FGCU softball is back in the postseason—and this year, the Eagles are chasing something special.
Fresh off a championship run in 2024, Florida Gulf Coast heads to the ASUN Tournament looking to defend its title. The Eagles enter as the No. 6 seed and will face the winner of Lipscomb and Queens on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET at Choccolocco Park.
“The ASUN tournament, in a word, is electric,” said junior outfielder Olivia Black. “There’s truly nothing else like it… Choccolocco Park is an amazing place.”
Despite being the sixth seed, FGCU isn’t treating this as an underdog story. The team is loaded with returners who know what it takes—and they’ve been battle-tested.
“We’re feeling good. I mean, we’re battle-tested,” said head coach David Deiros. “Getting through the gauntlet of this tournament is going to take mental and physical toughness, and we’re ready for that.”
Sophomore pitcher Allison Sparkman leads a young but gritty pitching staff. With a 2.13 ERA, she’s embraced her role as the veteran—even if she’s just a sophomore.
“Being the oldest pitcher on our pitching staff, being a sophomore, it’s definitely been a different experience,” Sparkman said. “We all really had to work together.”
Meanwhile, on offense, Black has become one of the most dynamic threats in the nation. She’s riding a 14-game hitting streak and has swiped 38 bases—breaking FGCU’s Division I single-season record.
“When we get here in August, we don’t even think about the accolades,” Black said. “We just think about what’s next and doing the little things right.”
This year’s tournament has extra meaning. Coach Deiros, who built the program from scratch, is retiring after 23 seasons at the helm.
“I really want to do this for him,” Sparkman said. “We just want to finish on a high note.”
Deiros isn’t focused on the farewell just yet.
“I’d ride with these guys anywhere,” he said. “I can’t think of a better group to go ahead and face the ASUN and try to go ahead and repeat as champions.”
FGCU’s road to another title begins Tuesday. The mindset is taking it all one pitch at a time—with a lot of heart and no fear of the moment.
“We expect ourselves to go to the championship,” Black said. “We expect ourselves to compete, and we expect ourselves to be in Selection Sunday.”
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