Wednesday, March 17, 2010

MACON, Ga. - No. 30 FGCU looks to stay unbeaten in conference play this weekend as the team travels to Deland, Fla. to take on in-state and conference rival Stetson in the Atlantic Sun Series of the Week. 

The Hatters host the Eagles after FGCU came away with two-of-three against Stetson in the 2009 season. Stetson and FGCU have combined to win the last three A-Sun regular season titles. The series opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Melching Field with a doubleheader scheduled to start a 1:00 p.m. Saturday.  

Back-to-back conference regular season champion FGCU looks to stay hot in conference after open league play with a weekend sweep of USC Upstate. The Eagles opened the season ranked in a couple national polls, but following a 6-1 start to the season, FGCU owns just a 4-4 mark.

Stetson has opened the season on a rollercoaster ride, winning three of its first four, but following that with seven consecutive losses. The Hatters ended their losing spell by rattling off five consecutive wins. One of the key factors early in the year for Stetson has been playing at home in Melching Field as the Hatters have yet to win a road contest in the 2010 season.     

The Eagles have been explosive, offensively ranking in the Top 10 nationally with five players slugging over .560. Mikel Alvarez leads the FGCU offense with a .422 batting average and 19 RBIs. Reigning A-Sun Player of the Week Tim Roberson and conference preseason player of the year Zach Maxfield have each posted 18 RBIs and slugging percentages over .615.

Aaron Crittenden ranks as Stetson’s leader in RBIs and stands as the Atlantic Sun’s active leader in runs batted in. The senior sit less than 30 RBIs from cracking the conference’s career Top 10. Jeff Simpson leads the Hatters in batting average and on base percentage. The junior has also been active on the base pads with seven steals in nine attempts this season. The combination of Ryan Lashley and Robert Crews has smacked eight home runs for Stetson in 2010 but the rest of the squad only has seven. 
 
One of the early breakout stories of the 2010 season has been FGCU’s Richie Erath. The right-hander holds a 1.50 ERA and a 3-0 record on the young season. Preseason pitcher of the year Chris Sale holds a 2.00 ERA in four starts and a 1-0 record. The junior lefthander opened the season without allowing an earned run in his first 10 innings, but he has given up four earned runs in last eight innings of work.

The Hatters have struggled with starting pitching but have been led by Kyle Maulbetsch, who holds a 3.22 ERA with 17 strikeouts in four starts. Kurt Schluter earned Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week honors after a throwing 8.1 innings of no-hit baseball against Central Michigan, but the freshman followed that performance with 11 earned runs allowed in 3.1 innings Tuesday against Bethune-Cookman.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.