04/12/2026

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After losing the first two games of its Atlantic Sun Conference series to Jacksonville, FGCU (21-13, 7-7 ASUN) found its offense in Javier Gorostola, who led the Eagles to a 4-1 win Sunday at Swanson Stadium to avoid a three-game sweep.

With the victory, FGCU remains in the hunt within a competitive ASUN landscape. The Eagles currently sit in third place in the Graphite Division standings, trailing North Florida (12-3) and West Georgia (8-7). With the second half of conference play looming, Sunday’s win keeps FGCU within striking distance of the top two spots as they look to secure a favorable seed for the ASUN Tournament.

FGCU’s bats came alive in the third inning against Jacksonville (17-18, 6-9 ASUN). With two outs, Wilfred Gonzalez got on base with a single to the left infield; Jon Embury then reached on a throwing error, and Gorostola brought them home with a three-run home run to left field to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.

Gorostola noted that his success in the third inning came down to a “chess match” with Jacksonville starter Kyle Powers. After grounding out earlier in the game, the third baseman was hunting for a specific mistake.

“Previous at-bat before, he threw basically the same pitches—he threw me fastball first pitch and then he went changeup and I grounded out,” Gorostola said. “As soon as he threw the fastball again, I was like, ‘There’s a chance he could go changeup.’ He left it up and I was able to hit it out to left.”

The Dolphins cut the Eagles’ lead to two in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Derek Bermudez. FGCU responded in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run by Gorostola to seal the 4-1 final.

After setting a program record with a 45-game hitting streak earlier this month, Gorostola had hit a rare 0-for-10 cold spell over the last few contests. He admitted that Sunday’s performance was a much-needed reset.

“Happy that it wasn’t as long as it could have been,” Gorostola said of the slump. “This game humbles you; it shows that anything can happen—45-game hitting streak and then go 0-for-10. It’s a good way to get out of it with a home run.”

Beyond the box score, Gorostola believes the win serves as a turning point for an Eagles squad that is still finding its ceiling. When asked about the team’s psyche heading into the second half of the schedule, he remained confident.

“I think it’s huge that we played bad and we’re 7-7,” Gorostola said. “You know every other team comes in here, or when we go to them, they play their best baseball and we haven’t played our best baseball. I think we’re in for a good second half of ASUN play.”

Gorostola’s belief in a second-half surge wasn’t just his own; the sentiment was echoed by his head coach. FGCU head coach Dave Tollett agreed that the psychological weight of the series finale could not be overstated for a team looking to reset its momentum.

“I think just getting a win on Sunday with our backs against the wall is huge and moving forward… and getting a fresh start here in the second half,” Tollett said.

After the bullpen struggled to hold leads earlier in the series, the relief corps stepped up Sunday. Mattox Meeks allowed just one hit over 2 1/3 innings, and Preston Rogers secured the save.

Coach Tollett noted that getting these arms healthy and in the right roles is key for the stretch run.

“Meeks is coming back from a little bit of tendonitis,” Tollett said. “I think he’s a guy for us on the back end—if we’re up by three, he can come in and shut the door. Having Preston in the role where he was really, really good… I think we can start building with Meeks and Preston. I think our bullpen will get a little bit better as we look forward into the next couple of weeks.”

Hunter Possehl (2-1) got the win for the Eagles, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out three in six innings. Preston Rogers picked up his first save of the season, striking out one in two-thirds of an inning. Kyle Powers (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings.

FGCU travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for a nonconference game against Florida Atlantic University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.