The weather cost Florida Gulf Coast a shot at the NCAA tourney
Florida Gulf Coast’s baseball team won its final ASUN tournament game, but weather delays and conference rules stole their shot at the NCAA tournament. A postseason dream soaked by rain and red tape.
Walk down Lake Pkwy East in Fort Myers, FL, and you’ll probably see a Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) baseball player pounding his fists in the dirt and screaming at the sky.
The team, which plays in the Atlantic Sun conference, won the last game of its conference tournament on Sunday—a victory that usually carries with it an automatic NCAA tourney bid—but, due to the weather, actually missed out on a shot to make the postseason.
What Led to FGCU’s NCAA Tournament Snub?
Heading into Sunday, FGCU needed to beat Stetson twice to win the conference tournament and earn an NCAA tourney spot.
- FGCU was up 6-5 in the seventh inning of the first matchup when a rain delay came, which ended up lasting six-plus hours.
- The game was eventually canceled, with the Atlantic Sun afterward declaring both teams co-tournament winners, despite FGCU being named the winner of Sunday's game and no winner-take-all matchup taking place.
- Tiebreaker rules meant the one automatic postseason bid from winning the ASUN tourney was awarded to Stetson.
As for 64 teams not named FGCU…the Road to Omaha kicks off tomorrow. Every game will be available to watch on an ESPN network; see the full regional schedule here.
