FORT MYERS, Fla. – Indiana State struck early in Wednesday night's game against Florida Gulf Coast and the Sycamore pitching staff held off a late FGCU rally in securing the 5-4 win at Swanson Stadium to split the midweek series against the Eagles.
 
The Sycamores (4-5) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning highlighted by a Carter Beck RBI double and Jeremy Martinez sacrifice fly. The Sycamores took advantage of a pair of FGCU (8-1) miscues to add to the lead, before Emil Estrella drove in the final run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scoring Caden Miller.
 
The pitching staff took over from there as Breyllin Suriel worked 4.1 innings allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out two, before turning it over to the Indiana State bullpen. Colby Morse (1-0) went 1.2 innings allowing five hits and a run, before Justin Hoff and Spencer Johnsen (S, 1) worked 3.0 scoreless innings late in securing the Indiana State win and handing FGCU its first loss of the 2026 season.
 
Emil Estrella had two of Indiana State's seven hits in the game and the senior right fielder added a stolen base forcing an errant throw that allowed Andrew Ortiz to score on the play to highlight the Indiana State offense. Carter Beck, Weston Fulk, and Ortiz all doubled with Ortiz scoring two runs and drawing three walks from the leadoff spot in the Indiana State lineup.
 
Justin Hoff entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning against FGCU with the Eagles rallying late following Jeremy Comer's RBI single in cutting the Indiana State lead down to 5-4. With two on, none out, Hoff responded by striking out his first batter and getting two more quick outs to shut down the FGCU rally.
 
After Hoff ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth, Johnsen entered and recorded a trio of quick outs to leave two FGCU runners stranded. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and two Eagles on base, the Sycamore left-hander responded by striking out FGCU's Cole Lasher to end the contest and pick up his first save of the season.
 
Wilfred Gonzalez led the FGCU offense with four of the team's 15 hits in the game on Wednesday night. Gonzalez, Lasher, Evan Dempsey, and Jon Embury all doubled, while Comer added a home run in the loss.
 
Logan Baisley (0-1) took the loss on the mound allowing two hits and three runs over the first inning. Logan Eisenbarth, Hyatt Richardson, Levent Eldem, and Ashton Pocol went the remaining 8.0 innings in the contest in relief.
 
How They Scored

• Indiana State struck for three runs in the top of the first to secure the early lead over FGCU. Carter Beck doubled home Andrew Ortiz for the first run, before Emil Estrella crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Jeremy Martinez's sacrifice fly to right made it a 3-0 Sycamore lead as Beck touched home.
• The Sycamores added to the lead in the second inning using speed on the bases as Emil Estrella swiped second with the throw sailing wide, allowing Andrew Ortiz to come home on the play and making it a 4-0 lead.
• FGCU scored in the bottom of the second as Jeremy Comer connected on a solo home run to right field to cut the deficit to 4-1.
• The lead was 4-2 in the bottom of the third as Jon Embury singled home Evan Dempsey to halve the Sycamore advantage.
• Indiana State plated its final run in the top of the fourth inning as Emil Estrella connected on a sacrifice fly to right center allowing Caden Miller to score on the play and make it a 5-2 lead.
• FGCU responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth with Cole Lasher's RBI single scoring Wilfred Gonzalez to make it a 5-3 game.
• The Eagles plated their final run in the bottom of the seventh on Jeremy Comer's RBI single through the right side of the infield scoring Jon Embury to provide the final 5-4 margin.

News and Notes

• Carter Beck extended his hitting streak to eight consecutive games following his RBI double in the top of the first inning and extended his on-base streak to 14 consecutive games dating back to the last year. He finished 1-for-3 from the plate on Wednesday evening.
• Weston Fulk made his 2026 Indiana State debut in the lineup on Wednesday night, while Justin Hoff made his debut out of the bullpen in the contest.

Up Next
Indiana State is back in action on Friday night in Nassau, Bahamas as the Sycamores take on Penn State in Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET and will be carried live on FloCollege.
 
Indiana State Baseball Season Tickets on Sale Now
Season tickets for the 2026 Indiana State baseball season are now on sale as the Sycamores head into their second season under Head Coach Tracy Archuleta. The Sycamores will play 21 home games inside Bob Warn Field this season, starting on March 4 against Lindenwood.
 
Reserved chairback season tickets can be purchased for $110. General admission season tickets will go on sale as well with adult ($75), seniors ($55), and youth ($40) tickets also being available for purchase. There will be a $5 surcharge added to those wanting tickets printed.
 
The Sycamores have teamed up with Pacesetter Sports and the Spirit Shop for the third consecutive season for a season ticket deal. Fans will receive a $50 Pacesetter gift card for each $110 reserved chairback season ticket, $35 gift card for each $75 general admission season ticket, $25 gift card for each $55 senior general admission ticket, and $20 gift card for each $40 youth season ticket sold.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.