05/13/2026

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Gulf Coast University baseball team’s seven-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night as Florida Atlantic University (28-24) utilized a late-inning surge to secure a 9-3 victory in the Eagles’ home finale.

The midweek nonconference matchup served as a final tune-up at Swanson Stadium before the Eagles (33-18) head north to face Jacksonville in their final Atlantic Sun Conference road series of the regular season.

“We came into this game and we rested some guys and gave some guys some chances and some opportunities,” FGCU head coach Dave Tollett said. “For us to look ahead here to Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the following week…that was the whole objective to see what we can use and what we have moving forward.”

Already trailing Florida Atlantic 2-1 after five innings, the deficit grew even larger for the Eagles as the Owls scored four more runs in the seventh when Brando Leroux hit an RBI single scoring Brett Patten, followed by Nick Romano hitting a two-run single that brought home Xavier Moronta and Leroux. Kyle Boylston came home on a wild pitch to end the frame.

The momentum carried over into the top of the eighth inning for FAU as they added three more insurance runs. Leroux hit another RBI single, this time scoring TJ Gramesty. Patrick Ward followed with a two-run single, bringing in Reilly Witmer and Leroux for the Owls’ final run of the game.

FGCU answered in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded, Keaton Kangas was hit by a pitch allowing Jeremy Comer to score. Comer reached base with a single through the right side of the infield and advanced to third following back-to-back walks of Juan Santos and Nathan Gagnon.

The Eagles attempted one final rally in the ninth. Wilfred Gonzalez led off with a single to left field, and Jaret Nelson followed with a single to right. Cayden Hessemyer then beat out an infield single to shortstop to load the bases. Comer drove in Gonzalez with a sacrifice fly to left field, but the rally fell short when the final FGCU batter grounded out to shortstop to end the contest.

Several Eagles made the most of the increased playing time. Sebastian Lippman and Ryan Rushing both fanned three batters apiece, while Logan Eisenbarth added two strikeouts in his relief appearance. FGCU finished with seven more strikeouts than FAU, fanning 13 total batters while the Owls struck out six. On the offensive side, Keaton Kangas finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Coach Tollett was encouraged by what he saw from the group as the team prepares for the postseason.

“I think there were some guys that really, really played well tonight,” Tollett noted. “I thought Lippman was really good. I thought Rushing was good. We pushed him a little further than we had, but that’s something I wanted to see. That was scripted by me. I thought it was a clean two innings. The third inning he hasn’t been there, but I wanted to see it and that’s possibly that he’s going to have to throw three here in the next couple of weeks. I thought Eisenbarth was good. Kangas got some at-bats, he hasn’t got to play in a while. We got to rest Javi’s (Javier Gorostola) knee a little bit.”

FAU opened the game taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning with Kyle Boylston reaching on a fielder’s choice hit to second base that scored Brando Leroux. Naples, Florida, native Michael Perazza followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield, bringing home Boylston.

FGCU cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth inning on an RBI single to right field by Wilfred Gonzalez that scored Evan Dempsey for what was most likely Dempsey’s final run at Swanson Stadium.

With the midweek clash serving as the final home game for the veteran core, Coach Tollett took a moment to reflect on the legacy of this year’s senior class.

“Well I think they got an awful lot of wins here,” Tollett said. “They’ve done a lot for this community. I mean helping reading in classrooms, to helping with hurricane [relief]. This senior class has been a really big part of this community, but they’ve been a part of Eagle Nation. They’ve been a really, really great group all the way around.”

With the regular season finale on the horizon, the focus now shifts entirely to the road trip north. Coach Tollett’s message to the team heading into the Jacksonville series was clear:

“We know what the task at hand is at Jacksonville and I told them we will focus on that,” Tollett said. “We’ve got work to do come Thursday, Friday and Saturday and we’re rolling into DeLand and wherever we’re seeded we’re seeded we’ll be ready to play.”

Dalton Robinson (2-3) got the win for the Owls, surrendering two hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Rushing (2-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in three innings.

FGCU now travels to Jacksonville to face Jacksonville University in its final three-game regular season Atlantic Sun Conference series starting Thursday. Despite Tuesday’s loss, the Eagles enter the weekend carrying an eight-game conference winning streak and a “magic number” of one win to secure a first-round bye in the upcoming ASUN Championship in DeLand. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at John Sessions Stadium.