It has been by far the best start in program history at 13-0, the FGCU Softball team is set to play on the road for the first time this season for nearly three weeks when they get to play in the FSU Unconquered Invitational from Mar. 2-4.
The Eagles will be playing a pair of ranked opponents in #6 Oregon for two games and #13 Florida State for one. They will also be having two games against Hofstra.
The Ducks come in with a record of 12-3 after only losing eight games a season ago. They advanced all the way to the final four before eventually losing to National Champion, Oklahoma. They already have three players batting over .400 led by Jenna Litley art .467 and have six players hitting at least .300 in their staring lineup.
There pitching has been just as good if not better with Miranda Elish with the 11^th best ERA in the country at .22. She has five wins along with five complete games this season. She I snot alone though as Megan Kleist and Maggie Balint both have been spectacular with an ERA of 1:10 and 2.10 respectively.
What makes FGCU’s start to the season even more impressive is that the Eagles do not have a pitcher this season to have an ERA over 1.00. Marissa Mesiemore and Morgan White both sit 13^th in the nation with a .25 ERA and have three pitchers inside the top 50 in that category with Riley Randolph. Closer Taylor Bauman who already broke the single season saves record, doesn’t qualify, but is at 0.58 and have the lowest ERA in the country a team.
Florida State was in the top ten as well prior to the new seeding’s this week, but are 12-4 on the season. They have hit the ball as well and have hit 21 home runs this season, as they sit right outside the top ten in that category and also have a pair of players hitting above .400 with Jesse Martin and Sydney Sherrill. Martin has hit eight of the 21 home runs and driven in more than quarter of the Seminoles 94 runs with 25.
Meghan King and Kylee Hanson have combined to make all 16 starts this season each with matching 6-2 records. Hanson though is striking out more than a batter per inning while King has pitched four complete games.
Hofstra hasn’t gotten off to the same kind of start as any of the other teams in this tournament, but still have a respectable 8-4 record.  They have already beaten three ASUN Conference teams in Kennesaw State, Stetson and UNF for nearly half of their wins. They have really struggled offensively with just a .208 batting average, but have held their opponents to just .172 thanks in large part to Sarah Cornell who has five wins this season.
The first game for the Eagles will be on Friday t 20 A.M. versus Hofstra before taking on the Oregon art 5 P.M. in game two of the double header. They will have another double-header on Saturday with Florida State and Oregon before finishing off the weekend with another game versus Hofstra on Sunday.