CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte baseball returns home this weekend as they welcome Florida Gulf Coast for a three-game series. The first pitched is scheduled for Thursday, March 28^th at 6:00 p.m. from The Stick. All three games on the weekend will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
  
QUEENS ROYALS (5-19 overall, 1-5 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off a tough 1-4 week against Appalachian State and Austin Peay. The Royals managed to salvage the series in game three at Austin Peay with an explosive 22-12 win.
• In the victory, the Royals plated a Division 1 program record 22 runs against a solid Austin Peay squad. The mark was also the third most runs scored in a single game in school history. Queens used an incredible 11 run fourth inning to grab command of the Sunday showdown.
• Senior Tyler Cotto made a lasting impact against his former team over the weekend by hitting .444 with three home runs, nine RBIs, eight runs, and six walks. On the season, the catcher is hitting .254 with a team-high eight home runs, .436 on-base percentage, and 19 walks.
• Outfielder Dillon Lewis leads the offense with a team-high .358 batting average. The Charlotte native is riding a season-long nine game on-base streak heading into the weekend. Lewis is second on the team with a .415 on-base percentage and swiped 10 bags.
• Graduate student Zach Weston has been a key offensive piece to return to the lineup. The Charlotte native is hitting .291 which is second best on the team and has 10 extra-base hits on the season.
• JJ Sousa has been a steadying presence for the Royals with six home runs, three doubles, and a triple. Sousa has tripled his extra-base hit total from last year at the halfway point of the season.
• The Queens offense is centered around the long ball as the Royals have blasted 39 home runs on the year which is second most in the ASUN. Queens is ranked 28^th in the country in home runs and on pace to shatter their single-season home run record set back in 2022.
• The Royals have been aggressive on the base paths swiping the fourth most bags in the ASUN with 33. Queens is on pace to steal the second most bases in a single season in school history.
• Queens has fanned 173 batters on the mound which is the fifth most in program history. The Royals are on pace to break their single season strikeouts record set back in 2022. Kansas State transfer Landry Jurecka leads the pitching staff with 32 strikeouts across 30.0 innings of work. The 32 strikeouts rank eighth in the league.
• Free passes have hurt the Royals staff as Queens has issued the most walks in the league. The free bases have translated into big innings as opponents have scored 4+ runs in a single inning 22 times this year.

 
FLORIDA GULF COAST EAGLES (11-12 overall, 4-2 ASUN)

• The Eagles are looking to bounce back after a tough series loss to Kennesaw State over the weekend. The two squads split the first two rounds before the Owls took the rubber match in a high-scoring 14-13 win.
• Ian Farrow is the leader of the offense for FGCU. The senior outfielder has blasted a team-leading nine home runs on the year as well as scorching nine doubles on the season for a team-leading 18 extra-base hits. The Merritt Island, Florida has had multi-hit performances in 12 different contests this season.
• Senior Mac Moise has started 20 games behind the dish for the Eagles. Moise has been a key for the Eagles offense as he is second on the team in batting average with seven doubles and two home runs.
• Jacob Lojewski has been a steadying presence for FGCU. At the plate, the senior infielder is second on the team in hits, including a team-leading 12 doubles, three home runs, and a triple. Lojewiski has recorded a hit in 16-of-22 contests this season.
• Lucas Hartman can overpower his opponents on the bump. In 25.2 innings of action, the junior right-hander has 29 strikeouts.  Against Fairfield, Hartman recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
• FGCU boasts one of the ASUN's best offenses. The Eagles offense ranks third in batting average, second in doubles, and second in slugging percentage.
• The FGCU pitching struggles with giving up the long ball as they have surrendered the second most home runs in the league at 36.

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