FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team added elite arms to its roster, securing commitments from Indian River State College pitcher Emma Eekhoff and Young Harris College pitcher Julia Moore. Both incoming sophomores paced their respective pitching staffs in both earned run average and strikeouts this past season before choosing to transfer to Fort Myers.
The standout duo joins right-handed pitcher and rising senior Victoria Ash, who stands as FGCU’s lone experienced returner in the circle.
Eekhoff, a pitcher and first baseman, joins the Eagles after anchoring the staff at Indian River State. FGCU softball’s official social media platforms announced her addition to the program on July 9. The Pella, Iowa native and Pella High School alumnus enters FGCU as a rising sophomore. Under the NCAA Division I “5 in 5” eligibility model, Eekhoff transfers with four years of playing eligibility remaining.
During her 2026 campaign at the junior college level, Eekhoff paced her team with a 1.38 ERA while making 33 appearances and starting 26 games. She posted a 19-6 record with 12 complete games and three shutouts, allowing 31 earned runs over 157.1 innings pitched. Eekhoff concluded the year with a 1.06 WHIP and 210 strikeouts.
Moore, a 5-foot-7-inch right-handed pitcher and utility player, transfers from NCAA Division II Young Harris College. Moore made her commitment public on Instagram on July 17, stating, “So I did a thing!!! I am sooooo excited to announce I am committing to FGCU!!! Thank you to Coach Fico and her coaching staff! Wings Up!!” Moore also has a full four seasons of eligibility.
During her 2026 freshman campaign, Moore led the Mountain Lions with a 1.34 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP across 33 appearances and 15 starts. She recorded a 15-5 win-loss record, earned eight saves, and threw 135.2 innings. Moore allowed 26 earned runs, struck out 123 batters, and yielded just two home runs over the course of the season.
Her freshman performance earned her First Team All-Conference Carolinas and D2CCA First Team All-Southeast Region honors. Moore swept the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Month accolades for February, March, and April. In the month of April, Moore made 10 appearances and five starts, posting a 1.03 ERA with a 3-2 record and 25 strikeouts across 34.0 innings pitched.
Moore’s arrival further strengthens a growing Peach State connection within the program this summer. The Canton native joins fellow incoming rising sophomore outfielder Logan Currie, a Cumming, Georgia native and University of Iowa transfer who committed to the Green and Blue in late June.
Her move to Fort Myers also marks another addition from Young Harris College for FGCU Athletics this transfer cycle. Right next door from the FGCU Softball Complex, over at Swanson Stadium, the FGCU baseball team also utilized the transfer portal to add Jeo Hernandez from the Mountain Lions’ program. Hernandez, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound outfielder from Coral Springs, Florida, joins the Eagles’ roster ahead of the upcoming 2027 campaign.
The incoming pitching duo of Eekhoff and Moore provides premium options for the FGCU softball pitching staff as the program builds its bullpen depth alongside Ash ahead of the spring season.
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