Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
Overall Rank: #44
Conference Rank: #1 ASUN
Despite a 39-17 overall record and a solid RPI, Florida Gulf Coast missed out on the 2018 NCAA Tournament. They should be able to rectify that in 2019 thanks to a strong nucleus of returning talent. Most notable is on the mound where Coach David Deiros returns all four of his pitchers. Lefty Riley Randolph was the workhorse last year, sporting a 1.68 ERA in 171.0 innings pitched. Junior Morgan White and sophomores Taylor Bauman and Marissa Mesiemore saw plenty of playing time as well. Those four recorded a team ERA of 1.93 and now have the experience to make clutch pitches and pick up an extra big win or two along the way.
2018: 39-17, 12-6
2018 Postseason: None
Coach: David Deiros
Key Departed Players:
Kelsey Huff, OF, .280 BA, 10 RBI, 21 SB
Brittany McGuire, 1B, .258 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI
Ashley Swiderski, IF, .239 BA, 6 HR, 26 RBI
Key Returning Players:
Racquel Fournet, OF, .361 BA, 5 HR, 33 RBI
Kate Kelly, OF, .294 BA, 11 SB
Brooke Clemens, C, .219 BA, 24 RBI
Morgan White, P, 1.54 ERA, 9-2 W/L, 82.0 IP, 74 SO
Riley Randolph, P, 1.68 ERA, 18-7 W/L, 171.0 IP, 148 SO
Taylor Bauman, P, 1.95 ERA, 2-4 W/L, 57.1 IP, 32 SO, 15 SV
Marissa Mesiemore, P, 2.82 ERA, 10-4 W/L, 84.1 IP, 47 SO
Projection:
The Eagles were a decent power hitting team last year, but now are without Brittany McGuire and Ashley Swiderski. That leaves Racquel Fournet as the only proven power hitter on the team. The senior outfielder is a great piece to build a lineup around though after hitting .361 with five homeruns and 33 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Kate Kelly is a solid hitter and brings speed to the base paths, while catcher Brooke Clemens has some power to her bat, but lacked consistency during her junior campaign. Coach Deiros will look towards younger players and a handful of junior college transfers to make an impact at the plate. But this team will be about pitching in 2019 and that should be enough to win an Atlantic Sun title and get Florida Gulf Coast back to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Softball Tournament
