05/22/2026

DeLAND, Fla. — A wild, weather-delayed Thursday at Melching Field at Conrad Park saw the No. 3 seed Florida Gulf Coast University baseball team (35-21, 17-12 ASUN) split a high-stakes postseason doubleheader. The Eagles opened the morning by punching their ticket into the double-elimination portion of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship bracket with a 4-3 victory over No. 6 seed Central Arkansas (31-26, 17-13 ASUN), before turning around to face a 4-1 loss against No. 2 seed Lipscomb.

The Bisons (27-24, 19-11 ASUN) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Jordan Thomas that scored Aaron Stelogeannis. Lipscomb followed by blowing the game open in the fifth, scoring three runs on an RBI double by Cam Pruitt that brought home Stelogeannis a second time. Thomas followed with another RBI single to bring home Pruitt, and Kai Holm capped off the frame with an RBI double that allowed Thomas to cross home plate and push the deficit to 4-0.

FGCU tried to mount a late rally in the top of the eighth inning. Nathan Gagnon sparked the two-out threat by beating out an infield single to the pitcher and quickly advanced to second base on an ensuing wild pitch. Evan Dempsey then stepped up to the plate and delivered a sharp RBI single through the right side of the infield to bring Gagnon home and get the Eagles on the board. Juan Santos kept the line moving by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch, which advanced Dempsey to second. Dempsey then moved up to third base on the very next play courtesy of another wild pitch, putting runners on the corners. However, the potential rally fell just short as the next FGCU batter struck out swinging on a dropped third strike and was thrown out at first base to end the threat.

Lipscomb’s Alexander Llinas (6-4) earned the win, allowing one run on four hits while striking out one in 7 2/3 innings. Kaleb Kantola got his ninth save of the season, allowing zero hits while striking out two in one inning of scoreless relief. Chris Diaz (5-2) was charged with the loss for the Eagles, giving up two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.

FGCU 4, Central Arkansas 3

Jeremy Comer hit two home runs and Dempsey struck out 10 batters in six innings of work leading FGCU to a 4-3 win over Central Arkansas.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Comer stepped up to the plate and hit a home run 380 feet into deep right field, getting FGCU on the scoreboard. Wilfred Gonzalez followed in the fifth, hitting a two-out RBI single to center field scoring Javier Gorostola, after Gorostola reached base with a single and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice hit by Jaret Nelson.

Comer wasn’t done, either. In the bottom of the sixth, he crushed another solo home run to right field for a career-high two-homer game. Just two batters later, Gagnon provided the crucial fourth run of the game, hitting a home run to left field pushing the advantage to 4-0 —a run the Eagles desperately needed to avoid a tie after Central Arkansas’s late surge.

Comer spoke with FGCU Athletics about his first home run of the game, which came on a 3-2 count.

“I was anticipating that it would maybe be a fastball. I was really just trying to get on top of something and drive something. You really just try to put the ball in play with two strikes and good things will happen so that was the goal,” Comer said.

On his second home run, Comer told FGCU Athletics he was initially uncertain whether the ball would clear the wall.

“I was watching it all the way over. I was looking for it to maybe hit off the wall just get away from the outfielder’s glove, as it went over that’s when you get fired up and another run on the board,” Comer added.

Central Arkansas didn’t go quietly, mounting a three-run rally in the top of the ninth inning. The Bears broke up the shutout when Parker Gwyn laced a one-out RBI double to score Jack Runsick. With two outs, Keaton Laidley kept the pressure on by slashing a two-run single that brought home both Noah Goodshield and Gwyn, cutting the deficit to a single run. However, closing pitcher Ashton Pocol shut the door, forcing the Bears’ final batter into hitting a game-ending groundout to third base to preserve the win.

Dempsey (7-2) earned the victory, surrendering zero runs on just four hits while striking out 10 in six innings of work. Pocol secured his sixth save of the season, entering out of the bullpen mid-inning to record the final outs; he was officially charged with one earned run on two hits while striking out two in his relief appearance. Central Arkansas starter Jake Jones (4-5) took the loss, giving up one run on five hits across four innings.

FGCU returns to Melching Field at Conrad Park to play North Florida in an elimination game on Friday, May 22. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.