing in Huff to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles held the lead until a three-run shot from Maine's Maddie Decker gave the Black Bears a 4-3 lead. The Black Bears added one more run as Erika Leonard hit a bases-loaded single. From there, the Eagles did not score any more and the Black Bears would win.
Mesiemore would be credited with her second loss of the season as she threw 5.2 innings giving up four runs on eight hits while walking two batters and striking out four.
Kyleigh O'Donnell, who came in relief for Volk, would earn her second win after throwing 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walked three batters and striking out three.
Huff went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run. Huff also added a stolen base.
Kelly, Fournet, Clemens, McGuire and Demurius had one hit each. Kelly also added two stolen bases.
Hoping to bounce back from the loss, Deiros sent Randolph back on the mound to face Lehigh’s Parker Boyd.
The Eagles would drive in the first run at the top of the fourth. After back-to-back walks drawn from Huff and Fournet, Bennett would drive in Huff on a sacrifice fly. The Mountain Hawks would then tie the game after an RBI single from Rachel Timberman.
By the sixth inning, the Mountain Hawks would take the lead after Nicole Yozzo hit an RBI single of her own.
Going into the seventh, Clemens would hit a two-out single before freshman Riley McCarthy came in to pinch run. Swiderski would then hit a single putting McCarthy at third for senior Erica Ward. The SCF transfer would tie the game for the Eagles with an RBI single. Freshman Ashley Biddle would bring the Eagles back in the lead after reaching on a fielding error while Swiderski scored. Kelly would then bring in Ward for the fourth run which would be the decider.
Randolph would earn a no-decision after throwing five innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out four.
Bauman would earn her second win of the season after throwing two scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one and striking out one.
Boyd would be credited with her eighth loss as she threw a complete game, giving up four runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out eight.
Kelly and Swiderski had two hits and a run each. Huff, McGuire, Clemens and Ward had one hit each. Huff also added a stolen base.
The Eagles will wrap up their participation as they face Princeton at 11:15 A.M.
FGCU Softball: Clearwater Invitational Recap Day One
The FGCU softball team (22-4) began their final tournament road trip in the Clearwater Invitational as they defeated Chattanooga (13-15) and St. Joseph (8-9) both by a score of 2-1. With the wins, The Eagles are now 2-1 against the Mocs and 1-1 against the Hawks.
In game one against the Mocs, the Eagles, who were the away team for the tournament as head coach Dave Derios sent junior Riley Randolph to face Allison Swinford. In the second inning, the Mocs scored the first run off of the Eagles on an RBI double from Devan Brown.
Swinford held the Eagles scoreless until the sixth inning. Starting with a infield single from senior Kelsey Huff, junior Racquel Fournet would tie the with an RBI double driving in Huff. With Fournet reaching third, junior Brooke Clemens would send Fournet home run with a sacrifice that would be the decider for the game.
Randolph would get her ninth win after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up one run on seven hit while striking out four batters.
Freshman Taylor Bauman, who entered the game in the sixth inning, earned her 13th save of the season, threw 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one batter.
Sophomore Kate Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 while Huff and Fournet had the other two hits.
Senior Ashley Swiderski added a stolen base to the mix.
For game two, Deiros sent freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch against St. Joseph's Ashley Ventura.
The Eagles would score first. After Huff singled and stole second and Fournet singled bringing Huff to third, junior Bri Bennett, despite going 0-for-3 in the game, drove in Huff for an RBI groundout.
By the fourth inning, the Hawks would then tie the game on a fielding error.
The Eagles would then get the momentum they needed to win the game. After senior Erica Ward began with a lead-off walk, sophomore Morgan White, who entered the game as a pitcher in the sixth inning, provided a sacrifice bunt to move Ward to second. After Kelly hit an infield single, Huff would then reach on a fielder's choice before was Ward called out trying to go to third bringing up Fournet to drive Kelly in for the game-winning run after a fielding error on the Hawks.
Mesiemore was credited with a no-decision after throwing 5.1 innings. Mesiemore gave up the lone Hawks run, unearned, on three hits while walking two batters and striking out three.
White was credited with her fourth win of the season after throwing 1.2 innings while giving up one hit and striking out three.
Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3.
Huff, Fournet, Clemens, Swiderski and senior Brittany McGuire had one hit each. Huff also added a stolen base.
"We were undermanned today and I thought our kids did a fabulous job of toughing it out," said Deiros. "A couple of really close games under some really difficult circumstances, I couldn't be any more proud. Our pitching staff was exceptional, our defense did a really good job and we came up with a couple of timely hits when we needed them. We're back at it tomorrow still with a chance to win the tournament. That's what we tried to set ourselves up on day one and we're looking forward to our two games tomorrow."
Up next, the Eagles return to action as they play Maine at 2:30 P.M. followed by Lehigh at 4:45 P.M.
In game one against the Mocs, the Eagles, who were the away team for the tournament as head coach Dave Derios sent junior Riley Randolph to face Allison Swinford. In the second inning, the Mocs scored the first run off of the Eagles on an RBI double from Devan Brown.
Swinford held the Eagles scoreless until the sixth inning. Starting with a infield single from senior Kelsey Huff, junior Racquel Fournet would tie the with an RBI double driving in Huff. With Fournet reaching third, junior Brooke Clemens would send Fournet home run with a sacrifice that would be the decider for the game.
Randolph would get her ninth win after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up one run on seven hit while striking out four batters.
Freshman Taylor Bauman, who entered the game in the sixth inning, earned her 13th save of the season, threw 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one batter.
Sophomore Kate Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 while Huff and Fournet had the other two hits.
Senior Ashley Swiderski added a stolen base to the mix.
For game two, Deiros sent freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch against St. Joseph's Ashley Ventura.
The Eagles would score first. After Huff singled and stole second and Fournet singled bringing Huff to third, junior Bri Bennett, despite going 0-for-3 in the game, drove in Huff for an RBI groundout.
By the fourth inning, the Hawks would then tie the game on a fielding error.
The Eagles would then get the momentum they needed to win the game. After senior Erica Ward began with a lead-off walk, sophomore Morgan White, who entered the game as a pitcher in the sixth inning, provided a sacrifice bunt to move Ward to second. After Kelly hit an infield single, Huff would then reach on a fielder's choice before was Ward called out trying to go to third bringing up Fournet to drive Kelly in for the game-winning run after a fielding error on the Hawks.
Mesiemore was credited with a no-decision after throwing 5.1 innings. Mesiemore gave up the lone Hawks run, unearned, on three hits while walking two batters and striking out three.
White was credited with her fourth win of the season after throwing 1.2 innings while giving up one hit and striking out three.
Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3.
Huff, Fournet, Clemens, Swiderski and senior Brittany McGuire had one hit each. Huff also added a stolen base.
"We were undermanned today and I thought our kids did a fabulous job of toughing it out," said Deiros. "A couple of really close games under some really difficult circumstances, I couldn't be any more proud. Our pitching staff was exceptional, our defense did a really good job and we came up with a couple of timely hits when we needed them. We're back at it tomorrow still with a chance to win the tournament. That's what we tried to set ourselves up on day one and we're looking forward to our two games tomorrow."
Up next, the Eagles return to action as they play Maine at 2:30 P.M. followed by Lehigh at 4:45 P.M.
FGCU W-Golf: WKU Shootout Recap
The FGCU women’s golf team wrapped up with a third place finish out of all 14 teams that participated in the WKU Spring Break Shootout in Dade City, Florida. The Eagles’ third place is the best finish of the year in non-match play format.
In addition, the Eagles finished behind runner-up and fellow conference member Jacksonville (+40) (300-296-308—904) and eventual winner and co-host Western Kentucky (+16) (289-301-290—880) with a final score of 909 (+45) (298-306-305).
Junior Madeline Marck-Sherk recorded the team’s best individual finish of the year as she finished fourth among 84 golfers behind a final round 76 that gave her a three-round tally of 222 and a final score of +6 (75-71-76). Her fourth place finish is a team individual best of the year, which tops her own ninth place showing at the USF Intercollegiate on Oct. 30 and 31. In fact, Marck-Sherk’s 71 tied her second round total from the Johnie Imes Invitational, which was her best finish of the year.
“I’m proud of the girls for their top three finish and very proud of Madeline for her fourth place finish,” FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. “We played OK today overall. I would say everybody can definitely take something they can work on from here. Next week, we are heading to a course that we have very fond memories of and are excited to get back out there.”
Two other Eagles joined Marck-Sherk finishing in the top 25. Junior Kelsy Holbert finished tied for 12th with a score of +12 (75-75-78—228) while freshman Natalia Nassar, who recently earned the A-SUN Golfer of the Week after her strong performance from the Women’s Mid-American Match Play Challenge, finished tied with a 21st place finishing with a score of +15 (76-81-74—231). Nassar finished with a team-best 74 in the final round.
Sophomore Kate Williamson and senior Madison Easterbrook were the only two Eagles that did not finish in the top 25. Williamson tied for 39th with a score of +18 (78-79-77—234) while Easterbrook finished tied for 49th with a score of +23 (72-84-83—239). Williamson’s 77 was her best round while Easterbrook’s 72 was her best round of the year and the best round overall in the tournament for the Eagles.
Redshirt sophomore Jean Tyrell, who represented FGCU, competing as an individual, finished in a tie for 54th place with a score of +24 (80-81-79- 240).
TEAM STANDINGS:
1. #106 Western Kentucky - 289-301-290---880 (+16)
2. #89 Jacksonville - 300-296-308---904 (+40)
3. #121 FGCU - 298-306-305---909 (+45)
4. #217 FAU - 308-301-303---912 (+48)
5. #186 UALR - 298-312-305---915 (+51)
6. #135 Towson - 305-307-306---918 (+54)
T7. #180 Oakland - 310-308-310---928 (+64)
T7. #141 Arkansas State - 314-306-308---928 (+64)
9. #189 Ball State - 311-305-313---929 (+65)
10. #158 Georgia Southern - 306-313-312---931 (+67)
11. #223 Central Michigan - 317-304-313---934 (+70)
12. #208 Ohio - 308-314-323---945 (+81)
13. #238 Fort Wayne - 314-323-324---961 (+97)
14. #245 Lipscomb - 334-328-335---997 (+133)
Quotes From Other Coaches:
WKU: "I'm so proud of the team this week," head coach Adam Gary said. "They were focused and prepared while I was busy running the tournament. To win by 24 over a good field is a real confidence boost. Mary Joiner's eight-shot victory was very impressive. I'm glad to see her hard work paying off."
JU: "We were able to hold on to second even though we didn't play our best," said head coach Jennifer Borocz. "The course was scoreable today, but the whole field struggled."
Georgia Southern: "We left a lot of shots out there this week. With this young squad, we know there will be bumps in the road, but as long as we learn from them and continue the process of getting better each day, we will continue on our upward trajectory," said head coach Emily Kuhfeld. "We are proud of Ansley for finishing strong and proud of the energy and support all the girls showed each other this week. We are looking forward to sharpening up a few things and getting back out to compete."
Central Michigan: “Two out of three is pretty good,” said CMU coach Cheryl Stacy, whose team opened on Monday with a loss to Bowling Green, followed by a victory over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne. “We were a little upset losing to Bowling Green because it did knock us out of (the chance) to play four rounds. I was really pleased with the consistency of play. We started a little slow, but finished pretty strong as a team.”
“We’re just a better team. You could see it,” Stacy said. “We’re competitive with MAC teams, and we’re starting to beat some teams. There is room for improvement too. It’s exciting and encouraging.”
FGCU will be back in action Mar. 18-20 in the MSU Citrus Classic at the Redtail Golf Club in Sorrento, Florida, hosted by Morehead State. Tee times will vary between the teams participating in the three rounds.
In addition, the Eagles finished behind runner-up and fellow conference member Jacksonville (+40) (300-296-308—904) and eventual winner and co-host Western Kentucky (+16) (289-301-290—880) with a final score of 909 (+45) (298-306-305).
Junior Madeline Marck-Sherk recorded the team’s best individual finish of the year as she finished fourth among 84 golfers behind a final round 76 that gave her a three-round tally of 222 and a final score of +6 (75-71-76). Her fourth place finish is a team individual best of the year, which tops her own ninth place showing at the USF Intercollegiate on Oct. 30 and 31. In fact, Marck-Sherk’s 71 tied her second round total from the Johnie Imes Invitational, which was her best finish of the year.
“I’m proud of the girls for their top three finish and very proud of Madeline for her fourth place finish,” FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. “We played OK today overall. I would say everybody can definitely take something they can work on from here. Next week, we are heading to a course that we have very fond memories of and are excited to get back out there.”
Two other Eagles joined Marck-Sherk finishing in the top 25. Junior Kelsy Holbert finished tied for 12th with a score of +12 (75-75-78—228) while freshman Natalia Nassar, who recently earned the A-SUN Golfer of the Week after her strong performance from the Women’s Mid-American Match Play Challenge, finished tied with a 21st place finishing with a score of +15 (76-81-74—231). Nassar finished with a team-best 74 in the final round.
Sophomore Kate Williamson and senior Madison Easterbrook were the only two Eagles that did not finish in the top 25. Williamson tied for 39th with a score of +18 (78-79-77—234) while Easterbrook finished tied for 49th with a score of +23 (72-84-83—239). Williamson’s 77 was her best round while Easterbrook’s 72 was her best round of the year and the best round overall in the tournament for the Eagles.
Redshirt sophomore Jean Tyrell, who represented FGCU, competing as an individual, finished in a tie for 54th place with a score of +24 (80-81-79- 240).
TEAM STANDINGS:
1. #106 Western Kentucky - 289-301-290---880 (+16)
2. #89 Jacksonville - 300-296-308---904 (+40)
3. #121 FGCU - 298-306-305---909 (+45)
4. #217 FAU - 308-301-303---912 (+48)
5. #186 UALR - 298-312-305---915 (+51)
6. #135 Towson - 305-307-306---918 (+54)
T7. #180 Oakland - 310-308-310---928 (+64)
T7. #141 Arkansas State - 314-306-308---928 (+64)
9. #189 Ball State - 311-305-313---929 (+65)
10. #158 Georgia Southern - 306-313-312---931 (+67)
11. #223 Central Michigan - 317-304-313---934 (+70)
12. #208 Ohio - 308-314-323---945 (+81)
13. #238 Fort Wayne - 314-323-324---961 (+97)
14. #245 Lipscomb - 334-328-335---997 (+133)
Quotes From Other Coaches:
WKU: "I'm so proud of the team this week," head coach Adam Gary said. "They were focused and prepared while I was busy running the tournament. To win by 24 over a good field is a real confidence boost. Mary Joiner's eight-shot victory was very impressive. I'm glad to see her hard work paying off."
JU: "We were able to hold on to second even though we didn't play our best," said head coach Jennifer Borocz. "The course was scoreable today, but the whole field struggled."
Georgia Southern: "We left a lot of shots out there this week. With this young squad, we know there will be bumps in the road, but as long as we learn from them and continue the process of getting better each day, we will continue on our upward trajectory," said head coach Emily Kuhfeld. "We are proud of Ansley for finishing strong and proud of the energy and support all the girls showed each other this week. We are looking forward to sharpening up a few things and getting back out to compete."
Central Michigan: “Two out of three is pretty good,” said CMU coach Cheryl Stacy, whose team opened on Monday with a loss to Bowling Green, followed by a victory over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne. “We were a little upset losing to Bowling Green because it did knock us out of (the chance) to play four rounds. I was really pleased with the consistency of play. We started a little slow, but finished pretty strong as a team.”
“We’re just a better team. You could see it,” Stacy said. “We’re competitive with MAC teams, and we’re starting to beat some teams. There is room for improvement too. It’s exciting and encouraging.”
FGCU will be back in action Mar. 18-20 in the MSU Citrus Classic at the Redtail Golf Club in Sorrento, Florida, hosted by Morehead State. Tee times will vary between the teams participating in the three rounds.
FGCU M-TEN vs. UAB Recap
The FGCU men’s tennis team (4-7) faltered in their first loss at home 3-4 to UAB (8-6).
“We played with unbelievable commitment in doubles today,” said head coach CJ Weber. “That was an important doubles point even though we weren’t playing our best. But UAB took the match from us in singles. We need to figure out how that happened and never let it happen again. The next two days will be very important for this team.”
In the doubles portion, the duo of senior Oliver Landert and sophomore Marcelo Tebet fell 1-6 to senior Stefan Gonzalez and sophomore Tim Dollman.
The Eagles would then tie the doubles count as sophomore Felipe Ramirez and senior Austin Bates defeated senior Anru Fourie and junior Kenton Parton before juniors Mateo Ruiz and Ezequiel Cerrini defeated sophomores Henry Paiste and Nikolai Manchev 7-5 to secure the doubles point for FGCU.
In singles action, Ramirez would fall 3-6, 0-6 to Dollman. Cerrini would fall next losing 3-6, 1-6 to Gonzalez.
Tebet would fall to Parton losing 4-6, 3-6 before Ruiz fell 6-7, 3-6 to sophomore Giovani Pasini as the Blazers won the matchup.
The Eagles managed to get the final two single matches as Landert defeated Fourie 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 and Fernandez defeated sophomore Tom el Safadi 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Up next, the Eagles host their final two matches as they play Grand Canyon and Illinois State before resuming conference play.
“We played with unbelievable commitment in doubles today,” said head coach CJ Weber. “That was an important doubles point even though we weren’t playing our best. But UAB took the match from us in singles. We need to figure out how that happened and never let it happen again. The next two days will be very important for this team.”
In the doubles portion, the duo of senior Oliver Landert and sophomore Marcelo Tebet fell 1-6 to senior Stefan Gonzalez and sophomore Tim Dollman.
The Eagles would then tie the doubles count as sophomore Felipe Ramirez and senior Austin Bates defeated senior Anru Fourie and junior Kenton Parton before juniors Mateo Ruiz and Ezequiel Cerrini defeated sophomores Henry Paiste and Nikolai Manchev 7-5 to secure the doubles point for FGCU.
In singles action, Ramirez would fall 3-6, 0-6 to Dollman. Cerrini would fall next losing 3-6, 1-6 to Gonzalez.
Tebet would fall to Parton losing 4-6, 3-6 before Ruiz fell 6-7, 3-6 to sophomore Giovani Pasini as the Blazers won the matchup.
The Eagles managed to get the final two single matches as Landert defeated Fourie 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 and Fernandez defeated sophomore Tom el Safadi 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Up next, the Eagles host their final two matches as they play Grand Canyon and Illinois State before resuming conference play.
FGCU Softball: Clearwater Invitational Preview
The FGCU softball team (20-4) will continue its travel away from home in the month of March, this time traveling just up I-75 for five games in the Clearwater Invitational hosted by USF. The invitational will feature Chattanooga (12-14), St. Joseph's (8-7), Maine (6-13), Lehigh (3-12) and Princeton (0-10).
I got to be honest, I don't know what to call this tournament because it has so many names: Clearwater Invitational, USF Tournament, USF Under Armour Invitational, Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Invitational, USF Spring Break Tournament. I really don't know what what to call this tournament.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles recently competed in a six-game road trip in California where they swept California-Santa Barbara (2-0, 3-2) before playing in the LMU Tournament. At the LMU Tournament, the Eagles earned wins over host LMU (5-0), Providence (3-2, 2-1) before wrapping it up with a 10-1 triumph in six innings against Southern Utah, finishing the road trip 6-0.
They were originally scheduled to face Harvard in the tournament finale, but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Junior Riley Randolph, freshman Marissa Mesiemore and sophomore Morgan White have been dominant on the mound for the pitching rotation.
On the California road trip, Randolph went 3-0 with 14 strikeouts. Randolph is currently 8-2 with a 1.22 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
Switching back and forth between starting and relieving, Mesiemore is 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Mesiemore was 2-0 in California with four strikeouts.
White leads the bunch with a 1.21 ERA. The Ocala native is 3-1 with 29 strikeouts. White was 1-0 in California with 11 strikeouts
Bauman Saves the Nation:
In close games this season, the Eagles have relied heavily on freshman Taylor Bauman. In 19 appearances this season, Bauman (1-0, 0.59 ERA) so far has registered 12 saves, which leads the NCAA by eight games to the next closest pitcher. Bauman is four saves away from breaking the NCAA single-season record for saves (15).
On the California road trip, Bauman had four saves in five games.
On offense, junior Racquel Fournet leads the Eagles at the plate with a .333 BA and 15 RBIs. Fournet was 5-for-18 in California with a home run and five RBIs.
Senior Brittany McGuire is not too far behind Fournet at the plate batting .308 with two home runs and eight RBIs. McGuire went 5-for-13 in California with a home run and two RBIs.
Three other Eagles have registered 12 RBIs apiece: senior Ashley Swiderski and juniors Bri Bennett and Brooke Clemens.
Swiderski is batting .238 with a team-leading four home runs. The Naples native was 3-for-16 in California with a home run and three RBIs.
Bennett is currently batting .368 with two home runs. On the California road trip, Bennett was 8-for-18 with a home run and five RBIs including a 3-for-3 game against Southern Utah.
Clemens is batting .207. She went 3-for-8 with an RBI in California.
Nat's Unexpected Stop:
Senior Natalie Lopez suffered an ACL tear in her knee in the game against Southern Illinois in the FGCU Four Points by Shearton Invitational. Lopez is currently batting .500 with 13 hits and one RBI. Lopez did not play in the final game of the invitational, yet it is not clear on her timetable and whether she will be able to return or if she will sit out for the rest of the season due to the knee injury. In addition, I'm not 100% sure if she traveled with the team.
Scouting The Mocs:
Chattanooga is currently playing in the USF Under Armour Invitational, which the Eagles are a part of technically speaking. The Mocs are 4-2 for their part of invitational. They would claim wins over Central Michigan (6-3), Central Connecticut State (7-5), Rider College (12-11) and Maine (6-0). They did lose to UCF (1-3) and Villanova (3-4). They will play Quinnipiac in an earlier game on the same day as FGCU.
The Mocs will feature five batters hitting .300 plus including senior Brook Womack. Womack is batting .407 with 14 RBIs and five doubles. So far in the invitational, the Chattanooga local is 12-for-20 with a home run and seven RBIs.
In the circle, freshman Allison Swinford and sophomore Celie Hudson have each tossed 65 plus innings and 68 strikeouts combined.
Swinford is currently 5-4 with a 4.26 ERA and 32 strikeouts. In her last start, Swinford threw a three-hit shutout against Maine with five strikeouts. She is 2-1 in the invitational so far with a save and 10 strikeouts.
Hudson is 4-8 with a 4.42 ERA and 36 strikeouts. In her last start, she ended up with a no-decision against Central Connecticut throwing 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. Hudson is 1-1 with three strikeouts.
Scouting The Hawks:
St. Joseph's is currently playing in the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater. The Hawks are 2-3 in the showcase so far. They defeated Central Michigan (5-4)in nine innings to begin their part, but fell to UCF (1-9) in five, Quinnipiac (1-2) and Army West Point (2-5) before defeating Robert Morris (1-0). The Hawks will play FAMU on the same day as scheduled before facing the Eagles.
Offensively, the Hawks are led by junior Taryn Grober. Grober is batting .364 to go along with one home run and seven RBIs. In the showcase, Grober is 3-for-13 with an RBI.
In the circle, junior Ashley Ventura leads the rotation with a 4-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and 30 strikeouts. In her last start, Ventura threw a five-hit shutout against Robert Morris walking one batter and striking out six.
Scouting The Black Bears:
Maine is currently 6-13 overall. The Black Bears played in nine games for this tournament. They would lose the first five games to Loyola Chicago (0-1), Quinnipiac (9-11), Robert Morris (4-7), South Dakota State (0-8, five innings), and Southern Illinois (2-6) before claiming two wins over Iona (5-1, 1-0) before falling again to host USF (0-5) and their most recent loss this morning to Chattanooga (0-6). Maine will play three other games prior to facing FGCU against Butler, LIU-Brooklyn and FAMU.
Offensively, senior Rachel Carlson leads the team. is hitting .369, tallying seven RBI and eight runs. Carlson is 10-for-29 in Clearwater with three RBIs.
Maine's pitching staff features five players with senior Annie Kennedy leading the bunch with a 1.35 ERA. Kennedy is 0-2 in Clearwater with 12 strikeouts.
Scouting The Mountain Hawks:
After making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, Lehigh is 3-12 overall coming into Clearwater.
In the Under Armour Showcase portion, the Mountain Hawks played in six games so far. They would the first three games to Seton Hall (3-4, 10 innings), Central Michigan (3-5), and Loyola Chicago (2-6). The Mountain Hawks would defeat Central Connecticut (5-1) before falling to Butler (4-5 10, 8 innings) and Quinnipiac (2-4).
Lehigh will play three games in the USF Tournament against Elon, host USF, and LIU-Brooklyn prior to playing FGCU.
Senior Nicole Yozzo leads LU offensively hitting .341 with 11 runs scored. Yozzo is 7-for-19 with six runs and nine stolen bases including three in the game against Butler.
On the mound, four Mountain Hawks have seen action in the circle. Junior Emily Sorem is tossing 49.1 innings and holds a 3.41 ERA with 30 strikeouts. In the showcase, Sorem is 0-3 with 17 strikeouts. In her last start, Sorem earned a loss against Butler after throwing 7.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
Scouting The Tigers:
Princeton recently competed in the George Washington Tournament, hosted by George Washington, and included Fairleigh Dickinson. They would lose all five games, two against FDU (1-5, 2-3) and three against GW (1-3, 0-11 (5), 6-9).
Despite playing 10 games thus far, the Tigers feature six players hitting .300 plus including sophomore Megan Donahey.
Donahey is currently batting .364 with 12 hits and six runs scored. In the George Washington Tournament, Donahey was 7-for-17 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Freshman Allie Reynolds has tossed the most innings for Princeton with 34 and holds a 6.79 ERA with 13 strikeouts. In the George Washington Tournament, Reynolds went 0-3 with seven strikeouts.
Series History(s):
FGCU is tied 1-1 in the all-time series with Chattanooga. This will be the first meeting between both programs since 2008. Both teams split in a doubleheader with The Mocs winning 3-1 in the first game before the Eagle won 4-2 in the second game.
FGCU trails the all-time series 0-1 with St. Joseph's as the last game played was in 2010 where the Eagles fell 4-0.
This will be the first meeting since 2013 between Maine and FGCU. The Eagles leads the all-time series 3-0 (2/11/2012 W: 8-1, 3/3/2013 W: 8-0 (5), 3/13/2013 W: 3-2)
FGCU took the only meeting between against Lehigh in 2016 winning by a score of 2-0.
Sunday morning will mark the first meeting between FGCU and Princeton.
FGCU commences play with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4:15 p.m. against Tennessee Chattanooga, followed by St. Joseph's at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Eagles play two more contests, this time starting at 2:30 p.m. versus Maine and then cap off the afternoon clashing against Lehigh for a 4:45 p.m. start. On Sunday, FGCU will play its final game squaring off against Princeton at 11:15 a.m.
As noted, the following games will happen from the scheduled teams prior to facing FGCU:
Chattanooga:
3/16 vs Quinnipiac @2 P.M.
St. Joseph's:
3/16 vs. FAMU @2 P.M.
Maine:
3/16 vs. Butler @11:30 A.M., vs. LIU-Brooklyn @2 P.M.
3/17 vs. FAMU @9:45 A.M.
Lehigh:
3/16 vs. Elon @11:30 A.M., vs. USF @2 P.M.
3/17 vs. LIU-Brooklyn @noon
Princeton:
3/17 vs. FAMU @noon, vs. USF @4:45 P.M.
3/18 vs Elon @9 A.M
Livestats will be provided for all the games.
I got to be honest, I don't know what to call this tournament because it has so many names: Clearwater Invitational, USF Tournament, USF Under Armour Invitational, Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Invitational, USF Spring Break Tournament. I really don't know what what to call this tournament.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles recently competed in a six-game road trip in California where they swept California-Santa Barbara (2-0, 3-2) before playing in the LMU Tournament. At the LMU Tournament, the Eagles earned wins over host LMU (5-0), Providence (3-2, 2-1) before wrapping it up with a 10-1 triumph in six innings against Southern Utah, finishing the road trip 6-0.
They were originally scheduled to face Harvard in the tournament finale, but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Junior Riley Randolph, freshman Marissa Mesiemore and sophomore Morgan White have been dominant on the mound for the pitching rotation.
On the California road trip, Randolph went 3-0 with 14 strikeouts. Randolph is currently 8-2 with a 1.22 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
Switching back and forth between starting and relieving, Mesiemore is 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Mesiemore was 2-0 in California with four strikeouts.
White leads the bunch with a 1.21 ERA. The Ocala native is 3-1 with 29 strikeouts. White was 1-0 in California with 11 strikeouts
Bauman Saves the Nation:
In close games this season, the Eagles have relied heavily on freshman Taylor Bauman. In 19 appearances this season, Bauman (1-0, 0.59 ERA) so far has registered 12 saves, which leads the NCAA by eight games to the next closest pitcher. Bauman is four saves away from breaking the NCAA single-season record for saves (15).
On the California road trip, Bauman had four saves in five games.
On offense, junior Racquel Fournet leads the Eagles at the plate with a .333 BA and 15 RBIs. Fournet was 5-for-18 in California with a home run and five RBIs.
Senior Brittany McGuire is not too far behind Fournet at the plate batting .308 with two home runs and eight RBIs. McGuire went 5-for-13 in California with a home run and two RBIs.
Three other Eagles have registered 12 RBIs apiece: senior Ashley Swiderski and juniors Bri Bennett and Brooke Clemens.
Swiderski is batting .238 with a team-leading four home runs. The Naples native was 3-for-16 in California with a home run and three RBIs.
Bennett is currently batting .368 with two home runs. On the California road trip, Bennett was 8-for-18 with a home run and five RBIs including a 3-for-3 game against Southern Utah.
Clemens is batting .207. She went 3-for-8 with an RBI in California.
Nat's Unexpected Stop:
Senior Natalie Lopez suffered an ACL tear in her knee in the game against Southern Illinois in the FGCU Four Points by Shearton Invitational. Lopez is currently batting .500 with 13 hits and one RBI. Lopez did not play in the final game of the invitational, yet it is not clear on her timetable and whether she will be able to return or if she will sit out for the rest of the season due to the knee injury. In addition, I'm not 100% sure if she traveled with the team.
Scouting The Mocs:
Chattanooga is currently playing in the USF Under Armour Invitational, which the Eagles are a part of technically speaking. The Mocs are 4-2 for their part of invitational. They would claim wins over Central Michigan (6-3), Central Connecticut State (7-5), Rider College (12-11) and Maine (6-0). They did lose to UCF (1-3) and Villanova (3-4). They will play Quinnipiac in an earlier game on the same day as FGCU.
The Mocs will feature five batters hitting .300 plus including senior Brook Womack. Womack is batting .407 with 14 RBIs and five doubles. So far in the invitational, the Chattanooga local is 12-for-20 with a home run and seven RBIs.
In the circle, freshman Allison Swinford and sophomore Celie Hudson have each tossed 65 plus innings and 68 strikeouts combined.
Swinford is currently 5-4 with a 4.26 ERA and 32 strikeouts. In her last start, Swinford threw a three-hit shutout against Maine with five strikeouts. She is 2-1 in the invitational so far with a save and 10 strikeouts.
Hudson is 4-8 with a 4.42 ERA and 36 strikeouts. In her last start, she ended up with a no-decision against Central Connecticut throwing 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. Hudson is 1-1 with three strikeouts.
Scouting The Hawks:
St. Joseph's is currently playing in the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater. The Hawks are 2-3 in the showcase so far. They defeated Central Michigan (5-4)in nine innings to begin their part, but fell to UCF (1-9) in five, Quinnipiac (1-2) and Army West Point (2-5) before defeating Robert Morris (1-0). The Hawks will play FAMU on the same day as scheduled before facing the Eagles.
Offensively, the Hawks are led by junior Taryn Grober. Grober is batting .364 to go along with one home run and seven RBIs. In the showcase, Grober is 3-for-13 with an RBI.
In the circle, junior Ashley Ventura leads the rotation with a 4-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and 30 strikeouts. In her last start, Ventura threw a five-hit shutout against Robert Morris walking one batter and striking out six.
Scouting The Black Bears:
Maine is currently 6-13 overall. The Black Bears played in nine games for this tournament. They would lose the first five games to Loyola Chicago (0-1), Quinnipiac (9-11), Robert Morris (4-7), South Dakota State (0-8, five innings), and Southern Illinois (2-6) before claiming two wins over Iona (5-1, 1-0) before falling again to host USF (0-5) and their most recent loss this morning to Chattanooga (0-6). Maine will play three other games prior to facing FGCU against Butler, LIU-Brooklyn and FAMU.
Offensively, senior Rachel Carlson leads the team. is hitting .369, tallying seven RBI and eight runs. Carlson is 10-for-29 in Clearwater with three RBIs.
Maine's pitching staff features five players with senior Annie Kennedy leading the bunch with a 1.35 ERA. Kennedy is 0-2 in Clearwater with 12 strikeouts.
Scouting The Mountain Hawks:
After making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, Lehigh is 3-12 overall coming into Clearwater.
In the Under Armour Showcase portion, the Mountain Hawks played in six games so far. They would the first three games to Seton Hall (3-4, 10 innings), Central Michigan (3-5), and Loyola Chicago (2-6). The Mountain Hawks would defeat Central Connecticut (5-1) before falling to Butler (4-5 10, 8 innings) and Quinnipiac (2-4).
Lehigh will play three games in the USF Tournament against Elon, host USF, and LIU-Brooklyn prior to playing FGCU.
Senior Nicole Yozzo leads LU offensively hitting .341 with 11 runs scored. Yozzo is 7-for-19 with six runs and nine stolen bases including three in the game against Butler.
On the mound, four Mountain Hawks have seen action in the circle. Junior Emily Sorem is tossing 49.1 innings and holds a 3.41 ERA with 30 strikeouts. In the showcase, Sorem is 0-3 with 17 strikeouts. In her last start, Sorem earned a loss against Butler after throwing 7.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
Scouting The Tigers:
Princeton recently competed in the George Washington Tournament, hosted by George Washington, and included Fairleigh Dickinson. They would lose all five games, two against FDU (1-5, 2-3) and three against GW (1-3, 0-11 (5), 6-9).
Despite playing 10 games thus far, the Tigers feature six players hitting .300 plus including sophomore Megan Donahey.
Donahey is currently batting .364 with 12 hits and six runs scored. In the George Washington Tournament, Donahey was 7-for-17 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Freshman Allie Reynolds has tossed the most innings for Princeton with 34 and holds a 6.79 ERA with 13 strikeouts. In the George Washington Tournament, Reynolds went 0-3 with seven strikeouts.
Series History(s):
FGCU is tied 1-1 in the all-time series with Chattanooga. This will be the first meeting between both programs since 2008. Both teams split in a doubleheader with The Mocs winning 3-1 in the first game before the Eagle won 4-2 in the second game.
FGCU trails the all-time series 0-1 with St. Joseph's as the last game played was in 2010 where the Eagles fell 4-0.
This will be the first meeting since 2013 between Maine and FGCU. The Eagles leads the all-time series 3-0 (2/11/2012 W: 8-1, 3/3/2013 W: 8-0 (5), 3/13/2013 W: 3-2)
FGCU took the only meeting between against Lehigh in 2016 winning by a score of 2-0.
Sunday morning will mark the first meeting between FGCU and Princeton.
FGCU commences play with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4:15 p.m. against Tennessee Chattanooga, followed by St. Joseph's at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Eagles play two more contests, this time starting at 2:30 p.m. versus Maine and then cap off the afternoon clashing against Lehigh for a 4:45 p.m. start. On Sunday, FGCU will play its final game squaring off against Princeton at 11:15 a.m.
As noted, the following games will happen from the scheduled teams prior to facing FGCU:
Chattanooga:
3/16 vs Quinnipiac @2 P.M.
St. Joseph's:
3/16 vs. FAMU @2 P.M.
Maine:
3/16 vs. Butler @11:30 A.M., vs. LIU-Brooklyn @2 P.M.
3/17 vs. FAMU @9:45 A.M.
Lehigh:
3/16 vs. Elon @11:30 A.M., vs. USF @2 P.M.
3/17 vs. LIU-Brooklyn @noon
Princeton:
3/17 vs. FAMU @noon, vs. USF @4:45 P.M.
3/18 vs Elon @9 A.M
Livestats will be provided for all the games.
FGCU WTEN vs Minnesota Recap
The FGCU women’s tennis team (4-5) were able to get
themselves together as they defeated Power 5 Conference member Minnesota (9-5)
4-3.
"I am so proud of this group of strong women," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They had a lot of courage today and it showed. They stayed mentally focused and they went for it in the important moments. We will grow together from the match today and we look forward to playing again tomorrow."
"We had our opportunities and we had our chances, but we just couldn't finish it," Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson said. "The girls competed well, but it's just a process. We need to keep working on executing when we have opportunities."
Falceto Font fell 3-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7) to junior Barbara Mancera, but at the same time, Gallegos, who gave FGCU the win against FAU at the beginning of the season, managed to seal the deal with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Emme.
"I thought her opponent (Falceto Font) really brought her best game in the third set, but Bita (Mancera) went after it and finished it well," Thompson said.
"It feels crazy. I went crazy at the end, but the whole match, I was focused on coach [Vernon] and I was focused on her and I communicating, and when the girls finished and they came over to the court, it was amazing. I fought for everything," said Gallegos. "Honestly, I thought Lau [Falceto Font] and I both had to win in order to get the match, so I was completely zoned in on cheering for her, and it helped me to keep my energy up, but it was really cool to hear that we won, even though Lau came a little bit short."
"I am so proud of this group of strong women," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They had a lot of courage today and it showed. They stayed mentally focused and they went for it in the important moments. We will grow together from the match today and we look forward to playing again tomorrow."
"We had our opportunities and we had our chances, but we just couldn't finish it," Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson said. "The girls competed well, but it's just a process. We need to keep working on executing when we have opportunities."
Beginning with doubles, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and
sophomore Maja Ornberg fell to junior Caitlyn Merzbacher and senior Mehvish
Safdar by a score of 4-6.
The Eagles were able to tie the matchup after senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font defeated sophomore Tina Kreinis and junior Annemarie Emme 6-3, but the Gophers were able to secure the third match and the doubles point as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar fell 5-7 to freshman River Hart and senior Caroline Ryba.
"We did another good job with No.1 doubles leading the way, and with Caroline and River finishing the job in No. 3," Thompson said. "We felt really good going into singles."
The Eagles were able to tie the matchup after senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font defeated sophomore Tina Kreinis and junior Annemarie Emme 6-3, but the Gophers were able to secure the third match and the doubles point as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar fell 5-7 to freshman River Hart and senior Caroline Ryba.
"We did another good job with No.1 doubles leading the way, and with Caroline and River finishing the job in No. 3," Thompson said. "We felt really good going into singles."
Going into the singles matches, Ascua would start with a
7-6, 6-4 win over Ryba to tie the matchup. The Gophers would then retake back the
lead as Villar fell 3-6, 4-6 to Merzbacher.
With the score 2-1 in favor of the Gophers, sophomore Sofia Perez was able to retie the matchup as she defeated sophomore Cammy Frei 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Ornberg would then give the Eagles the lead as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year defeated Ryba 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
"I'm really happy with how I played. I started kind of like so-so and then I really got it together and I played really well in the end," said Ornberg.
Coming down to the final two matches, Falceto Font and Gallegos continued to fight until the big ending happened.With the score 2-1 in favor of the Gophers, sophomore Sofia Perez was able to retie the matchup as she defeated sophomore Cammy Frei 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Ornberg would then give the Eagles the lead as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year defeated Ryba 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
"I'm really happy with how I played. I started kind of like so-so and then I really got it together and I played really well in the end," said Ornberg.
Falceto Font fell 3-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7) to junior Barbara Mancera, but at the same time, Gallegos, who gave FGCU the win against FAU at the beginning of the season, managed to seal the deal with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Emme.
"I thought her opponent (Falceto Font) really brought her best game in the third set, but Bita (Mancera) went after it and finished it well," Thompson said.
"It feels crazy. I went crazy at the end, but the whole match, I was focused on coach [Vernon] and I was focused on her and I communicating, and when the girls finished and they came over to the court, it was amazing. I fought for everything," said Gallegos. "Honestly, I thought Lau [Falceto Font] and I both had to win in order to get the match, so I was completely zoned in on cheering for her, and it helped me to keep my energy up, but it was really cool to hear that we won, even though Lau came a little bit short."
This was the first time FGCU got a win against a Power 5
Conference team since the 2014 season (Iowa State 6-1, January 17, 2014). With the win over Minnesota, the Eagles are now 1-2 overall.
"It gave us all confidence for us to see that we can do this, and that win gave us confidence and strength," said Ornberg on winning against a Power 5 team.
"It gave us all confidence for us to see that we can do this, and that win gave us confidence and strength," said Ornberg on winning against a Power 5 team.
The Eagles return to action at home as they face Notre Dame on
Tuesday, March 13 at 5 P.M.
FGCU Beach Volleyball: FAU Burrow Beach Bash Recap
The FGCU beach volleyball team wrapped up their first four matches at FAU’s Burrow Beach Bash. The Eagles earned wins on day one against Houston Baptist (3-2) and Webber International (5-0) and split with a loss against #11 Georgia State (0-5) and a win over host #15 FAU (3-2). The win against FAU was the program’s first all-time win over a ranked opponent.
"It was nice to get a couple matches under our belt as we head into tomorrow," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Overall, I was pleased with our performance considering this was our first time out, but we definitely need to clean up a few things. I think we are going to have to serve tougher as the season progresses, and I think our setting needs to get a little more consistent. The wind was definitely a factor today, but I don't think we used it to our advantage often enough."
On day one, FGCU played Houston Baptist to start their season with a 3-2 win. The freshman duo of Kayla Whetstone and Snowy Burnam defeated freshman Brianne Miller and sophomore Danielle Wheeler 21-16, 21-18.
Freshman Alayna Ryan and junior Kaitlan Krivdo would follow with a 21-14, 19-21, 15-10 win over freshmen Meagan Carter and Jordyn Miller.
After sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti and senior Ashley Glickert fell 16-21, 17-21 to grad student Kayla Armer and sophomore Tori Hinojosa, the junior duo of Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis defeated senior Bailey Banks and freshman Katya Silviera 18-21, 21-12, 17-15 to claim the win for FGCU.
The duo of senior Mackenzie Allen and junior Amanda Carroll lost 11-21, 21-18, 14-16 to grad student Jessica Wooten and junior Aeriel Horton and freshman Cortney VanLiew and junior Kellie Pernula defeated freshman Mikayla Vivens and senior Kali Fluke 22-20, 21-14 in an extra match.
In match two against Webber International, the Eagles pulled off a 5-0 shutout over the Warriors.
Whetstone and Burnam defeated the freshman duo of Molly Fusarelli and Kobi Allston 21-14, 21-4
"Snowy and Kayla put together two really solid matches, which was nice to see from a freshmen pairing," Botsford said. "Getting off to a 2-0 start in both matches with the help of our 4 and 5 pairs is always a nice momentum builder.".
Krivdo and Ryan would follow with a 21-15, 22-20 over junior Teryn Mills and freshman Jessica Terry before Rhoades and Puisis defeated sophomore Laura Embry and freshman Salla Rautiainen 21-12, 21-12 to give FGCU the win.
Carroll and Allen defeated sophomore Carlee Baxter and freshman Emily Bowen 21-9, 21-15 and Borgiotti and Glickert defeated sophomores Amber Lake and Hannah Tannone by a score of 18-21, 21-9, 15-10.
On day two, FGCU would fall 0-5 to Georgia State. Burnam and Whetstone fell 24-26, 17-21 to grad student Amie Held and sophomore Kate Novack.
Krivdo and Ryan would fall next to junior Ashley McGinn and freshman Eden Hawes 23-21, 15-21, 10-15 before Allen and Carroll fell 18-21, 23-25 to grad students Teegan Van Gunst and Tiffany Creamer.
Borgiotti and Glickert would then lose 15-21, 18-21 to grad student Annika Van Gunst and junior Brooke Weiner before Rhoades and Puisis fell 20-22, 21-19, 15-17 to sophomores Olivia Stasevich and Georgia Johnson.
VanLiew and Pernula would lose the extra match 22-20, 21-23, 11-15 to sophomore Maddie Gordon and freshman Ashley Bauchert.
Wrapping up day two, the Eagles managed to beat the Owls 3-2. The Owls were ranked #15 in the nation’s top 20.
The freshman duo of Erica Brok and Mackenzie Morris defeated Krivdo and Ryan 13-21, 13-21.
Burnam and Whetstone would tie the score defeating junior Amanda Silva and freshman Kaila Dorish 15-21, 21-18, 15-13. Borgiotti and Glickert would fall 13-21, 17-21 to seniors Jessalyn Kinlaw and Gabrielle Dischler.
With the score 2-1 in favor of FAU, Rhoades and Puisis would tie the score with a 19-21, 21-17, 15-10 win over juniors Nicole Navarro and Nicole Grant. In the decider, Carroll and Allen defeated grad student Carly Scarborough and senior Brittany Pellitteri 21-19, 21-17.
"This is huge for our program," Botsford said. "We've made strides, and it's clear our talent and competition levels have improved, and this win validates that. It's a reward for all of our hard work. It's exciting. Most of all, I'm happy for our two seniors who have played a big role in elevating this program to new heights."
Rhoades and Pernula played an extra match, losing 14-21, 11-21 to junior Julia Lewkowicz and sophomore Sam Gott.
Up next, FGCU will face Eckerd College on Wednesday, Mar. 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida, at 3 P.M. before hosting the University of Tampa on Friday, Mar. 16 at 4 P.M. at FGCU.
"It was nice to get a couple matches under our belt as we head into tomorrow," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Overall, I was pleased with our performance considering this was our first time out, but we definitely need to clean up a few things. I think we are going to have to serve tougher as the season progresses, and I think our setting needs to get a little more consistent. The wind was definitely a factor today, but I don't think we used it to our advantage often enough."
On day one, FGCU played Houston Baptist to start their season with a 3-2 win. The freshman duo of Kayla Whetstone and Snowy Burnam defeated freshman Brianne Miller and sophomore Danielle Wheeler 21-16, 21-18.
Freshman Alayna Ryan and junior Kaitlan Krivdo would follow with a 21-14, 19-21, 15-10 win over freshmen Meagan Carter and Jordyn Miller.
After sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti and senior Ashley Glickert fell 16-21, 17-21 to grad student Kayla Armer and sophomore Tori Hinojosa, the junior duo of Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis defeated senior Bailey Banks and freshman Katya Silviera 18-21, 21-12, 17-15 to claim the win for FGCU.
The duo of senior Mackenzie Allen and junior Amanda Carroll lost 11-21, 21-18, 14-16 to grad student Jessica Wooten and junior Aeriel Horton and freshman Cortney VanLiew and junior Kellie Pernula defeated freshman Mikayla Vivens and senior Kali Fluke 22-20, 21-14 in an extra match.
In match two against Webber International, the Eagles pulled off a 5-0 shutout over the Warriors.
Whetstone and Burnam defeated the freshman duo of Molly Fusarelli and Kobi Allston 21-14, 21-4
"Snowy and Kayla put together two really solid matches, which was nice to see from a freshmen pairing," Botsford said. "Getting off to a 2-0 start in both matches with the help of our 4 and 5 pairs is always a nice momentum builder.".
Krivdo and Ryan would follow with a 21-15, 22-20 over junior Teryn Mills and freshman Jessica Terry before Rhoades and Puisis defeated sophomore Laura Embry and freshman Salla Rautiainen 21-12, 21-12 to give FGCU the win.
Carroll and Allen defeated sophomore Carlee Baxter and freshman Emily Bowen 21-9, 21-15 and Borgiotti and Glickert defeated sophomores Amber Lake and Hannah Tannone by a score of 18-21, 21-9, 15-10.
On day two, FGCU would fall 0-5 to Georgia State. Burnam and Whetstone fell 24-26, 17-21 to grad student Amie Held and sophomore Kate Novack.
Krivdo and Ryan would fall next to junior Ashley McGinn and freshman Eden Hawes 23-21, 15-21, 10-15 before Allen and Carroll fell 18-21, 23-25 to grad students Teegan Van Gunst and Tiffany Creamer.
Borgiotti and Glickert would then lose 15-21, 18-21 to grad student Annika Van Gunst and junior Brooke Weiner before Rhoades and Puisis fell 20-22, 21-19, 15-17 to sophomores Olivia Stasevich and Georgia Johnson.
VanLiew and Pernula would lose the extra match 22-20, 21-23, 11-15 to sophomore Maddie Gordon and freshman Ashley Bauchert.
Wrapping up day two, the Eagles managed to beat the Owls 3-2. The Owls were ranked #15 in the nation’s top 20.
The freshman duo of Erica Brok and Mackenzie Morris defeated Krivdo and Ryan 13-21, 13-21.
Burnam and Whetstone would tie the score defeating junior Amanda Silva and freshman Kaila Dorish 15-21, 21-18, 15-13. Borgiotti and Glickert would fall 13-21, 17-21 to seniors Jessalyn Kinlaw and Gabrielle Dischler.
With the score 2-1 in favor of FAU, Rhoades and Puisis would tie the score with a 19-21, 21-17, 15-10 win over juniors Nicole Navarro and Nicole Grant. In the decider, Carroll and Allen defeated grad student Carly Scarborough and senior Brittany Pellitteri 21-19, 21-17.
"This is huge for our program," Botsford said. "We've made strides, and it's clear our talent and competition levels have improved, and this win validates that. It's a reward for all of our hard work. It's exciting. Most of all, I'm happy for our two seniors who have played a big role in elevating this program to new heights."
Rhoades and Pernula played an extra match, losing 14-21, 11-21 to junior Julia Lewkowicz and sophomore Sam Gott.
Up next, FGCU will face Eckerd College on Wednesday, Mar. 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida, at 3 P.M. before hosting the University of Tampa on Friday, Mar. 16 at 4 P.M. at FGCU.
FGCU WBB: Going Dancing...Again
We going dancing this year yet again. Raining 3s is on the hunt again. The FGCU women's basketball team (30-4) avenged losing the A-SUN Conference Tournament championship game from two years ago as they defeated the Jacksonville (24-8) 68-58. With the win, the Eagles are not only 23-3 against JU overall and are not just A-SUN Conference champions, but they have punched their ticket to the 2018 NCAA national tournament. The Eagles clinched the program's fifth 30 win season, including the third of the Division-I era. They join the 2002-03 (30-1), 2006-07 (34-1), 2014-15 (31-3) and 2015-16 (33-6) teams.
"I'm just really proud of the effort our young ladies had out there," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Jacksonville is an excellent team. They're definitely one of the most physical teams we ever play. It's always a challenge for us. We found a way to compete on the boards with a great rebounding team. We had players step up and just have outstanding performances that helped with a very tight, contested game."
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First team member Rose Julien lead the way offensively with 19 points (6-for-12 FG, 1-for-4 3FG, 6-for-6 FT) and six rebounds.
Senior Erica Nelson finished with nine points (3-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Sophomore Nasrin Ulel contributed with one rebound and one block.
Sophomore A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Tytionia Adderly had two points, eight rebounds (six offensive, two defensive) and three steals. With her six offensive boards, Adderly tied Robyn Swain (236) for third all-time.
Redshirt senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Taylor Grandijan finished with three points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals. Grandjian's three points came from behind the Arc. She now has 299 career 3-pointers made.
Off the Bench, redshirt senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member China Dow finished with 18 points (6-for-18 FG, 2-for-6 3FG, 4-for-8 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block.
Redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka had a season-high 17 points (7-for-13 FG, 1-for-2 3FG, 2-for-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and three steals.
"It's a tough loss for us. We had opportunities to take advantage of some situations and we just couldn't put enough stops together; we couldn't convert enough on the offensive end," stated head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "If we're going to lose to someone, I'd want it to be to the number one team. Just us getting here, I'm very proud of."
For the Dolphins, senior Naqaiyyah Teague had 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member and A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year Kayla Gordon had eight points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Jasmyn Brown had seven points, two rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
Senior Brandi Buie had seven points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
Junior Lindsay John had three points and two assists.
Off the Dolphins, redshirt junior Shakayla Nevitt had 12 points, one rebound, one block and one steal.
Sophomore Alexis Burns had two points and two rebounds.
Redshirt junior La'Karis Salter had two points, one rebound and one steal.
At the end of the conference, the A-SUN All-Tournament Team was announced:
Representing JU was Teague and Brown.
"I'm proud of our team. This is our most winning season and on the bright side, it's fortunate that we can still play. We'll see where we go in the WNIT and continue to try to represent the university and the program as best as possible. I'm just proud to think that we made history multiple times this season and I look forward to the future," added McPhee-McCuin.
For FGCU, it was Julien, Zderadicka and Dow. Dow was also named A-SUN All-Tournament Team MVP for the second straight year, and the first back-to-back A-SUN tournament MVP since Siarre Evans of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member, A-SUN All-Academic Team member and A-SUN Player of the Year Loren Cagle from Lipscomb and redshirt senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Keonna Farmer from UNF were also named members of the All-Tournament Team, but were not in attendance due to being eliminated from their respected semifinal games.
As it sits, all, along with FGCU, the other 31 teams have also punched their tickets to the national tournament:
ACC: #3 Louisville
AEC: Maine.
AAC: #1 U-Conn
A-10: George Washington.
Big 12: Baylor
Big East: Depaul
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: Liberty
Big Ten: Ohio State
Big West: Cal State Northridge
Colonial: Elon
C-USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Green Bay
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Quinnipiac
MAC: Central Michigan
MEAC: NC A&T
MVC: Drake
MWC: Boise St.
NEC: St. Francis (PA)
OVC: Belmont
Pac-12: Oregon
Patriot: American
SEC: South Carolina
Southern: Mercer
Southland: Nicholls St.
SWAC: Grambling St.
Summit: South Dakota St.
Sun Belt: Little Rock
WCC: Gonzaga
WAC: Seattle
For Northern Colorado, Mercer, Nicholls St. and Seattle, this is their first times going to the NCAA national tournament in their programs history.
Up next, FGCU will find out who they will play in the first round of the national and what seed they will be and what regional they will be in. It will all be determined by a selection show on Monday, March 13 at 7 P.M.
To close this blog, I want to say I was so happy for this moment. This is my third A-SUN Conference women's basketball tournament I've been to.
When I first came to FGCU, we lost to JU at home and had to play in the WNIT.
Last year, I went to the conference tournament finals at Stetson and we won before falling to Miami in the first round of the national tournament.
Now in 2018, I got to see the ladies win one last time before I graduate. I have never been so ecstatic like this. I want to say thank you to the whole team and to the cheerleaders and basketball band for keep the spirit up for them and the team.
This was my last conference tournament as a student and I'm happy that I ended part of 2018 on a good note with another conference tournament championship to witness.
Below are pics of the team cutting off the net and me with some of the basketball players and cheerleaders:
"I'm just really proud of the effort our young ladies had out there," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Jacksonville is an excellent team. They're definitely one of the most physical teams we ever play. It's always a challenge for us. We found a way to compete on the boards with a great rebounding team. We had players step up and just have outstanding performances that helped with a very tight, contested game."
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First team member Rose Julien lead the way offensively with 19 points (6-for-12 FG, 1-for-4 3FG, 6-for-6 FT) and six rebounds.
Senior Erica Nelson finished with nine points (3-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Sophomore Nasrin Ulel contributed with one rebound and one block.
Sophomore A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Tytionia Adderly had two points, eight rebounds (six offensive, two defensive) and three steals. With her six offensive boards, Adderly tied Robyn Swain (236) for third all-time.
Redshirt senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Taylor Grandijan finished with three points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals. Grandjian's three points came from behind the Arc. She now has 299 career 3-pointers made.
Off the Bench, redshirt senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member China Dow finished with 18 points (6-for-18 FG, 2-for-6 3FG, 4-for-8 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block.
Redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka had a season-high 17 points (7-for-13 FG, 1-for-2 3FG, 2-for-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and three steals.
"It's a tough loss for us. We had opportunities to take advantage of some situations and we just couldn't put enough stops together; we couldn't convert enough on the offensive end," stated head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "If we're going to lose to someone, I'd want it to be to the number one team. Just us getting here, I'm very proud of."
For the Dolphins, senior Naqaiyyah Teague had 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member and A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year Kayla Gordon had eight points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Jasmyn Brown had seven points, two rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
Senior Brandi Buie had seven points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
Junior Lindsay John had three points and two assists.
Off the Dolphins, redshirt junior Shakayla Nevitt had 12 points, one rebound, one block and one steal.
Sophomore Alexis Burns had two points and two rebounds.
Redshirt junior La'Karis Salter had two points, one rebound and one steal.
At the end of the conference, the A-SUN All-Tournament Team was announced:
Representing JU was Teague and Brown.
"I'm proud of our team. This is our most winning season and on the bright side, it's fortunate that we can still play. We'll see where we go in the WNIT and continue to try to represent the university and the program as best as possible. I'm just proud to think that we made history multiple times this season and I look forward to the future," added McPhee-McCuin.
For FGCU, it was Julien, Zderadicka and Dow. Dow was also named A-SUN All-Tournament Team MVP for the second straight year, and the first back-to-back A-SUN tournament MVP since Siarre Evans of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member, A-SUN All-Academic Team member and A-SUN Player of the Year Loren Cagle from Lipscomb and redshirt senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Keonna Farmer from UNF were also named members of the All-Tournament Team, but were not in attendance due to being eliminated from their respected semifinal games.
As it sits, all, along with FGCU, the other 31 teams have also punched their tickets to the national tournament:
ACC: #3 Louisville
AEC: Maine.
AAC: #1 U-Conn
A-10: George Washington.
Big 12: Baylor
Big East: Depaul
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: Liberty
Big Ten: Ohio State
Big West: Cal State Northridge
Colonial: Elon
C-USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Green Bay
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Quinnipiac
MAC: Central Michigan
MEAC: NC A&T
MVC: Drake
MWC: Boise St.
NEC: St. Francis (PA)
OVC: Belmont
Pac-12: Oregon
Patriot: American
SEC: South Carolina
Southern: Mercer
Southland: Nicholls St.
SWAC: Grambling St.
Summit: South Dakota St.
Sun Belt: Little Rock
WCC: Gonzaga
WAC: Seattle
For Northern Colorado, Mercer, Nicholls St. and Seattle, this is their first times going to the NCAA national tournament in their programs history.
Up next, FGCU will find out who they will play in the first round of the national and what seed they will be and what regional they will be in. It will all be determined by a selection show on Monday, March 13 at 7 P.M.
To close this blog, I want to say I was so happy for this moment. This is my third A-SUN Conference women's basketball tournament I've been to.
When I first came to FGCU, we lost to JU at home and had to play in the WNIT.
Last year, I went to the conference tournament finals at Stetson and we won before falling to Miami in the first round of the national tournament.
Now in 2018, I got to see the ladies win one last time before I graduate. I have never been so ecstatic like this. I want to say thank you to the whole team and to the cheerleaders and basketball band for keep the spirit up for them and the team.
This was my last conference tournament as a student and I'm happy that I ended part of 2018 on a good note with another conference tournament championship to witness.
Below are pics of the team cutting off the net and me with some of the basketball players and cheerleaders:
 |
| I got to hold the A-SUN Conference Tournament trophy (yes, it was heavy) |
 |
| With senior cheerleader Brittany Borman |
 |
| With redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles |
 |
| With redshirt freshman Tyra Cox |
 |
| A selfie with redshirt senior Jessica Cattani |
 |
| With freshman Alyssa Blair |
 |
| With freshman Sheahen Dowling |
 |
| With junior cheer captain Caragan Phillips |
 |
| With sophomore Paige Pitkin and senior Ernest Dorman |
 |
| With Dorman |
 |
| With Pitkin |
 |
| With freshman Joe Wright |
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| With senior Zahra Fayad |
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| With redshirt freshman Chandler Ryan |
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| With Nelson |
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| With Ulel |
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| Grandijan holding the net in victory |
FGCU WBB: A-SUN Tournament Championship Finals Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (29-4, 5-0) prepare for the final draw for the national tournament as they face Jacksonville (24-7) in the A-Sun Conference Tournament Finals.
Here's the scenario for both teams: if FGCU, The No. 1 seed in the tournament, wins the conference tournament finals, they will go to the national tournament and the No. 2 seed Dolphins will more than likely not be eligible for a postseason tournament. If the Dolphins win, then they will go to the national tournament. But where does that leave the Eagles? Well since the Eagles won the season championship, if they lose, then they will automatically be in the WNIT, but the Eagles can get an at-large bid for the national tournament is determined by record, ranking, strength of schedule and their RPI ranking. Currently, FGCU's RPI is 52 while JU is 98.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles recently played in the semifinals of the A-SUN Conference Tournament where they defeated Lipscomb by a score of 105-55. This was the first 100 point game the Eagles had this season. The Eagles broke their own program record for 3-pointers made in a game (22)
Senior Rose Julien continues to lead the way offensively. Named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, Julien is averaging 13.3 points per game and free throw percentage (.832). Julien was held scoreless against Lipscomb, but contributed with six rebounds and two blocks.
Sophomore Tytionia Adderly continues to be the main rebounder of the team. Adderly, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team is averaging 7.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. In her game against Lipscomb, Adderly five points and seven rebounds, in which four of them being offensive. Adderly is fourth all-time in career offensive rebounds (227). Adderly is 10 offensive rebounds away from surpassing Robyn Swain (236) for third all-time.
Redshirt senior Taylor Grandijan is averaging 10.4 points per game. Grandijan, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Acadmic Team for the third straight year, had 16 points against Lipscomb. The rare sixth-year senior has 1,226 career points 3-pointer Grandijan is 38 away from passing Kelsey Jacobsen (1,263) for fifth all-time. Also, in the game against Lipscomb, Grandijan shot four 3-pointers. Grandijan passed former WNBA player Whitney Knight (294) for second all-time in career 3-pointers with 298. She is 33 away from passing Jacobsen (330) for first all-time in career 3's.
Senior Erica Nelson is averaging 8.3 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Nelson had nine points, six assists and two steals against Lipscomb. In addition, Nelson also added two blocks which gives her 23 in her career and ties her with Haley Laughter for 11th all-time.
Bench Role Sparks:
Remaining as the key sparks off the bench are redshirt seniors Jessica Cattani and China Dow and redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka.
Cattani is averaging 7.3 points per game. She scored 13 points against Lipscomb.
Dow is second on the team in points per game (11.6) and has been a key role for the bench. Dow, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, had a season high 30 points against Lipscomb. The Louisville native added six rebounds and was 8-10 behind the arc
Zderadicka is averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 assists per game. The Vienna, Austria native and Houston Baptist transfer had eight points and three assists against Lipscomb.
Scouting Lady Dolphins:
The Lady Dolphins played against crosstown rival UNF in the other semifinal game. They would defeat the Ospreys 83-77 in overtime.
Junior Jasmyn Brown leads the team offensively. Brown is averaging 13.5 points. Brown, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team, scored 15 against UNF.
Senior Brandi Buie is averaging 11.3 points per game. Against UNF, Buie scored 15 points.
Senior Kayla Gordon is averaging 12.4 points and 9.7 per game. Gordon, who was named a the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, had 17 points and eight rebounds against UNF.
Series History:
FGCU is 22-3 against JU. FGCU swept the season series this year with JU winning 63-58 at home and 65-33 at JU. Last time both teams met in the A-SUN Conference Tournament finals was during the 2015-16 season when JU upset FGCU at the Alico Arena winning 56-54.
The game will air on ESPN 3 at 3 P.M. and live stats will be provided. The game will also be heard on the radio on stations 94.1 (South Fort Myers/Estero), 103.3 (Cape Coral/Fort Myers) and 105.9 (Naples/Bonita Springs).
The game is also dubbed as a Whiteout as marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear white to the game.
Here's the scenario for both teams: if FGCU, The No. 1 seed in the tournament, wins the conference tournament finals, they will go to the national tournament and the No. 2 seed Dolphins will more than likely not be eligible for a postseason tournament. If the Dolphins win, then they will go to the national tournament. But where does that leave the Eagles? Well since the Eagles won the season championship, if they lose, then they will automatically be in the WNIT, but the Eagles can get an at-large bid for the national tournament is determined by record, ranking, strength of schedule and their RPI ranking. Currently, FGCU's RPI is 52 while JU is 98.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles recently played in the semifinals of the A-SUN Conference Tournament where they defeated Lipscomb by a score of 105-55. This was the first 100 point game the Eagles had this season. The Eagles broke their own program record for 3-pointers made in a game (22)
Senior Rose Julien continues to lead the way offensively. Named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, Julien is averaging 13.3 points per game and free throw percentage (.832). Julien was held scoreless against Lipscomb, but contributed with six rebounds and two blocks.
Sophomore Tytionia Adderly continues to be the main rebounder of the team. Adderly, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team is averaging 7.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. In her game against Lipscomb, Adderly five points and seven rebounds, in which four of them being offensive. Adderly is fourth all-time in career offensive rebounds (227). Adderly is 10 offensive rebounds away from surpassing Robyn Swain (236) for third all-time.
Redshirt senior Taylor Grandijan is averaging 10.4 points per game. Grandijan, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Acadmic Team for the third straight year, had 16 points against Lipscomb. The rare sixth-year senior has 1,226 career points 3-pointer Grandijan is 38 away from passing Kelsey Jacobsen (1,263) for fifth all-time. Also, in the game against Lipscomb, Grandijan shot four 3-pointers. Grandijan passed former WNBA player Whitney Knight (294) for second all-time in career 3-pointers with 298. She is 33 away from passing Jacobsen (330) for first all-time in career 3's.
Senior Erica Nelson is averaging 8.3 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Nelson had nine points, six assists and two steals against Lipscomb. In addition, Nelson also added two blocks which gives her 23 in her career and ties her with Haley Laughter for 11th all-time.
Bench Role Sparks:
Remaining as the key sparks off the bench are redshirt seniors Jessica Cattani and China Dow and redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka.
Cattani is averaging 7.3 points per game. She scored 13 points against Lipscomb.
Dow is second on the team in points per game (11.6) and has been a key role for the bench. Dow, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, had a season high 30 points against Lipscomb. The Louisville native added six rebounds and was 8-10 behind the arc
Zderadicka is averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 assists per game. The Vienna, Austria native and Houston Baptist transfer had eight points and three assists against Lipscomb.
Scouting Lady Dolphins:
The Lady Dolphins played against crosstown rival UNF in the other semifinal game. They would defeat the Ospreys 83-77 in overtime.
Junior Jasmyn Brown leads the team offensively. Brown is averaging 13.5 points. Brown, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team, scored 15 against UNF.
Senior Brandi Buie is averaging 11.3 points per game. Against UNF, Buie scored 15 points.
Senior Kayla Gordon is averaging 12.4 points and 9.7 per game. Gordon, who was named a the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, had 17 points and eight rebounds against UNF.
Series History:
FGCU is 22-3 against JU. FGCU swept the season series this year with JU winning 63-58 at home and 65-33 at JU. Last time both teams met in the A-SUN Conference Tournament finals was during the 2015-16 season when JU upset FGCU at the Alico Arena winning 56-54.
The game will air on ESPN 3 at 3 P.M. and live stats will be provided. The game will also be heard on the radio on stations 94.1 (South Fort Myers/Estero), 103.3 (Cape Coral/Fort Myers) and 105.9 (Naples/Bonita Springs).
The game is also dubbed as a Whiteout as marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear white to the game.
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