Baseball: Eagles open with top foes
FGCU’s baseball schedule was released this week and features teams that participated in the NCAA?Baseball Tournament last season, the College World Series, Super Regionals and conference champions.
The seven NCAA Tournament teams include World Series semifinalist, defending SEC Champion and preseason No. 1 Florida, preseason No. 4 Miami, Super Regional participant Illinois, defending A-Sun Champion Lipscomb, MEAC Champion Florida A&M and a pair of familiar in-state foes in USF and FAU. A total of 19 games, including the first eight of the season, will be played against those seven programs.
The Eagles’ current 52-game slate includes 23 home games, 28 road games and a neutral-site matchup against Michigan State in Port Charlotte on March 9.
Included on the home schedule are the No. 4 Hurricanes on April 5, a pair of preseason top-five teams in Florida and Miami, also six teams receiving votes in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll.
“It’s going to be a test right out of the gate, but we’re looking forward to the challenging schedule this season,” said Tollett. “It’ll give us a good idea of where we stand early in the season, and I believe will make us stronger for a postseason push come May. The guys are excited to cross the white chalk and get the season started.”
The season begins with a trip to Gainesville to take on the No. 1 Gators in a three-game series Feb. 19-21. With a 52-18 overall record a season ago, Florida was not only crowned SEC Tournament Champions, but entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 national seed.
Before the team’s home-opening series against Illinois Feb. 26-28, the Eagles remain on the road for the first of two in-state matchups with USF on Feb. 23. A season ago, the Bulls posted a 34-26-1 record under first-year coach Mark Kingston and earned the No. 3 seed in the Gainesville Regional. The two teams also meet at Swanson Stadium on March 22.
A mid-week matchup with preseason No. 4 Miami in Coral Gables on March 2 marks the first of three matchups with the Hurricanes in 2016.
Fifteen of FGCU’s first 25 games are on the road, including 11 of 18 in March, 12 against teams coming off a NCAA Tournament appearance.