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ESTERO — After barely missing it in the first season of his program’s eligibility last year, Dave Tollett has been working like mad to get to the Division II South Regional at the University of Tampa that runs from today through Sunday.

Unfortunately, the Florida Gulf Coast University baseball coach takes his first cuts at D-II postseason play with one arm — the right one of flame-throwing junior Chris Hassen — knotted behind his back.

Though Hassen, who has been bothered by tendinitis-type problems in his throwing shoulder since late March, seemed sure he’ll throw, Tollett said his status for the regional is up in the air.

You can’t exactly say the Eagles’ chances are hanging by a tendon, but having a mostly healthy Hassen could make a major difference.

“It is a concern because when Hassen is healthy, I think we’ve got the best 1-5 (starters) in the country,” Tollett said. “What gets you kind of worried is I think we’re back to being just a little bit better or equal to some teams (without Hassen). You get to a tournament where you have to play four or five games, now everybody’s moved up one (spot), where they should be back one. I think it puts us about even with everyone.”

Hassen won’t pitch this afternoon against Lynn University (33-21) in the first round of this double-elimination format not as much because of his condition as the fact the Fighting Knights already have faced him.

A 6-foot, 160-pounder whose low-90s power has drawn dozens of salivating major-league scouts to Swanson Stadium, Hassen opened in FGCU’s regular season-ending 6-4 win against Rollins College on Saturday. He didn’t make it through the first inning as he faced five batters while giving up two hits and striking out one.

“I didn’t want to go out there and tear something or make anything worse before we had regionals coming up,” said Hassen of his early exit. “Taking precaution. Coach Tow came out there and talked to me about it. I told him I could finish the inning, but he’s like, ‘No, we need you for regionals.’¤”

The Eagles likely will need Hassen if 29th-ranked FGCU (39-15), the South’s second seed, is to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals in Montgomery, Ala., with the seven other regional champs May 27-June 3.

After hearing the announcement and tossing a few Monday morning, Hassen said the shoulder did not hurt, it just didn’t “feel right.” He insisted he’ll pitch in this regional run.

“Yeah, without a doubt,” said Hassen, who may be in his first and only regional because the upcoming draft likely will beckon loudly. “I’ll be able to throw.”

The last time Hassen (5-1 with a 2.04 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 39.2 innings) had a long stint was on April Fool’s Day, when he went six full innings against top-ranked Tampa. During the Eagles’ 10-7 home win, Hassen allowed 12 hits and four earned runs in notching the win. He struck out five and walked one.

Hassen is as confident in his fellow pitchers as in his ability to make a mark on this regional.

“We’ve got plenty of pitchers that can pitch,” Hassen said. “Our senior, Ryan Williams, is stepping up toward the end of the year — throwing the crap out of the ball, lights out. That’s really helped us out a lot.

“Our ace right now, Justin Stiver, he’s throwing real good. We’ve got a lot of guys who can get the job done. We’re looking good right now.”

Tollett has been preparing for the worst. Now he’s hoping for the best.

He feels good about Stiver, a junior with a 6-5 record, 3.60 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 75 innings. A Fort Myers native, Williams (5-1, 3.75) had a dozen strikeouts in six innings vs. Rollins on Saturday. Casey Coleman (3-0, 2.54) also has shown flashes down the stretch.

“I tell you what, we’ve been trying to find a three and four starter the last couple of weeks just in case Hassen wasn’t available,” Tollett said. “I found some good things.”

Tollett would not give away his hand, but Stiver, Williams or Coleman will start today against Lynn.

The teams split four regular-season games and FGCU outhit Lynn, 39-30.

“They just keep coming at you,” said Tollett of the Fighting Knights, who took the first game, 5-4, in Boca Raton on April 11 by scoring all their runs in the last three innings. “They’re going to swing the bats and they’re not going to quit.”

First-year coach Rudy Garbolosa’s team also is in its first-ever regional. All-Sunshine State Conference first-teamer Lonnie Patterson (6-2, 5.71), a 6-4 junior from Chicago, is Lynn’s ace. If he doesn’t start today, Gabolosa likely will go with Cedric Bennett (5-1, 2.83), Chris Snow (2-4, 3.72) or Joel Burnett (3-2, 3.97).

The Fighting Knights hit .303 as a team, led by All-Sunshine State Conference junior outfielder Nocolas Boisvert (.400, 9 home runs, 44 RBIs), freshman shortstop Ricky Gerena (.348, 8, 34) and All-SSC senior third baseman Jimmy Bacon (.347, 6, 52).

FGCU, which won a dozen consecutive games from March 10-28 before a rash of critical injuries (including Hassen’s) snapped the momentum, has hit at a .328 clip. Senior third baseman Jason Louwsma (.373, 9, 69), sophomore outfielder Shawn Griffin (.368, 8, 42), senior catcher/infielder Ian Manson (.354, 7, 55) and Josh Upchurch (.345, 3, 35), a freshman outfielder from Cape Coral, lead the offense.