FGCU MTEN Selection Show Opponent Revealed

The FGCU men's tennis team (14-8) will now be set for their next milestone: the 2019 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. The Eagles had a closed party for the selection show to determine who they will play in the first round.

How They Got There:
The Eagles began the first three matches at a rocky start beginning with a 5-2 loss against USF before splitting the next two matches in Phoenix, Arizona with a 6-1 loss to Grand Canyon before winning their first match against Sacramento State (5-2) before returning home for the next four matches.

The Eagles would lose their home opener to FAU (4-3) before opening A-SUN play early with a 5-2 win over UNF and splitting the next two non-conference matchups with a 6-1 win over Bethune-Cookman and a 4-3 loss to Charlotte.

After the loss to Charlotte, the Eagles entered a three-match losing streak with a loss to Penn State (7-0) in the USTA National Campus Collegiate Series in Orlando before returning home to lose 4-3 to Virginia Commonwealth.

For the next four non-conference matches, the Eagles went up and down with wins over George Washington (5-2) and UNC Wilmington (4-3) and losses to UNC Asheville and Georgia State before resuming A-SUN play with a 7-0 shutout against NJIT.

After closing non-conference play with a 4-3 win over Brown, the Eagles resumed conference play on the road with wins over Stetson (6-1), A-SUN newcomer North Alabama (7-0) and Lipscomb (5-2).

Wrapping up A-SUN play for the regular season, FGCU was in a tie for first place with the second A-SUN newcomer in Liberty and in style were able to get in sole possession of first place, the #1 seed in the A-SUN Conference Tournament and a share of the A-SUN Regular Season Championship before officially winning it after defeating Kennesaw State 4-1.

Heading into the conference tournament, the Eagles would seal the deal with 4-0 win over Kennesaw (the #4 seed) in the semifinals before defeating UNF (#3 seed) by a score of 4-2 thus claiming an automatic bid for the 2019 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament.

The Green and Blue entered the postseason as the top seed after claiming their third regular season title. Junior Marcelo Tebet earned a 7-5 win in the third set on court No. 4 to hand the team its 4-3 victory over No. 3 UNF in the final. Tebet was named tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by sophomore Juan Montes.

Second Chance:
This will be the second NCAA Tournament appearance for four current Eagles. Seniors Ezequiel Cerrini, Javier Fernandez and Mateo Ruiz, along with junior Felipe Ramirez were members of the 2017 squad that took on the No. 15 Gators in Gainesville during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Fernandez is credited with the only set win in FGCU's history in the NCAA Tournament. He defeated Florida's Johannes Ingildsen – a current junior – by a score of 6-4 in the first set of the fifth flight. 

The Reveal:
The opponent revealed for the Eagles turned out to be the #3 team in the nation, the Florida Gators (21-3).

"We know that it's going to be a tough match," head coach CJ Weber said. "Regardless of who you play in the NCAA Tournament, it's really tough. I'm not focused on that, though. We haven't been focused on our opponents at all this whole season, so this week we will focus on ourselves and our attitudes. We want to be in a position to compete at the highest level that we can, regardless of who's standing on the other side of the net. We're definitely excited to be at the tournament and we're going to give it our all."

Scouting The Gators:
The Florida men's tennis team will be competing in their 29th consecutive NCAA Tournament, which is the third-longest active streak in the country, trailing UCLA (43) and Georgia (36).

The Gators have an all-time record of 51-28 in 36 total appearances, including a 22-4 mark in the first round.

The furthest the team has made is the semi-finals, having achieved this feat twice (2000, 2005).

They're currently ranked at No. 4 in the ITA team standings, behind Ohio State (1), Texas (2) and defending national champion Wake Forest (3).

Johannes Ingildsen currently leads the Gators with an overall mark of 28-11. The junior posted a 9-3 record in SEC singles play, primarily at the fourth spot in the lineup.

The duo of senior McClain Kessler and sophomore Duarte Vale owns a 13-9 record in doubles play, which includes a split mark of 8-8 at the top spot in the lineup. Vale, who primarily competes in the second half of the singles lineup, is currently on an 11-match winning streak and has not lost a match since February 10.

Series History:
This will be the second dual between the two teams, having faced off once before in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Eagles have participated in fall tournaments in Gainesville in both the 2010 and 2012 seasons, but have never competed against the Gators in the regular season.

FGCU in Nationals:

FGCU will be making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years of NCAA Division-I postseason eligibility. The Eagles are 0-2 all-time with appearances in 2015 and 2017.

With a win, the Eagles, who are the fourth seed, would advance to face the winner of second-seeded Florida State and third-seeded UCF at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The victor in that game would move on to the Super Regional May 10-11.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be available and will air livestream individually on all six courts. Fans can also keep up with both teams on Twitter:

FGCU: @FGCU_MTEN

UF: @GatorsMTN

Livestats Link: https://sidearmstats.com/florida/mten/

Livestream Link: https://floridagators.com/sports/2018/3/9/tennis-men-live-video-stats.aspx

FGCU Baseball vs North Alabama Game Three Recap

Freshman Corey Clement had a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth that gave the FGCU baseball team (30-14, 12-3 A-SUN) a 6-5 win over North Alabama (11-32, 5-12 A-SUN) to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon at Swanson Stadium. The win marks the third time this season that the Eagles have swept an A-SUN opponent.

"This was a great weekend," head coach Dave Tollett said. "North Alabama is tough and they did some things that we haven't seen this season, but we were able to overcome it. Today's win was an awesome way to get the sweep. We hung in when we were down and then Clement had that game-ending hit for us which was huge."

With two outs, Clement, who had entered the game as a defensive sub in the eighth and only had two previous at-bats on the season, laced a single through the left side that scored junior pinch runner Cameron Krzeminski.

With the win, the Eagles stand alone at the top of the A-SUN standings. The team has already earned the most conference wins since two seasons ago when the Green and Blue won the 2017 A-SUN Championship. The team went 13-8 during the regular season.

The Lions, who had been held to just three earned runs entering the final game of the series, tagged the Eagles' senior starter Evan Lumbert with a pair of runs in the opening frame and added a third in the second. The early 3-0 lead was the visiting team's largest of the weekend.

In the fourth inning, senior Keith Stevens took UNA's starter deep to center field with a two-run shot that plated junior Richie Garcia. The Lions threatened to re-extend their lead after working the bases loaded in the following inning, but senior Eric Gonzalez, Garcia and junior Elijah Eusebio turned a double play to get out of the jam.

The Eagles responded with a bases-loaded push of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs on the board, junior Kohl Gilmore fisted the ball into center field for an two-run single that pushed Garcia and junior Alex Brait across, giving FGCU its first lead of the afternoon.

After his rocky start, Lumber settled into a productive rhythm and allowed just one hit over the next four frames. He was relieved by junior Trey Vickery in the top of the seventh. Lumbert finished six innings of work with five Ks and three walks.

Vickery allowed two Lion baserunners, but managed to record two outs before handing the mound over to junior Brenden Heiss. UNA capitalized on the pitching change and brought two runs in with an RBI single that handed the team a 5-4 lead. Junior Hunter McGarry was called from the bullpen to end the inning, doing so with a swinging K.

Freshman Joe Kinker tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single that plated Stevens, which would set the stage for Clement's heroics in the ninth.

McGarry was awarded the win for keeping the Lions off the board while FGCU took its final lead and improved to 5-1 on the season.

Up Next
The Eagles will head to FAU (29-14, 15-6 C-USA) for their last scheduled midweek game of the season. The game against the Owls is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 in Boca Raton. FGCU holds a 12-7 advantage in the history between the two programs, including a 6-3 edge at the Owls' home stadium. FAU is currently ranked at #52 in the RPI standings. 

FGCU Softball vs Stetson Day Two Recap

 The FGCU softball team (28-17, 13-4 A-SUN) was narrowly edged by Stetson (16-28, 5-12 A-SUN), 3-2, Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Softball Complex.

"Congratulations to our seniors today. I am glad that we could honor them before the game for everything they've done for this program over the past few years," said head coach David Deiros said. "We have some more work to do this week against Lipscomb and also as we head into the A-SUN Tournament."

Before the contest, the Eagles honored their five seniors in Bri Bennett, Brooke Clemens, Kate Kelly, Racquel Fournet and Riley Randolph.

The Eagles' bats were kept quiet midway through the contest as they accounted for three hits while stranding four runners. Starting pitcher Randolph went six full innings scattering five hits as she fanned six Hatters with no walks. Her fourth strikeout of the game in the bottom of the fourth went down as her 200th of the year becoming just the third pitcher in FGCU history to hit the 200 mark in one season.

Through nine complete and with no score, the international tiebreaker rule went into effect in the 10th – the last batter out in the previous inning is placed on second to start the next frame. Stetson broke out with three runs on four hits to take the ball game's first lead.

FGCU commenced the bottom of the 10th with freshman McKenna Batterton on second base. With one out, sophomore Haley Morrell lined a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Up next, Fournet hit a chopper to second that scored Batterton as freshman Reedy Davenport cleared the bags with a triple off the right-center wall to score Morrell. Down just one, with two away, a liner to third would stave off the Eagles' rally as their 10-game win streak came to an end.

Sophomore Marissa Mesiemore gets tagged with the loss after pitching four innings of relief. On offense the Green and Blue manufactured eight hits as Morrell and Clemens each went 2-for-5. 

Single Season 200 Strikeout Club
1. 269 - Rachael Edinger - 2006
2. 235 - Rachael Edinger - 2007
3. 220 - Kelly Powe - 2004
4. 206 - Kelly Powe - 2005
5. 202 - Riley Randolph - 2019

Up Next
FGCU will host Lipscomb (35-13-1, 13-4 A-SUN) Thursday-Friday May 2-3. Thursday's doubleheader will start at 5 p.m. Both games will be aired on ESPN +. Friday's finale is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Both teams are currently tied for first in the conference.

SCF Baseball vs HCC Game One Recap

The SCF baseball team (35-16, 19-9 Suncoast) took game one of their final series of Suncoast play as they defeated Hillsborough (26-23, 17-11 Suncoast) 2-1. With the win, the Manatees are 34-16 against the Hawks.

For game one of the final series, SCF head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Aaron Brown to the mound while HCC head coach William Colome sent sophomore Colton Gordon to counter.

The Manatees would be the first to get on the board first in the bottom of the first. After back-to-back singles by sophomore Shane Shifflett and redshirt sophomore Brian Dillingham, classmate Bryce Hulett would send Shifflett home with a infield single to give the Manatees a 1-0 lead.

Despite the 1-0 SCF lead, it was a pitchers battle between Brown and Gordon with both exchanging strikeouts between innings until the top of the seventh when HCC got on the board when sophomore Jose Cadenas, Jr. scored on a passed ball.

With the scored tied 1-1, the Manatees were finally able to seal the deal for the win in the bottom of the ninth. After a one-out double by Shifflett, Dillingham would be the hero of the game. With an 0-1 count, the Bradenton native would send Shifflett home on an infield single to short for the win.

Brown would earn the win after throwing a complete game, giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven. The Vanderbilt and upcoming Middle Tennessee State transfer is now 8-2 on the season.

Gordon would earn the loss, putting him at 6-3 on the season after throwing 8.1 innings while giving up both runs on 12 hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Shifflett would finish 4-for-5 with two runs scored while Dillingham and classmates Josh Crouch and Collin Moore finished 2-for-4 each.

Cadenas, Jr. would get the Hawks lone two hits as he finished 2-for-4 with one run.

Other Suncoast Scores:
#13 FSW (38-12, 19-9 Suncoast) defeated Polk State (24-27, 11-17 Suncoast) 7-3.

South Florida State (19-33, 8-20 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (17-29, 10-18 Suncoast) 9-4.

The Manatees can claim sole possession of first place with a win and an FSW loss in one of two final games.

Suncoast Standings:
1. #13 FSW (38-12, 19-9 Suncoast)
2. SCF (35-16, 19-9 Suncoast)
3. HCC (26-23, 17-11)
4. Polk State (24-27, 11-17 Suncoast)
5. SPC (17-29, 10-18 Suncoast)
6. South Florida State (19-33, 8-20 Suncoast)

Up Next:
The Manatees will travel to Tampa to face HCC at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Monday, April 29 at 6 pm.

FGCU Softball vs Stetson Day One Recap

The FGCU softball team (28-16, 13-3 A-SUN) took sole possession of first place in the A-SUN with a pair of wins over Stetson (15-28, 4-12 A-SUN) Saturday afternoon. In game one the Eagles defeated the Hatters, 2-1, in walk-off fashion before snagging game two, 3-0.

"Riley [Randolph], Marissa [Mesiemore] and the defense were outstanding. We did just enough on offense – especially in game one – to get the sweep," head coach David Deiros said. "Now we turn our attention in celebrating Bri [Bennett], Kate [Kelly], Racquel [Fournet], Brooke [Clemens] and Randolph tomorrow."

FGCU 2 | Stetson 1
The Eagles struggled early on leaving a total of four runners on the bags through three frames as Stetson took the 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth using one hit and one error.

FGCU threatened in the sixth but would strand two as they rallied in the final inning facing one out. Sophomore Farley Callaghan commenced the inning with a leadoff single through the left-side. Freshman McKenna Batterton then got onboard getting plunked on her right elbow. Senior Kate Kelly executed a perfect sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position. This allowed sophomore Haley Morrell to dig in the box and drive a 1-1 pitch to right-center, clearing the bags for the walk-off win.

Starting senior pitcher Riley Randolph moves to 17-7, scattering five hits while giving up just one run. She fanned seven batters in the process.

FGCU 3 | Stetson 0
Game two saw the Eagles jump on the board in back-to-back innings. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman Reedy Davenport led off with a knock to up the middle. After a grounder moved her to second, Callaghan brought her in hitting a bloop single down the right-field line. In the fifth, the Green and Blue produced a pair of runs using three hits and one error.

Batterton singled to start the inning as freshman Ashley Hayes was called into run for her, who then raced to second off a sac bunt from Kelly. Morrell then reached on an error and stole second to put runners at second and third. Senior Racquel Fournet stepped in and laced an RBI single to center. Davenport matched it with a base hit of her own to make it 3-0 FGCU.

Over the final two frames, starting sophomore pitcher Marissa Mesiemore gave up just one hit with a pair of strikeouts to secure the shutout for the Eagles. She is now 10-4 in the circle, limiting the Hatters to just two hits. In the process, the Bushnell native now matches her win-total from her freshman season.

At the plate, Davenport capped off game two going 2-for-3 with one RBI. In both games combined, Batterton finished the day going 3-for-4.

With both wins, FGCU now sets a program-record for most consecutive A-SUN victories at 10 (previously eight on two occasions, 2008, 2012).

Scores in the A-SUN:
Lipscomb (34-13-1, 12-4 A-SUN) swept Kennesaw State (26-26, 11-10 A-SUN) 7-2 and 6-4

North Alabama (22-18, 7-10 A-SUN) split with Liberty (35-17, 16-4). North Alabama won game one by a score of 1-0 before Liberty secured game two winning 3-1.

Up Next:
FGCU will look for the series sweep tomorrow Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Eagles will also honor its five seniors with a pre-game ceremony beginning at 12:40 p.m.

FGCU Baseball vs North Alabama Game Two Recap

The FGCU baseball team (29-14, 11-3 A-SUN) took game two against North Alabama (11-31, 5-11 A-SUN) with a 7-2 win Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium. The Green and Blue triumph marks the fourth series win in conference play.

"I thought it was a good, complete game all the way around," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We pitched a better game and were able to string together some timely hits. We were able to extend a few innings and (Richie) Garcia had a big hit for us. We played much better today than we did yesterday and we are looking forward to tomorrow."

Senior Keith Stevens handed the Eagles an early lead after he cranked out a two-RBI single in the bottom of the first. Juniors Marc Coffers and Alex Brait scored on the play.

Senior Justin Gill started on the hill for the Green and Blue and kept the Lions off the board until the third inning, when the visiting team used a sac fly to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

Freshman Joe Kinker pushed Stevens across with an RBI double one inning later to re-extend the team's edge to 3-1.

The Lions worked the tying run on in the following frame. After recording two outs, Gill was relieved by sophomore Nikolas Bitner. A fielding error brought in one of the starter's baserunners, but the run was unearned. Through 4.2 innings of work, the southpaw fanned four and was charged with just one run on as many hits.

Over the next four innings, the Eagles put up four unanswered runs. Senior Eric Gonzalez and Coffers were each credited with an RBI in the spree and junior Richie Garcia racked up two after his home run to left field that scored senior Jay Hayes.

Junior Sebastian Gruszecki and sophomore Gus Carter combined from the mound for the final nine outs. Gruszecki tossed 1.2 frames and did not let up any hits. Carter closed out the game, allowing one hit but fanning two Lions.

All but one of the Eagles' scoring plays were generated with two outs on the board. Hayes was able to extend two innings and was credited with a game-high two runs. Coffers, Brait, Garcia, Stevens and freshman Jalen Townsend tacked on one apiece. Townsend, who entered as a pinch runner, became the fourth Eagle to steal two bags in a single game.

Bitner was awarded the win for his scoreless relief work and improved to 3-2 on the season.

The victory marks the fourth time this season that the Eagles have won an A-SUN series. In 2017, a flagship year for the Green and Blue, the team also won four A-SUN weekend matchups. The last time FGCU won at least five conference series was 2014 when the team claimed seven weekend battles.

Up Next:
The teams will wrap up the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Eagles, who swept Lipscomb three weekends ago, will be looking to complete their second conference sweep of the season.

SCF Softball Readies for FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament

The regular season is set in stone and eight teams will be competing in the 2019 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament from May 2 to May 5. #20 SCF (44-14) is one of the eight participants to be in the tournament as the Suncoast Runner-Up. Furthermore, the Manatees are one of four top 20 ranked teams in the nation competing in the tournament. The Manatees will take on Panhandle Regular Season Champion Chipola College (43-4 in the first round of the tournament.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees closed the regular season on the road in Ocala as they split with #4 College of Central Florida (49-9) losing 9-5 in game one before winning 10-6 in game. Before they closed the regular season, the Manatees participated and hosted the Suncoast Conference Tournament at the SCF Softball Complex after sweeping Hillsborough Community College via the eight-run mercy rule by scores of 13-5 and 10-2. The Manatees were named the Suncoast Conference Tournament champions to earn a spot in the state tournament after finishing second behind Suncoast Regular Season Champion #1 FSW (52-1).

Tournament Participants:
Along with SCF, the following teams, conference regular season champions and conference runner-up, will also be participating in the tournament:
Mid-Florida: #4 CCF (48-8, 23-1 Mid-Florida)*

Mid-Florida Runner-up: #17 Seminole State (44-14, 19-5 Mid-Florida)

Panhandle: #3 Chipola College (43-4, 18-1 Panhandle)*

Panhandle Runner-up: RV Gulf Coast State (37-15, 14-8 Panhandle)

Southern: RV Indian River State (32-13, 16-2 Southern)*

Southern Runner-up: Eastern Florida State (31-23, 14-6 Southern)

Suncoast: #1 FSW (52-1, 19-1 Suncoast)*

Suncoast Runner-up: #20 SCF (44-14. 16-4 Suncoast)

*Regular Season Champion

Breakdown of Tournament and What's at Stake:
The FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament is a double elimination tournament located at Boombah Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Florida, hosted by #17 Seminole State.

Once a team loses a game, they will get sent down to a losers bracket. Once a team get two losses, they are eliminated from the tournament.

What's at stake? Two teams (District G and District H) will automatically qualify to represent the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 in the NJCAA College Softball World Series in St. George, Utah. District G is basically the FCSAA State Champion and District H is the FCSAA State Runner-Up.

They are no surprises for a couple of the teams due to their ranking: #1 FSW, #3 Chipola and #4 CCF. Should any of these teams be eliminated from the state tournament, then they will still be in line for an at-large bid in the tournament. Of course, it would not be a surprise #1 FSW would go to the college softball world series because 1. they're the #1 team in the nation and 2. they have a very strong at-large bid to qualify for the national tournament.

State Tournament Bracket and Times:
Opening Round (May 2)-
Game One: Eastern Florida State (31-23) vs #4 CCF (49-9) 10 am

Game Two: # 3 Chipola (43-4) vs #20 SCF (44-14) 1 pm

Game Three: #1 FSW (52-1) vs #17 Seminole State (44-14) 4 pm

Game Four: RV Gulf Coast State (37-15) vs RV Indian River State (34-13) 7 pm

Losers Bracket (May 3)-
Game Five: Game One Loser vs Game Two Loser (10 am)

Game Six: Game Three Loser vs Game Four Loser (1 pm)

Winner's Bracket (May 3)-
Game Seven: Game One Winner vs Game Two Winner (4 pm)

Game Eight: Game Three Winner vs Game Four Winner (7 pm)

Loser Bracket (May 4)-
Game Nine: Game Six Winner vs Game Seven Loser (10 am)

Game 10: Game Five Winner vs Game Eight Loser (1 pm)

District G Championship (May 4): Game Seven Winner vs Game Eight Winner (4 pm)

Losers Bracket (May 4)
Game 12: Game 10 Winner vs Game Nine Winner (7 pm)

District H Championship (May 5): Game 11 Loser vs Game 12 Winner

Softball Awards:
All four conferences had specific awards and accolades: Player of the Year (all conferences and states), Coach of the Year (all conferences and states), Pitcher of the Year (all conferences and states), All-First Team (all conferences), All-Second Team (all conferences), Honorable Mention (all conferences), FCSAA All-State (first and second team), the Jean Williams Scholar-Athlete Award (FCSAA All-State), FCSAA All-Academic Team, FCSAA All-Tournament Team, FCSAA All-Tournament Team MVP and FCSAA All-Tournament Team Coach of the Year. The first team and second team is placed individually by position including designated player.

Suncoast Player of the Year:
For Suncoast Player of the Year, it was awarded to FSW's freshman Rebecca Laudino. Laudino, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, batted .525 with four home runs, 35 RBI and 42 stolen bases.

Suncoast Pitcher of the Year:
FSW would take another accolade as sophomore Kelsi Collins was named Suncoast Pitcher of the Year. Collins finished the regular season 24-0 with two saves, a 1.05 ERA and 172 strikeouts.

Suncoast Coach of the Year:
It was a hard fought battle between FSW's 3x Suncoast Coach of the Year in Robert Iamurri and SCF head coach Mandy Schuerman for Suncoast Coach of the Year, but in the end Schuerman earned the accolade for the second time in her career as SCF head coach. Schuerman, who enters her fifth season as head coach for SCF, is currently 176-96 overall with SCF. Schuerman secured her 150th as head coach on March 2 against CCF.

"It was voted on by my conference peers, so I feel humbled by their respect," said Schuerman on winning Suncoast Coach of the Year.

All-Suncoast First Team:
Three Manatees made the All-Suncoast First Team: sophomores Cheyenne Nunez and Megan Seeds and freshman Kailey Christian.

Nunez is batting .367 with 67 hits, a home run, 27 RBI and 37 stolen bases. Nunez was 2-for-7 against CCF with a stolen base. On March 27, Nunez broke the SCF softball single season record for most stolen bases. In fact, the upcoming transfer for USC Upstate has 60 career stolen bases with SCF.

Seeds is batting .290 with 29 hits, a home run, 19 RBI and 11 stolen bases, while on the mound she is 2-3 with a 5.55 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Seeds was 3-for-7 against CCF with two runs scored and pitched one inning in the first game loss. As an outfielder, Seeds has a .984 fielding percentage (1.000 in Suncoast play).

Christian is 23-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 187 strikeouts while batting .364 with 51 hits, a home run and 34 RBI. The upcoming transfer for the University of Delaware did not throw against CCF, but did bat and went 3-for-4 with an RBI. I'm guessing the reason why head coach Mandy Schuerman did not have Christian pitch against CCF is to save her arm for the state tournament, which makes sense in a way.

Other members that joined Nunez, Seeds and Christian included the following by teams:
FSW: Laudino, Collins, freshmen Haley Ellefson, Owen Bowers and Lindsay Corbin and sophomores Madison Johnson, Paris Woods and Sarah Lawton

HCC: sophomores Dominique Mannerino and Juliana Uribe

Polk State: freshman Destinee Jackson and sophomore Victoria Perry

St. Pete: freshman Hannah Barnes

SFSC: sophomore April Alvarado

All-Suncoast Second Team:
For the All-Suncoast Second Team, it was freshmen Lauren Bostwick and Madi LoCastro and sophomores Kyria Holcomb and Haley McFadden that represented SCF.

Bostwick is batting .267 with 35 hits, two home runs, 23 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Against CCF, Bostwick hit her first career collegiate home runs as she finished the series 2-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI.

LoCastro is 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 48 strikeouts on the mound while batting .333 with seven home runs and 29 RBI at the plate. In game one against CCF, LoCastro threw five innings of relief while finishing the series 2-for-7 with a home run and four RBI.

An At-Large representative, Holcomb is batting .307 with 44 hits, a home run and 31 RBI despite finishing 1-for-8 against CCF.

McFadden is batting .309 with 44 hits, two home runs and 30 RBI. The upcoming transfer for NAIA Warner University was 1-for-4 with an RBI against CCF.

Other members that joined Bostwick, LoCastro, Holcomb and McFadden included the following by teams:
FSW: freshmen Nativia Ellis and Pallas Potter and sophomore Alison Yawn

HCC: sophomores Daniela Bautista and Aliyah Carter and freshman Cerynn Siemer

Polk State: freshman Anizya Vargas

St. Pete: freshmen Isabella Huff and Ashley Smith and sophomore Emily Biddle

SFSC: freshman Janea Mobley, and sophomores Raylee Coleman and Shellby Young

FCSAA All-State Team:
Nunez and Christian were also named members of the FCSAA All-State Second Team.

All-Suncoast All-Academic Team:
Nine players were named to the Suncoast All-Academic Team: Bostwick, Christian, Nunez, Seeds, freshmen Ashley Zientek and Madelyn Graham and sophomores Nicci Palumbo, Sydney Parks and Madison Yoder.

Zientek, the fourth pitcher on the team is currently 9-4 with a 3.23 ERA and 76 strikeouts. Zientek threw a complete game with four strikeouts in the final regular season game against CCF.

Trying to regain her power after battling with a concussion and knee troubles, Graham is still batting .297 with 27 hits, four home runs and 27 RBI. Against CCF, Graham was 0-for-2 with an RBI.

After being shutdown for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, Palumbo had a productive year batting .364 with 11 RBI.

Parks is batting .213 with 11 RBI.

Yoder is batting .202 with four RBI.

A Look at SCF:
Along with Nunez, McFadden, Holcomb, Seeds, Bostwick, LoCastro and Christian, freshmen Sabrina "Sas" Long also joins the fray. Long is batting .348 with three home runs and a team-leading 43 RBI. Long was the hero in game two against CCF as she hit a grand slam, the second for the Manatees this season while going 3-for-7 with four RBI.

Scouting Chipola:
The Indians, who are ranked #3 in the nation will represent the Panhandle Conference after finishing 18-1 and claiming the Panhandle Conference Regular Season Championship.

In their last game, the Indians defeated Pensacola State College 8-0. The game was dubbed as a perfect game thrown by freshman Brianna Bailey. Bailey is currently 21-2 with a 1.31 ERA and 173 strikeouts while batting .333 with a home run and nine RBI and was recently named Panhandle Pitcher of the Year as well as a member of the All-Panhandle First Team.

Aside from Bailey, sophomore Amy Woodham is 21-1 with a 1.58 ERA and 143 strikeouts while batting .359 with five home runs and 35 RBI. In her last game on the mound, Woodham threw four innings with three strikeouts against Gulf Coast State, while at the plate she went 0-for-2. Woodham joined Bailey on the All-Panhandle First Team.

Meanwhile, sophomore Candela Figueroa is batting .465 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI. Figueroa was 2-for-3 against Pensacola State and as a result, she was named a member of the All-Panhandle First Team and the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year.

Series History (2012-Present):
The Manatees have yet to beat Chipola as they are 0-6 overall. Last time both teams met, the Indians defeated the Manatees on January 31, 2015 by a score of 7-1.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available via Game Changer and will air livestream on the FCSAA Digital Network.

Fans can also keep up to speed on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
IRS: @IRSCTheRiver
FSW: @FSWBucs
GCS: @GCSCsoftball
Chipola: @chipolasoftball
CCF: @cfpats
Eastern Florida State: @efsctitans
Seminole State: @SeminoleStateSB

Livestats Link: https://gc.com/game-5cc1cc3a1e12f9001ed9c6a2

Livestream Link: https://team1sports.com/fcsaa/

FGCU Softball vs Stetson Preview

 The FGCU softball team (26-16, 11-3 A-SUN) enters its final two weeks of regular season play hosting Stetson (15-26, 4-10 A-SUN) for a three-game series Saturday-Sunday.

Before Sunday's contest, FGCU will honor its five seniors in Bri Bennett, Brooke Clemens, Racquel Fournet, Kate Kelly and Riley Randolph.

Last Time Out:
FGCU is coming off a two-game road sweep of UNF last weekend. Due to weather, one game was canceled. Kelly recorded a total of three RBI, posting a .333 batting average. Meanwhile, Fournet hit .500 with a pair of RBI. In the circle, Randolph and sophomore Marissa Mesiemore each collected a win as Mesiemore yielded no earned runs.

With both wins, FGCU secured a spot in the upcoming 2019 ASUN Tournament.

The Green and Blue:
At the plate Kelly leads the team in hits (47), batting average (.370) and stolen bases (18). Fournet is hitting .324 while leading the team in RBI (26).

In the circle, Randolph has collected 16 wins in 23 starts, holding opposing batters to a .187 BA. She is currently tied for 24th in the nation in shutouts (six), 13th in ERA (1.21), and 19th in strikeouts (189). Mesiemore is 9-4 with a 1.76 ERA in 19 appearances.

The pitching staff as a whole has combined to post a 1.85 ERA which sits 13th in the country.

Scouting the Hatters:
Sophomore Danielle Diaz leads the team in hitting with a .356 BA while junior Elizabeth Jackson is Stetson's second .300 plus hitter (.346). Stetson has swiped 68 bags this year with junior Riley Russell leading the charge at 23.

In the circle, four pitchers have seen action for the Hatters as senior Tori Perkins owns a team-low 2.45 ERA going 12-13 overall. The staff as a whole has combined to post a 3.38 ERA.

Series History:
The Eagles are 15-18 against the Hatters. Last season, the Eagles took the series winning 2-0 and 9-5 in games one and two before losing 3-0 in game three.

Livestats Links:
Game One- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=252269
Game Two- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=252270
Game Three- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=252271

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDY34tY3Efq3O0Oc4xxbY3g

FGCU Baseball vs North Alabama Game One Recap

 A pair of home runs off the bats of junior Kohl Gilmore and freshman Joe Kinker helped power the FGCU baseball team (28-14, 10-3 A-SUN) towards a 6-3 win over North Alabama (11-30, 5-10 A-SUN) Friday night at Swanson Stadium.

"It's a Friday night win and we'll take it," head coach Dave Tollett said. "It was not pretty for either team, but a win on Friday night makes me happy. We need to improve across the board before we come back tomorrow. From an offensive standpoint, we came through when we needed to and played some small ball which we haven't done in a while."

Gilmore put the Eagles up 1-0 in the bottom of the second after his solo shot out to right field. The home run was his third of the season.

The Lions responded with a two-run homer of their own in the next frame via leadoff man Davis Elliott. After a few miscues by the Green and Blue, UNA managed to send another runner home and took a 3-1 lead by the end of the inning.

Senior Jay Hayes chipped away at the lead in the next frame with a sac fly that plated senior Marc Coffers and trimmed the Lion advantage down to 3-2.

Things were quiet over the next three innings, as Kinker was the only batter from either side to record a hit.

Gilmore got the offense going again with a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Junior Anthony Gonnella drew a walk to put runners on the corners. After coming in as a pinch runner for Gilmore, freshman Jalen Townsend scored the tying run on a fielder's choice.

Junior Mason Studstill pitched a quality start through seven innings of work. He fanned six and allowed just two earned runs on as many hits. He was relieved by sophomore Nikolas Bitner at the start of the eighth inning, ending his night with a no-decision.

Bitner faced three batters and recorded two outs before handing the mound over to junior Hunter McGarry (4-1), who ended the inning with a swinging K.

The Eagles' offense struck in the bottom of the eighth as Kinker hit a three-run homer, scoring senior Eric Gonzalez and junior pinch hitter Cameron Krzeminski, who hit for senior Keith Stevens. Kinker's sixth home run of the year handed the Green and Blue the final 6-3 advantage.

McGarry was awarded the win for keeping the Lions off the board while FGCU took the lead. Coffers, Gilmore and Kinker led the Green and Blue offense with two hits apiece and combined for five RBIs. Though the Eagles were able to come away with the win, a string of errors almost prevented them from doing so. The six miscues tied for the fourth-most in a single game in FGCU history.

Up Next:
The teams will return to Swanson Stadium on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game and the series will wrap up with a 1 p.m. finale on Sunday.

SCF Splits Series with CCF, Now Readies for State Tournament

The #20 SCF softball team (44-14) closed the regular season on the road as they split with #4 College of Central Florida (49-9) losing 9-5 in game one before winning 10-6 in game two. With the split, the Manatees are now 13-18 against the Patriots and split the series at 2-2 this season.

"We have to figure out how to come out aggressively after being on the road," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "I thought We made adjusts just to late in the game. CCF is a well coached team with a lot of talent so if you are slow to get started, it will be hard to beat them."

Game One:
For game one, Schuerman sent sophomore Megan Seeds to the mound while CCF head coach Kevin Fagan freshman Barbara Cook to counter.

The Patriots would be the first to get on the board in the bottom of the first as freshman Olivia Simon and sophomore Elaina Lukas drew back-to-back bases loaded walks for 2-0 CCF lead. It did not stop for the Patiots in the bottom of the second as sophomore Maggie Trgo hit a two-RBI triple to start the inning. Schuerman decided to pull Seeds and send freshman Madi LoCastro to the mound while sending Seeds to right.

The Patriots put a bigger effect with LoCastro on the mound after back-to-back RBI singles by sophomore Joanna Muldoon and Simon which was then followed by Muldoon scoring on a fielding error to make it 7-0 CCF.

The Patriots would tack another run on the board from a solo shot by freshman Ashley Harris. It was her fourth of the season.

Not wanting to get shutout by the eight-run mercy rule, the Manatees fought to get on the board at the top of the fifth. After sophomore Madison Yoder drew a walk and classmate Sydney Parks was hit by a pitch, freshman Lauren Bostwick, on an 0-1 count, would clock her first collegiate home run to center to make it 8-3 CCF, but the Patriots would add one more run from a fielder's choice by Harris.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would try to catch a breath and add to their score beginning with a leadoff solo shot by Bostwick. This was her second home run of the season and second of the game. After sophomore Cheyenne Nunez hit a single to left before stealing her 37th base of the season, classmate Kyria Holcomb would single before sophomore Haley McFadden sent Nunez home with a single to make it 9-5 CCF, but it was all the Manatees could muster as CCF claimed the first game.

Seeds would be credited with her third loss of the season after one inning, giving up four runs on two hits while walking six and striking out one. Seeds is now 2-3 on the season.

LoCastro would give up five runs (four earned) on eight hits while walking three batters in five innings of relief.

Cook would earn her 19th win of the season after 4.1 innings, giving up three runs on two hits with three walks.

Freshman Kelsie Rivers gave up on two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two in 2.2 innings of relief.

Bostwick would be the only Manatee in game one with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she finished 2-for-3 with her first collegiate home runs and four RBI. In fact, Bostwick is the only Manatee this season with a multi-home run game.

For the Patriots, Muldoon (3-for-4, one RBI) and Trgo (2-for-3, two RBI) would be the only Patriots with a multi-hit game with Trgo being the only one with a multi-RBI game for game one.

Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent freshman Ashlee Zientek to the mound while Fagan sent Rivers to counter.

The Patriots would be the first to get on the board again in the bottom of the first as Trgo would hit a solo shot to left. This was her first home run of the season.

Despite the home run given up, the Manatees would respond back in retaliation at the top of the second as LoCastro would clock a shot to give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. This was her seventh home run of the season, but Muldoon would tie the game up with a solo shot to center in the bottom of the second. This was her 10th home run of the season.

The Manatees would then regain the lead at the top of the third starting with a single by Seeds. After a Holcomb sacrifice bunt, Long would hit a double to left before freshman Madelyn Graham sent a sacrifice fly to right to send Seeds home to make it 3-2 SCF. Freshman Kailey Christian would then follow with an RBI single to center, sending Long home to make it 4-2 SCF. Fagan would then send Cook to the mound for relief

In the bottom of the third, the Patriots would retie the game at 4-4 after a two-run shot by sophomore Olivia Pope. This was her fourth home run of the season. The Patriots would then retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth after a Manatee fielding error to make it 5-4, but the Manatees would retaliate at the top of the fifth. After Graham drew a two-out walk and Christian lining a double to left, LoCastro would bring the offense back with a double to center, sending Graham and Christian home to make it 6-5 SCF, but Pope would retie the game in the bottom of the fifth with her fifth home run of the season and second of the game.

With the score tied 6-6 heading to the top of the sixth, the Manatees found the sparks they needed to regain the lead for a third time. After back-to-back one out singles by Nunez and Seeds and Holcomb reaching first on fielder's choice, all eyes turned to Long and on the first pitch, the Bartow native sent a grand slam to left to make it 10-6 SCF. This was Long's third home run of the season and the second grand slam this season for the Manatees.

"I was just trying to have a great at bat to help my team get the lead," said Long on her grand slam.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Zientek would get herself in a little bit of a jam after loading the bases, but with their strong defense, the Manatees were able to get the final out for the win.

"We had a collaborative offensive effort by many girls on our team," said Schuerman on game two. "I am happy to see our hitting come alive at the right time in the season."

Zientek would earn her ninth win of the season, putting her at 9-4 on the season after throwing a complete game giving up all six runs (five earned) on 12 hits, walking four batters and striking out one. Zientek was also 1-for-3 at the plate.

Rivers would be credited with a no-decision after throwing 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one.

Cook would earn her fourth loss of the season, putting her at 18-4 on the season after giving up six runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three in 4.1 innings of relief.

Seeds and Christian each finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Christian added an RBI to the mix.

Long and LoCastro each finished 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

For CCF, Pope would lead the team batting 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI while sophomore Anina Fernandez (2-for-4, one run), Muldoon (2-for-3, one RBI) and sophomore Bailey Wilson (2-for-2) had two hits each.

Trgo finished 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

The Manatees have officially closed their portion of the regular season and Suncoast Conference play with a 22-7 record at home, 16-7 record on the road and a 7-3 record on neutral ground (3-1 JUCO Kickoff Classic, 2-2 Seminole Tournament, 2-0 Suncoast Tournament).

Up Next:
The Manatees will now prepare for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament from May 2-5. The top two teams will represent NJCAA Region 8 and secure a spot for the 2019 NJCAA College Softball World Series. The Manatees will open their part of the tournament against #3 Chipola (43-4). The Indians were named the Panhandle Conference Regular Season Champions after going 18-1 in conference play.

"When opening with Chipola, I’m expecting to continue to have solid defense and pitching and to continue to have great at bats," said Schuerman on facing Chipola. "I’m hoping to come away with a big win against a championship caliber team."

State Tournament Bracket and Times:
#4 CCF  (49-9) vs  RV Indian River State (34-13) 10 am

# 3 Chipola (43-4) vs #20 SCF (44-14) 1 pm

#1 FSW (52-1) vs #17 Seminole State (44-14) 4 pm

Eastern Florida State (31-23) vs RV Gulf Coast State (37-15) 7 pm

FGCU Baseball vs USF Recap

The FGCU baseball team (27-14, 9-3 A-SUN) fell 6-1 to USF (19-20, 2-10 American) in a midweek battle at Swanson Stadium Wednesday night.

"We have to play better," head coach Dave Tollett said. "From a pitching standpoint, we walked a bunch of guys. On the offense side, we struggled in the top of our lineup. It's tough to win ballgames when both parts of the game aren't going well for you. We didn't swing the bats well and we didn't pitch well, so we will have to put it behind us."

The Bulls got on the board quickly, tagging one run up against the Eagles' starting arm in each of the first two frames. Junior Sebastian Gruszecki (0-3) started today's Green and Blue staff day. In his second start of the season, Gruszecki made it through 3.0 innings of work and fanned three.

Sophomore Tyler Shuck took over the mound in the top of the fourth, but USF kept attacking the Eagle pitching and tacked on another two runs to its lead, making it a 4-0 ballgame. After facing five batters, junior Brenden Heiss relieved Shuck and ended the inning with a strikeout and a play at home plate.

FGCU put up its first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Eric Gonzalez led off the inning with a double down the right field line and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.

The Bulls responded to the push by sending another two runs across in the top of the fifth to extend their advantage to 6-1. They threatened to score again when they worked runners onto the corners in the sixth, but sophomore Gus Carter was called out from the bullpen and closed out the frame with a swinging K.

Carter cruised through a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh – the first, and only, of the night against USF. Juniors Trey Vickery and Keegan Collett combined to toss the final six outs of the night.

Throughout the course of the game, the Green and Blue left 14 on base compared to the visitors' 11. Gonzalez led the offense with two hits, while junior Richie Garcia and freshman Joe Kinker tallied one apiece. Tonight's game marked just the fifth time this season that the team has finished a game without recording an RBI.

Up Next
FGCU will host North Alabama (11-29, 5-9 A-SUN) for an A-SUN Conference series April 26-28 at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. These will be the first meetings between the two teams. The Lions are new to the conference and in the midst of a reclassifying period as they just jumped up to DI.

SCF Baseball vs SPC Recap

The SCF baseball team (33-16, 17-9 Suncoast) claimed their sixth series in Suncoast play as they defeated St. Pete College (17-26, 10-15 Suncoast) 9-7 at Wynn Field. With the win, the Manatees are now 31-12 (2013-present) against the Titans.

For the game, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Nick Long to the mound while SPC head coach Ryan Beckman sent sophomore Casey Keller to counter.

After holding the Titans scoreless, the Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff single by sophomore Shane Shifflett and a walk drawn by redshirt sophomore Brian Dillingham, sophomore Bryce Hulett would send a shot to right to give the Manatees a 3-0 lead. This was Hulett's first home run of the season.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would extend the lead even further beginning with sophomore Collin Moore was hit by a pitch before freshman Tyler Acosta sent him home with a double to make it 4-0 SCF. This would signal the end for Keller as Beckman would send sophomore Quinton Martinez to the mound. After the pitching change, sophomore John Shields would reach on an error before Acosta scored on a Shifflett fielder's choice to make it 5-0 SCF.

At the top of the fourth, the Titans would get their first run on the board from an RBI groundout by sophomore Andrew Mills, but the Manatees would retaliate after a leadoff home run by sophomore Josh Crouch. This was Crouch's fifth home run of the season.

At the top of the sixth, SPC managed to cut SCF's lead to 6-4 after back-to-back RBI singles by Mills and sophomore Dennis Filipovski and a Hulett fielding error.

After giving up a leadoff single and a one-out walk at the top of the seventh, Hill II decided to put in redshirt sophomore Brock Bell. The Titans would then tie the lead at 6-6 after a two-RBI double by freshman Josue Rangel before he scored on a fielding error that gave SPC a 7-6 lead. The two-RBI double would go towards Long's ERA.

The Manatees would then tie the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh after a solo home run off the bat of Shifflett. This was Shifflett's fifth home run of the season. Beckman sent freshman Chris Brucks to the mound for Martinez.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees were able to regain their composure to take the lead, beginning with Hulett leadoff single. One batter later, freshman Nick Winkelmeyer would hit a single to center before Crouch grounded out to send Hulett home to regain the Manatees' lead to 8-7. Hoping to add an insurance run, Moore would line a single to left and send Winkelmeyer home to make it 9-7 SCF and eventually the win.

Long and Keller would end up with no-decisions. Long would give up six runs (four earned) on eight hits, walking one and striking out four in 6.1 innings. while Keller gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits, walking one and striking out one.

Bell would earn his second win of the season after giving up one run on three hits with seven strikeouts.

Sophomore Colin Booten would be credited with his first loss after giving up two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Shifflett and Hulett each finished 2-for-4 with a multi-RBI game (Shifflett: 2, Hulett: 3) while Crouch finished 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

Sophomore Dustin Harris would be one of two Titans with a multi-hit game as he finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while freshman Mike Zawol finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Mills and Rangle finished 1-for-5 with two RBI each.

Suncoast Scores:
Polk State (24-24, 11-14 Suncoast) defeated South Florida State (17-33, 6-20 Suncoast) 13-5

Hillsborough (25-21, 16-9 Suncoast) upset #13 FSW (36-12, 17-9 Suncoast) 8-5.

Suncoast Standings:
1. #13 FSW (36-12, 17-9 Suncoast)
2. SCF (33-16, 17-9 Suncoast)
3. Hillsborough (25-21, 16-9 Suncoast)
4. Polk State (24-24, 11-14 Suncoast)
5. SPC (17-26, 10-15 Suncoast)
6. South Florida State (17-33, 6-20 Suncoast)

Up Next:
The Manatees look to complete the sweep as they travel to St. Pete on Friday, April 26 at 6 pm.

FGCU WGOLF: A-SUN Championship Day Three Recap

For the first time in program history, the FGCU women's golf team placed three players among the top 10 at the A-SUN Championship as the Eagles produced a 54-hole 923 (+47) to finish second among seven teams at Chateau Elan's Legends Course on Tuesday.

"We played very well today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "A top-two finish is something to be proud of as the A-SUN is very strong. To have three players in the top 10 and two in the top five is an awesome showing."

The Green and Blue recorded a final-round 305 (+13), which was lowest among all teams. Kennesaw State won the team championship with a 910 (+34), finishing 13 strokes ahead of FGCU and 26 ahead of North Florida.

Sophomore Natalia Nassar and freshman Laura Edmonds each fired a 76 (+3) on Tuesday, which allowed them to finish fourth and tied for fifth, respectively. They were each named to the all-tournament team. Meanwhile, senior Kelsy Holbert shot a 79 in her final collegiate round to finish in eighth place.

Previously, the Eagles placed two among the top 10 in each of the past three seasons and in 2011 and 2013, but they have never had three until this year. junior Ailsa Clark led her team in the final round with a low-score of 74 (+1), which tied her A-SUN Championship career-low in relation to par after last year's second-round 72 (+1).

Edmonds nearly produced the best tournament finish in program history for a freshman (Briana Carlson, 3rd Place, 2010), but settled for a top five finish and second-best. Meanwhile, Nassar closed her sophomore campaign with a 228 (+9), which resulted in a season-best finish and was just five shots shy of medalist, Medy Thavong of Kennesaw State.

Holbert joined her teammate, classmate Madeline Marck-Sherk, in becoming one of just four players in program history with at least two top-10 finishes at the A-SUN Championship. The other two include Briana Carlson (3) and Megan Blonien (2). Holbert finished with a 233 (+14).

Marck-Sherk notched her 15th career top-20 finish behind a 246 (+27). Along with Holbert, the senior duo led the Green and Blue to three top-two finishes at the A-SUN Championship in their two careers.

"I cannot thank Kelsy and Madeline for all they have done," Trew said. "They are some of the best teammates you could ever ask for and are going to be dearly missed. Our program wouldn't be where it is today without them."

Team Standings (#GolfStat ranking as of April 16)
1. #37 Kennesaw State - 309-290-311---910 (+34)
2. #112 FGCU - 317-301-305---923 (+47)
3. #68 North Florida - 314-313-309---936 (+60)
4. #146 Stetson - 326-312-325---963 (+87)
5. #142 Jacksonville - 345-319-332---996 (+120)
6. #230 Lipscomb - 341-345-337---1,023 (+147)
7. n/a North Alabama - 368-345-351---1,064 (+188)

Individual Standings
4. Natalia Nassar - 81-7176---228 (+9)
T-5. Laura Edmonds - 78-75-76---229 (+10)
8. Kelsy Holbert - 77-77-79---233 (+14)
T-14. Ailsa Clark - 82-85-74---241 (+22)
T-20. Madeline Marck-Sherk - 81-78-87---246 (+27)

A-SUN Championship All-Tournament Team
Medy Thavong, Kennesaw State
Roanne Tomlinson, Kennesaw State
Clara Aveling, Kennesaw State
Natalia Nassar, FGCU
Justin Lauer, Stetson
Laura Edmonds, FGCU
Lissette Davalos, North Florida

SCF Softball Closes Regular Season @ CCF

The #20 SCF softball team (43-13, 16-4 Suncoast) will close the regular season on the road for non-conference play as they travel to Ocala to take on #4 College of Central Florida (48-8, 23-1 Mid-Florida) for a Thursday afternoon doubleheader April 25 at 2:30 and 4:30 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees wrapped up Suncoast play with the Suncoast Tournament. There, they swept Hillsborough in the series winning game one 13-5 on Saturday and 10-2 in game two on Monday. Both games were won via mercy rule. With the wins, the Manatees secured a spot in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament as the Suncoast runner-up.

Qualified Teams:
Mid-Florida: #4 CCF (48-8, 23-1 Mid-Florida)*

Mid-Florida Runner-up: #17 Seminole State (44-14, 19-5 Mid-Florida)

Panhandle: #3 Chipola College (43-8, 18-1 Panhandle)*

Panhandle Runner-up: Gulf Coast State (37-15, 14-8 Panhandle)

Southern: Indian River State (32-13, 16-2 Southern)*

Southern Runner-up: Eastern Florida State (31-23, 14-6 Southern)

Suncoast: #1 FSW (52-1, 19-1 Suncoast)*

Suncoast Runner-up: #20 SCF (43-13. 16-4 Suncoast)

DII: Pasco-Hernando (20-18)^

*Conference Regular Season Champion
^: competes in NJCAA DII Level

Rankings:
The Manatees finished at #5 in the final week of the NJCAA Region 8 Softball Coaches' Poll, but it did not stop as they were reentered at #20 in the NJCAA National Top 20 Poll after Three Rivers Community College (33-6) dropped in the polls after a split series against State Fair Community College. Three Rivers, who was ranked #20 in the national polls, comes from NJCAA Region 16/Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC).

The Squad:
The squad that still leads the way for the Manatees are sophomores Cheyenne Nunez, Haley McFadden, Kyria Holcomb and Megan Seeds, while for the freshman group it is Lauren Bostwick, Sabrina "Sas" Long, Madi LoCastro and Kailey Christian.

Nunez remains as the speedster on the team. The upcoming USC Upstate transfer is batting .371 with 63 hits, a home run 27 RBI and 36 stolen bases. Nunez was 6-for-7 in the Suncoast Conference Tournament with three runs scored and two stolen bases.

McFadden is batting .291 with 39 hits, two home runs and 29 RBI. The upcoming transfer for NAIA Warner University was 4-for-7 with an RBI in the Suncoast Conference Tournament

Holcomb is batting .321 with 41 hits, a home run and 32 RBI. Holcomb finished 2-for-7 with five RBI in the Suncoast Conference Tournament.

Seeds is batting .279 with 24 hits, a home run, 19 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Seeds was 3-for-8 with two RBI in the Suncoast Conference Tournament.

Bostwick is batting .258 with 19 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Bostwick was 3-for-6 with three runs scored in the Suncoast Conference Tournament.

Long is batting .346 with two home runs and a team-leading 39 RBI. Long was 5-for-8 with four RBI in the Suncoast Conference Tournament.

LoCastro is 10-4 with a 1.94 ERA and 48 strikeouts on the mound while batting .327 with six home runs and 24 RBI at the plate. LoCastro threw a complete game in game two of the Suncoast Conference Tournament with one strikeout while batting 2-for-6 with an RBI.

Christian is 23-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 187 strikeouts while batting .354 with 47 hits, a home run and 33 RBI. The upcoming transfer for the University of Delaware that was named SCF Student-Athlete of the Month threw 2.1 innings in the Suncoast Conference Tournament with one strikeout in game one while batting 2-for-6 with four RBI.

Scouting CCF:

The Patriots are coming off of sweeping Lake Sumter State to close Mid-Florida Conference play where they won both games by scores of 8-0 in six innings and 2-1.

Sophomore Tiffany Steczo leads the team with a .421 batting average, 23 home runs and 62 RBI. Steczo's 23 home runs not only lead the team, the Mid-Florida Conference and state, but are also second in the nation. Steczo was 3-for-7 with a home run against LSSC.

Sophomore Anina Fernandez is batting .394 with 25 hits, 13 home runs and 53 RBI. Fernandez was 3-for-7 against LSSC with two RBI.

On the mound, the freshman duo of Kelsie Rivers and Barbara Cook are 18-3 with one save each. Rivers has a 1.96 ERA with 121 strikeouts while Cook has a 1.95 ERA with 67 strikeouts. Both played and started in the series against LSSC with a complete game. Rivers throwing a complete game giving up one run and striking out six batters, while Cook threw a six inning shutout and struck out five.

Series History (2012-present):

Against CCF, SCF is 12-17 against the Patriots which included a 6-5 win at the beginning of the season at the JUCO Kickoff Classic and split at SCF where CCF won the first game 5-3 in extra innings before SCF won the second by a score of 6-0. The win in the second game was head coach Mandy Schuerman's 150th career win with SCF.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be available for the games and fans can also keep up on Twitter:

SCF: @SCFSoftball
CCF: @cfpats

Livestats Link: Livestats Link (account needed): https://gc.com/t/spring-2019/state-college-of-florida-softball-5c4617fc03d69700218c16d3

FGCU MGOLF: A-SUN Championship Day Two Recap

The FGCU men's golf team remained in fifth place after Monday's second round of the 2019 ASUN Championships, which is being held at the par-72, 7,032-yard Legends Course at Chateau Elan.

The Eagles shot 6-over-par 294 Monday, which was an improvement by 14 strokes on their opening-round effort. They sit in a tie for fifth with North Alabama (317-285) at 26-over 602.

"The weather was very nice so all the teams played better for the most part. We started out well but just weren't able to sustain it on the back 9," FGCU coach Eric Booker said. "It's all going to come down to tomorrow's round. We've got a good chance to move up the leaderboard. Everyone is bunched up."

North Florida, the No. 15-ranked team in the nation, continues to hold a dominant lead at 4-under 572 (289-283). No. 20 Liberty remains in second at 8-over 584 (297-287). FGCU shaved half the strokes off its distance to third place Kennesaw State, who sits at 22-over 598 (300-298). Jacksonville nestled into fourth at 23-over 599 (304-295).

Sophomore Cole Castro moved into the top 10 after shooting even-par 72. He is now 4-over 148 (76-72) after two rounds.

True freshman Chase Bigham is tied for 15th at 6-over 150 (76-74), while senior Andrew Potter is one stroke back in a tie for 18th at 7-over 151 (77-74). Junior Doug Smith climbed four spots and is tied for 22nd at 9-over 153 (79-74), while true freshman Tate Heintzelman is solo 36th at 19-over 163 (85-78).

Jordan Batchelor of North Florida leads the individual standings by four strokes at 6-under 138 (70-68), while Jacksonville's Thomas Thurloway (70-72) and Lipscomb's Paul Swindell (73-69) are tied for second at 2-under 142.

The Eagles will begin teeing off in Monday's second round at 8:45 a.m.

2019 A-SUN CHAMPIONSHIPS – Second Round Results
April 21-23, 2019 at Braselton, Ga.
(par-72, 7,032-yard Legends Course at Chateau Elan)

Team Results
1. #15 North Florida 289-283=572 (-4)
2. #20 Liberty 297-287=584 (+8)
3. #83 Kennesaw State 300-298=598 (+22)
4. #70 Jacksonville 304-295=599 (+23)
T5. #147 FGCU 308-294=602 (+26)
North Alabama 317-285=602 (+26)
7. #188 Lipscomb 310-305=615 (+39)
8. #247 Stetson 325-314=639 (+63)

Rankings reflect the latest Golfstat Rankings
Top-5 Individuals
1. Jordan Batchelor (North Florida) 70-68=138 (-6)
T2. Thomas Thurloway (Jacksonville) 70-72=142 (-2)
Paul Swindell (Lipscomb) 73-69=142 (-2)
4. Gabe Lench (Liberty) 74-69=143 (-1)
5. Phillip Knowles (North Florida) 70-74=144 (E)

FGCU Individuals
T10. Cole Castro 76-72=148 (+4)
T15. Chase Bigham 76-74=150 (+6)
T18. Andrew Potter 77-74=151 (+7)
T22. Doug Smith 79-74=153 (+9)
36. Tate Heintzelman 85-78=163 (+19)

FGCU Baseball vs USF Preview

Fresh off its second conference sweep of the season, the FGCU baseball team (27-13, 9-3 A-SUN) will host USF (18-20, 2-10 American) for a 6:30 p.m. game on Wednesday, April 24 at Swanson Stadium. This will be the second meeting between the programs this season. The Bulls claimed a 15-4 victory up in Tampa on April 2. The game will be streamed on YouTube Live, but there will be no scheduled commentary.

Junior Mason Studstill has proven to be one of the strongest arms in all of DI baseball so far this season and was recently named to the College Baseball Foundations' 2019 Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List. He ranks seventh nationally in earned run average (1.31) and eighth in hits allowed per nine innings (4.52). The junior is currently 5-0, one of just two pitchers in the A-SUN's top 10 that have undefeated records. The only Eagle to ever finish on the single-season top-10 wins list with a perfect record was current Red Sox pitcher and 7-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale (11-0) in 2010.
Studstill has struck out a league-high 78 batters. With five more, he will tie for ninth on the

Junior Hunter McGarry made history this past weekend when he converted two save chances on the same day. He now has eight saves on the season, the third-most of any arm in Eagle history. He has already made 20 appearances.

Junior Alex Brait leads the Green and Blue with a .347 batting average. The catcher has cranked out a team- and conference-high 60 hits and is one of just two players that have started all 40 games for FGCU. Classmate Richie Garcia has also started every game.

Senior Jay Hayes sits at the top of the league with a .621 slugging percentage and 87 total bases. He checks in at second in RBIs (40) and home runs (8). Hayes (.472) and freshman Joe Kinker (.458) check in at first and second, respectively, on the A-SUN's top-10 list for on-base percentage. Kinker's batting average (.325) is the second-highest of all A-SUN freshmen and good for 11th in the conference.

Last Time Out:
Last weekend, the Eagles swept Jacksonville for just the third time in the history between the two teams.

Led by senior Justin Gill, the Green and Blue held Jacksonville to just one run during Thursday's 12-1 victory over the Dolphins. The only run of the night for JU was unearned.

Brait led the offense in the explosive triumph, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs. He and junior Anthony Gonnella both launched two-run home runs in the fifth inning.

The teams won both games (3-1, 2-1) of Saturday's doubleheader against the Dolphins. Senior Keith Stevens accounted for all three runs when he cranked out a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth.

Sophomore Nikolas Bitner (2-2) earned the win after two innings of scoreless relief work. McGarry entered in the final 1.1 frames and earned his first save of the day.

Gonnella and junior Marc Coffers notched a pair of one-RBI doubles that put the team up 2-0 in the fifth.

The Dolphins managed to push one across but senior starter Evan Lumbert (4-2) and McGarry prevented them from tying things up. McGarry, who recorded the final four outs of the game, picked up his second save of the day and Lumbert was awarded the win.

The three runs conceded over the series tied FGCU's record for fewest runs allowed in a three-game series in school history.

Scouting USF:
Last weekend, the Bulls swept the Citadel in a three-game non-conference series. The Bulls outscored their competitor 28-12.

Senior Joe Genord leads the Bulls with a .346 batting average, .699 slugging percentage and 12 home runs. He and classmate Kyle Phillips are the only two players that have started all 38 games for USF. Phillips leads the team with seven stolen bases and 54 hits.

In each of their last three midweek games, the Bulls have thrown five pitchers. Of those three games, the longest a USF arm has gone is 4.2 innings.

Junior lefty Logan Lyle and senior right-hander Richie Cruz lead the USF bullpen with 17 appearances each. Each have started one game.

Junior Nelson Alvarez leads the Bull relievers with 28 Ks. He has been charged with nine runs through 22.0 innings and has 5 saves.

Series History:
The Eagles hold an 11-6 advantage in the history between the two teams and a split 4-4 mark at Swanson Stadium. The Bulls have won the last two meetings, both of which have been played at their home park in Tampa. In both of those wins, USF has put up double-digit runs. FGCU has never lost to the Bulls twice in a single season. They have, however, swept USF in home-and-home midweeks twice.

Junior Sebastian Gruszecki will get the nod to start in the game, while for USF it is to be determined.

Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=252513

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_1ISjt5aVZZLdGCQqVAPGw?view_as=subscriber

FGCU WGOLF: A-SUN Championship Day Two Recap

Sophomore Natalia Nassar fired a two-under 71 in the second round of the A-SUN Championship this afternoon to lead the FGCU women's golf team to a second-place standing entering Tuesday's final round at Chateau Elan's Legends Course.

"I thought we played much better today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "We managed the course very well and when we did miss, it was key that we were in the proper spots. I am very proud of the way we finished, and we have some good momentum going into tomorrow. Natalia finished her round on fire and really helped us turn in a good team score. Natalia, Laura, and Kelsy are all in a great position boasting Top-10 standings. We are looking to come out tomorrow with the same mindset we had today."

Nassar jumped 10 spots in the standings in large part due to three consecutive birdies to close out her round. Outside of a bogey on the ninth, she finished with a par on every other hole and sits seven strokes off Kennesaw State's Medy Thavong, who leads the tournament after a four-under 69 on Monday.

The Green and Blue entered the round three strokes behind North Florida, but jumped the Ospreys behind a second-round 301, which was 12 strokes better than their in-state rival. FGCU's 618 is 19 strokes behind first-place Kennesaw State, who has the top three individuals in the standings after a 290 on Monday.

FGCU finished the day strong by shooting a collective four-under over the final three holes. Freshman Laura Edmonds finished second on the team with a pair of birdies on Monday, including one on the 17th, and is positioned in a tie for fifth individually. Meanwhile,senior Kelsy Holbert shot her second-consecutive 77 of the tournament and is tied for seventh.

Thus, the trio of Nassar, Edmonds and Holbert are all in the top 10. Should that remain through Tuesday's final round, it would be the first time in program history the Eagles have done that in the A-SUN Championship.

Senior Madeline Marck-Sherk birdied the 16th to finish at 77 (+5) for the day. She is tied for 13th as she goes for her third career top-10 finish at the event. Junior Ailsa Clark is tied for 20th with a two-round 167 (+21).

Fans can follow along during the seven-team tournament via GolfStat. The link to live scoring can be found here.

Notes
Edmonds leads all payers with 27 pars through two rounds, while Holbert's 4.80 par-5 scoring average is tied with Kennesaw State's Clara Aveling for the tournament lead.

Team Standings (#GolfStat ranking as of April 16)
1. #37 Kennesaw State - 309-290---599 (+15)
2. #112 FGCU - 317-301---618 (+34)
3. #68 North Florida - 314-313---627 (+43)
4. #146 Stetson - 326-312---638 (+54)
5. #142 Jacksonville - 345-319---664 (+80)
6. #230 Lipscomb - 341-345---686 (+102)
7. n/a North Alabama - 368-345---713 (+129)

Individual Standings
4. Natalia Nassar - 81-71---152 (+6)
T-5. Laura Edmonds - 78-75---153 (+7)
T-7. Kelsy Holbert - 77-77---154 (+8)
T-13. Madeline Marck-Sherk - 81-78---159 (+13)
T-20. Ailsa Clark - 82-85---167 (+21)

Suncoast Tournament Champs! SCF Dances to States

PC: SCF Athletics

The SCF softball team (43-13) is officially done with Suncoast Conference play as they swept Hillsborough (19-27) in game two of the Suncoast Conference Tournament at the SCF Softball Complex by a score of 9-1 via mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees are not only 27-7 (2012-present) against the Hawks, but have won the Suncoast Conference Championship and have punched their ticket to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament.

"It feels good to head to back to states," said head coach Mandy Schuerman.

For game two of the tournament, Schuerman sent freshman Madi LoCastro to the mound while HCC head coach Elizabeth Holloman sent freshman Landry Newgent to counter.

The Manatees would begin big at the top of the first beginning with a leadoff single by sophomore Cheyenne Nunez before classmate Megan Seeds drew a walk. After sophomore Kyria Holcomb was called out due to offensive interference, classmate Haley McFadden would open the gates with a double to left and send Nunez home for 1-0 SCF lead. Freshman Sabrina Long would follow with a RBI single to left and send Seeds home. One batter later, freshman Kailey Christian would line a single to center, giving the Manatees a 4-0 lead. LoCastro was quick to follow with an RBI single of her own before the Manatees batted around after freshman Lauren Bostwick hit a single to the pitcher before Nunez was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Seeds was hit by a pitch to send LoCastro home to make it a 6-0 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Hawks would get their first run on the board as sophomore Daniela Bautista hit an RBI single with SCF still ahead 6-1, but at the top of the fifth, the Manatees would retaliate back beginning with a leadoff double by McFadden before freshman Alexis Bridges came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a single by Long to make it 7-1 SCF.

The Hawks would add another run on the board from an RBI groundout by sophomore Dom Mannerino made it 7-2 SCF, but the Manatees would not stop their onslaught at the top of the sixth. After back-to-back singles by Bostwick and Nunez before Seeds laid a sacrifice bunt for Holcomb. With a 3-1 count, the Palmetto native sent the speedsters home with a single to center to make it 9-2 SCF. Bridges would then follow with an RBI single to make it 10-2 SCF with an attempt of securing the eight-run mercy rule. LoCastro would be able to secure the bottom half of the sixth for the win.

LoCastro would earn her 10th win of the season, putting her at 10-2 on the year after throwing a six-inning complete game, giving up two runs on six hits with one strikeout. LoCastro was also 1-for-3 with an RBI.

"My goal is to make the batters hit easy ground balls to my defense," said LoCastro. "The infield really had my back the entire game and I couldn't do it without them backing me up every play. I'm very proud of them."

"Madi Lo (LoCastro) had a great game pounding the strike zone and helping to give our defense good outs," said Schuerman on LoCastro's performance. "Our team did a great job of supporting her both offensively and defensively."

Newgent would be credited with the loss after throwing six innings, giving up all 10 runs on 14 hits while walking one and striking out three. Newgent finished her freshman campaign at 12-15 on the year.

Nunez and Long finished with three hits each. Nunez added two runs while Long added two RBI and a run. McFadden and Bostwick were 2-for-3 with a run each. McFadden also added an RBI. Holcomb and Christian were each 1-for-4 with two RBI.

"We didn’t make hardly any errors tonight, we were laying out for balls, our communication was great and our defense was on it today," said Nunez. "As for the offensive side, we kept hitting the ball hard on the ground and hitting line drives, moving runners around and scoring a lot. You could just tell that we wanted it from the first pitch to the last pitch."

With the state tournament set in stone, the Manatees will play #3 Chipola College (43-8, 18-1 Panhandle) in the first round. Chipola was the Panhandle Conference Regular Season Champion.

"We have put so much effort and heart into this season and since we didn’t make it last year we have been determined since day one to make a statement," said Nunez. "We have the skill, hustle and heart to not give up. This team is by far ready to be done, we’re hungry and want more."

"We will be working on all the little things and focusing on routine plays," Nunez continued. "When we play like we know how to play and our energy is high we are capable of amazing things. I am beyond blessed to be apart of SCF softball. It has definitely been a life changing experience."

Up Next:
The Manatees close the regular season with one final non-conference doubleheader on the road as they head to Ocala to face #4 College of Central Florida (44-14, 19-5 Mid-Florida).

"CCF is a good team and have girls who can hit," said Nunez on CCF. "We just have to do what we have been doing. We need to keep it simple and play our game and not let anyone take it out of our hands. If we play against CCF like we have been, I have no worries that we will do great and get the win."

"It's definitely going to be a good game," said LoCastro. "Central Florida is a great team. We just have to play our game and we will do great."

FGCU MGOLF: A-SUN Championship Day One Recap

The FGCU men's golf team ended Sunday's opening round of the 2019 ASUN Championships in fifth place. The tournament is being contested at the par-72, 7,032-yard Legends Course at Chateau Elan.

The Eagles shot 20-over-par 308 as a team to land between Jacksonville (16-over 304) and Lipscomb (22-over 310). North Florida, the No. 15-ranked team in the nation, holds a comfortable eight-stroke lead after shooting 1-over 289. No. 20 Liberty sits second at 9-over 297, while Kennesaw State found a top-3 spot at 12-over 300.

"It was tough conditions out there with the setup and gusting winds. We had some bad breaks and never really got into a rhythm throughout the day," FGCU coach Eric Booker said. "We had some good post-round practice to prepare for tomorrow. We need to execute the plan better tomorrow if we want to move up the leaderboard."

Sophomore Cole Castro and true freshman Chase Bigham joined a pack of competitors in a tie for 11th at 4-over 76 to pace the Green and Blue. Senior Andrew Potter is one stroke back in a tie for 16th at 5-over 77, while junior Doug Smith shot 7-over 79 to enter a tie for 26th. True freshman Tate Heintzelman is solo 40th after shooting 13-over 85.

Two UNF players (Phillip Knowles, Jordan Batchelor) and Jacksonville's Thomas Thurloway lead the individual field after all three competitors shot 2-under 70.

The Eagles will begin teeing off in Monday's second round at 11:10 a.m.

2019 ASUN CHAMPIONSHIPS – First Round Results
April 21-23, 2019 at Braselton, Ga.
(par-72, 7,032-yard Legends Course at Chateau Elan)

Team Results
1. #15 North Florida 289 (+1)
2. #20 Liberty 297 (+9)
3. #83 Kennesaw State 300 (+12)
4. #70 Jacksonville 304 (+16)
5. #147 FGCU 308 (+20)
6. #188 Lipscomb 310 (+22)
7. North Alabama 317 (+29)
8. #247 Stetson 325 (+37)
Rankings reflect the latest Golfstat Rankings

Top-5 Individuals
T1. Phillip Knowles (North Florida) 70 (-2)
Thomas Thurloway (Jacksonville) 70 (-2)
Jordan Batchelor (North Florida) 70 (-2)
4. Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero (Kennesaw State) 71 (-1)
5. Kieran Vincent (Liberty) 72 (E)

FGCU Individuals
T11. Chase Bigham 76 (+4)
Cole Castro 76 (+4)
T16. Andrew Potter 77 (+5)
T26. Doug Smith 79 (+7)
40. Tate Heintzelman 85 (+13)

FGCU MGOLF: A-SUN Championship Preview

The FGCU men's golf team treks to familiar grounds for the 2019 ASUN Championships, which will be contested April 21-23 at the par-72, 7,032-yard Legends Course at Chateau Elan.

This marks the 10th-straight year the conference tournament will be held on the Legends Course in Braselton, Georgia. The Eagles have finished fifth at the event each of the last four years.

The championship is scheduled for 54 holes broken up over three 18-hole rounds Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. FGCU enters as the No. 5 seed and will begin teeing off in Sunday's opening round at 8:36 a.m. Tee times for the final two rounds will be determined based on standings. Teams will begin teeing off Monday at 10:15 a.m., with Tuesday's final round slated to begin at 8 a.m.

UNF enters as the top seed, with Liberty seeded No. 2 and Jacksonville in the third position. Kennesaw State is seeded fourth. Complete GolfStat rankings of all participants can be found below.

"We know we can compete against the top teams in the league. From tee to green, we're as good as any of them. It's all about the short game. If we do well in that area, it'll be an exciting event," FGCU coach Eric Booker said. "I feel good about the team. They have the right mindset going in, and they definitely have the ability to win this tournament."

LINEUP
1. Senior Andrew Potter
2. Sophomore Cole Castro
3. Freshman Tate Heintzelman
4. Freshman Chase Bigham
5. Junior Doug Smith

Potter leads the team with a scoring average of 72.20 this season. He owns 16 rounds (out of 25) at par or better and the 67 he fired on March 31 at the FAU Spring Championship was the second-lowest of his career. He has finished inside the top 25 in all nine tournaments, with a season-best T-5 coming at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational. The senior will make his fourth-straight appearance at the A-SUN tournament. He has improved his position all three years, beginning with a solo 24th effort in 2016 moving up to last year's T-14 effort. He finished 18th in 2017.

Castro's stroke average of 73.16 is right behind Potter for the team lead. He recently shot 208 at the FAU tournament, which was the lowest three-round total by an Eagle since 2013. His efforts garnered him his second A-SUN Men's Golfer of the Week laurel and first of this season. He tied for fifth at that event and also tied for fourth in Fort Lauderdale. He has landed inside the top 30 in eight of nine events this season. Castro competed at last year's A-SUN Championship and finished in solo 31st.

Heintzelman has competed in seven tournaments and has compiled a stroke average of 74.21. He finished under par to tie for 21st in Boca Raton with a season-low 215. He also recorded a T-5 performance in Texas to open the spring and has finished outside the top 30 in a tournament just twice.

Bigham is averaging a 75.32 and has played in every event this season. He has factored into the team score in every single round he has played during the spring portion of the campaign. He tied for ninth at the Colin Montgomerie tourney and also landed at T-13 in Fort Lauderdale.

Smith returns to the lineup after sitting out the last four events. He has competed in four tournaments in 2018-19, with a season-best T-28 coming back in September at the Sam Hill Intercollegiate. He, like Potter and Castro, has experience playing at Chateau Elan. He tied for 23rd at the 2017 A-SUN Championships and landed T-34 at last year's installment.

"The weather looks good for the championship. We need to stay patient and trust our talent. That will be the deciding factor this week," Booker said. "Being committed to every stroke seems to be the biggest challenge every time we tee it up."

Complete Field [Sorted by GolfStat ranking as of 4/17]:
15 - North Florida
20 - Liberty
70 - Jacksonville
83 - Kennesaw State
147 - FGCU
188 - Lipscomb
247 - Stetson
N/A - North Alabama

FGCU ALL-TIME AT THE ASUN CHAMPIONSHIPS
2018 - 5th
2017 - 5th
2016 - 5th
2015 - 5th
2014 - 10th
2013 - 6th
2012 - 4th
2011 - T-6th
2010 - 2nd
2009 - 5th

FGCU WGOLF: A-SUN Championship Day One Recap

The FGCU women's golf team sits in third place after shooting an opening-round 317 (+25) at the A-SUN Championship on Sunday at Chateau Elan's Legends Course.

"Conditions were very difficult today, and I am proud of how we hung in there," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "The hole location today on No. 5 was about as difficult as I have ever seen and as a team we handled that hole better than any team in the field. Tomorrow we just need to manage the course a little better and we will be in a good position."

Senior Kelsy Holbert produced a team-high three birdies and shot a team-low 77 (+4). The senior is tied with two others in fourth place - just one stroke off the lead. Freshman Laura Edmonds shot a 78 (+5) and is two strokes off the lead and in sole possession of seventh place. She led the field with 14 opening-round pars.

Senior Madeline Marck-Sherk and sophomore Natalia Nassar each shot an eight-over 81 to finish in a tie for 14th, while junior Ailsa Clark is in 17th with an 82 (+9).

Kennesaw State is in first place in the team standings with a 309 (+17), while North Florida (314, +22) is five strokes back. The Green and Blue is eight strokes shy of the lead.

Team Results (#GolfStat ranking as of April 16)
1. #37 Kennesaw State - 309 (+17)
2. #68 North Florida - 314 (+22)
3. #112 FGCU - 317 (+25)
4. #146 Stetson - 326 (+34)
5. #230 Lipscomb - 341 (+49)
6. #142 Jacksonville - 345 (+53)
7. n/a North Alabama - 368 (+76)

Individual Lineup
T-4. Kelsy Holbert - 77 (+4)
7. Laura Edmonds - 78 (+5)
T-14. Madeline Marck-Sherk - 81 (+8)
T-14. Natalia Nassar - 81 (+8)
17. Ailsa Clark - 82 (+9)

The A-SUN Championship continues Monday with the second round starting at 8 a.m. ET off the first tee. The final pairing, which includes Holbert, will begin at 10:10 a.m.

FGCU MTEN vs UNF: A-SUN Conference Tournament Championship Recap

The journey continues on for tennis as the FGCU men's tennis team (14-8) pulled away with a 4-2 win in the finals of the A-SUN Conference Championship Tournament. With the win, not only are the Eagles 7-10 against the Ospreys and were named A-SUN Conference Champions, but they have also punched their ticket to the 2019 NCAA Men's Tennis National Championship for the third time in program history.

"This was an unbelievable match that fit in so perfect with an unbelievable season," head coach CJ Weber said. "UNF played really well today. If we weren't ready even just a little bit, they would be celebrating right now. These guys fought so hard from start to finish and nevre got discouraged, despite being down the majority of the match. We had to work extremely hard for the match to turn; but once it turned, we took hold and strangled the match from there. We had a death grip on that thing. It was another great team effort, and very well deserved for this bunch. I'm so happy and so proud of them."

Beginning with the doubles, the senior duo of Felipe Escobar and Mateo Ruiz (11-5) began with a 6-4 win at #1 doubles over sophomore Nilo Duarte and senior Sahil Deshmukh, but the Ospreys would respond back by taking #2 doubles as junior Marcelo Tebet and sophomore Juan Montes (8-2) fell 6-4 to sophomore Jorge Nunez and junior Federico Nani before the junior duo of  Feliksas Sakalauskas and Felipe Ramirez (10-4) fell 6-4 to freshman Dominik Barton and senior Tilli Von Winning at #3 doubles, thus UNF claiming the doubles point.

Heading into single, Montes (8-10) would be the first to fall from a 6-4 pair decision to Deshmukh at #1 singles, but the Eagles would get on the board as Ramirez (10-8) fought with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Barton at #2 singles.

The Eagles would then tie the score at 2-2 as senior Javier Fernandez (14-4) put in his 94th career win over Nani by a score of 6-4, 6-3 at #6 singles. The Eagles would then take the lead as Escobar (9-9) defeated Von Winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 at #3 singles.

It all came down to two matches: Tebet vs Duarte and Sakalauskas vs Nunez. Both matches were entering into their third sets. Tebet (12-5) would be the one to clinch the final point against Duarte as he won 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 while Sakalauskas (13-7) went unfinished despite being down 1-6, 7-5, 3-5.

The A-SUN All-Tournament was announced shortly after. For UNF, it was Deshmukh while for FGCU, it was Montes and Tebet. Tebet was also named A-SUN All-Tournament MVP.

Up Next:
The Eagles will await who they will play in the first round from the NCAA Selection Show, which will air at 6 p.m. Monday, April 29 and will broadcast live on NCAA.com. Details about a watch party for the Green and Blue will follow.

The opening two rounds will be held at host sites May 3-5, with super regional competition slated for the following weekend (May 10-11). The 2019 NCAA Championship will be contested May 16-19 at the USTA National Campus' Collegiate Center in Orlando.

Twitter Link of final match point: https://twitter.com/ASUNTennis/status/1120012204156379136