FGCU baseball opens ASun Tournament play Friday

FORT MYERS, Fla.– Fresh off their second ASun regular season crown in three seasons, the FGCU baseball team gets set for a grudge match on their home diamond this weekend. 

“I’m expecting it to be an all out war this weekend,” said senior infielder Richie Garcia. 

Starting Friday night, the Eagles host Jacksonville, a team they beat five of six times this year, in a best-of-three series to begin ASun Tournament play. 

“Everything that happens this weekend, that’s all we got,” said Garcia. 

However, for FGCU’s “COVID class”, the group of five seniors who returned for an extra year after the pandemic cut their senior season short, this weekend will also be the last time they play in their home stadium.

“We love playing here at Swanny. We don’t lose at Swanny,” Garcia said. “We come out here and feel like it’s an advantage for us.”

Behind those five super-seniors are a group that is also ready to carry on the mantle, such as redshirt sophomore Brian Ellis, who lead the Eagles in most offensive categories this season. 

“They’ll understand that here in a year from now, two years from now, this is their club,” said head coach Dave Tollett. 

It’s Ellis, and others, who are determined to make sure that this last homestand isn’t the seniors’ last series, period. 

“They kind of raised the standard of this program,” said Ellis.

“We just want to make sure they can keep playing as long as they can. Because, for all of them I think, this is their last time ever playing the game of baseball.”

First pitch between FGCU and Jacksonville in their best-of-three series is set for 6:30pm Friday. 

Game two begins Saturday at 2:00pm at Swanson Stadium. 

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