Strange-Gordon Drafted By Dodgers in Fourth Round of MLB Draft
(06-06-08)

LAKELAND--For the second straight year, the Southeastern University baseball team had a Fire player taken in the Major League Baseball draft.

Devaris Strange-Gordon was taken in the fourth round, 127th overall, Thursday afternoon by the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the highest-drafted Fire baseball player in school history.

Strange-Gordon, son of Philadelphia Phillies reliever Tom Gordon, played at Southeastern from 2006-2007. He was an All-Region selection in 2007 and was also named the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament's Most Valuable Player. He hit .378 with 45 stolen bases, 61 runs, and 44 RBIs his freshman season.

Strange-Gordon graduated from Avon Park High School in 2006 and was recruited by Southeastern Head Baseball Coach Jason Beck. He started 55 games as a freshman, mostly playing second base, and was considered by many major league scouts as one of the fastest available players in this year's draft.

Before coming to Southeastern, Strange-Gordon had transferred to Seminole Community College the year before, where he did not play baseball.

Last year the Fire had its first ever player selected in the MLB draft. Pitcher Steve Hill went to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 34th round.

Strange-Gordon's Career Statistics at Southeastern (2007):

AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI
.378 59-55 188 61 71 9 4 2 44

TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH
94 .500 23 3 20 2 .441 6 8

SB-ATT PO A E FLD%
45-52 64 119 20 .901

Fire Wins National Championship In Dramatic Fashion
(05-10-08)

LAKELAND--Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Southeastern University managed to score four runs to defeat Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 4-3, Saturday, winning the 2008 NCCAA II National Championship in dramatic style.

The Hillsdale Free Will Baptist starting pitcher, John Fish, handled the Fire lineup for six innings, but Tyler Ruehlman led the seventh inning off with a single to left field, and the wheels began to fall off for the Saints soon afterwards.

Next, senior David Moskovits drew a walk, giving the Fire runners on first and second base with no outs. John Cunha pinch ran for Ruehlman and Cody Bracy pinch ran for Moskovits, both players advancing a base on a passball by Saints catcher Cody Davis.

Then, the Fire got its first timely hit of the game when Clint Saenz lasered a ball up the middle to score both Cunha and Bracy, cutting Hillsdale's lead to 3-2.

Andrew Sawyer then pinch ran for Saenz and stole second base, giving the Fire the tying run at second with no outs.

The next batter, Logan Adams, placed a perfect bunt down the third base line and reached first on an infield single, giving the Fire runners at the corners with no outs. Edwin McPhee then pinch ran for Adams and stole second base on the first pitch to put the winning run in scoring position.

Leadoff hitter Marcos Arias hit a sacrifice fly to left field, which advanced McPhee to third base and scored Sawyer, tying the game, 3-3.

Freshman Hector Echmendia then became the hero when he came up with a walkoff single to left field to give the Fire a 4-3 victory. Fire players mobbed McPhee at home and Echmendia at first base as SEU won its fourth NCCAA II National Championship in four years.

Southeastern's starting pitcher, Alex Barron, kept the Fire in the game throughout. He allowed just three runs on eight hits, all the runs surrenderred in the fourth inning. Barron also struck out six batters.

Ruehlman finished the game going 2-for-3, while Clint Saenz went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Fish pitched six innings, allowing four hits and just three earned runs.

Southeastern finishes the season with a 42-23 record, winning its last eight games of the year and extending its record in the NCCAA II National Tournament to 17-0 over the past four seasons.

Matt Braly was named the 2008 NCCAA II National Player of the Year, while Fire pitcher Grant Berman was named the 2008 NCCAA II Pitcher of the Year.

Arias was named the NCCAA II National Tournament MVP as he went 6-for-13 with five runs and seven RBIs for the tournament.

Braly and Southeastern pitcher Jon Cunha were also named to the National Tournament All-Tournament team.

NCCAA II All-Americans

Justin Reinhard, Catcher, Manhattan Christian College
Justin Bilyeu, Catcher, Cincinnati Christian University
Kyle Petrick, First Base, Southeastern University
Jody Hyde, Second Base, Toccoa Falls College
Jerod McNeil, Shortstop, Free Will Baptist Bible College
T.J. Horn, Shortstop, Lancaster Bible College
Zach Anderson, Third Base, Manhattan Christian College
Josh Estridge, Utility, Southeastern University
Jimmy Gillespie, Outfield, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist
David Moskovits, Outfield, Southeastern University
Tyler Ruehlman, Outfield, Southeastern University
Matt Braly, Designated Hitter, Southeastern University
Grant Berman, Starting Pitcher, Southeastern University
Cody Davis, Starting Pitcher, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist
Jon Cunha, Starting Pitcher, Southeastern University
Josh Tatum, Starting Pitcher, Manhattan Christian College
Chad Masters, Relief Pitcher, Southeastern University

Coach of the Year
Eddie Davis, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist

Hillsdale Defeats Manhattan Christian, 6-2; Will Rematch Southeastern For National Title
(05-09-08)

LAKELAND--After dropping a tough game to No. 1 seed Southeastern University earlier in the evening, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist rebounded Friday night to defeat Manhattan Christian College, 6-2.

The Saints eliminated MCC from national contention behind a strong pitching performance from Aaron Smith. Smith pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs on eight hits while striking out six Crusaders.

Cody Davis went 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs.

Ryan Kennedy went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Saints scratched out six runs on eight hits with no errors on defense.

Joshua Tatem managed two more hits for MCC in the game, finishing the tournament 8-for-12 overall with four RBIs, three runs scored, and two triples.

Manhattan Christian College will take third place in the national rankings this season.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will play Southeastern University Saturday, starting at 1:00 p.m., for the NCCAA II National Championship.

Southeastern defeated the Saints on Friday, 12-0, and these two teams have met for the national title three out of the past four years.

Southeastern is 2-0 versus Hillsdale in national title games. The Fire defeated the Saints 17-9 in 2005, and 14-6 in last year's title game.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will have to defeat Southeastern twice on Saturday in order to win the national championship. Game two is scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m., if necessary.

Fire Advances To National Championship Game Behind Cunha's Strong Performance

LAKELAND--Southeastern senior Jon Cunha may have saved his best for last for Fire baseball fans.

Cunha pitched a complete game Friday night and helped guide Southeastern University past No. 2 seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 12-0, as the Fire advances to the NCCAA II National Championship game on Saturday.

Cunha struck out 13 batters on the day and allowed just three hits and two walks, improving to 7-2 on the season.

Cunha's only two losses on the season came to NAIA powerhouse Embry-Riddle University and NCAA D-I Florida Gulf Coast.

The South Region Pitcher of the Year had little trouble Friday night, and he was given some good run support early on.

The Fire struck for one run in the first inning and then put up five runs in the second inning, knocking out Saints' All-American pitcher Cody Davis.

Davis lasted 1.1 innings, allowing six earned runs while walking six Fire batters.

Matt Braly made the Saints pay for all the walks, hitting a two-run bases-loaded double in the second inning to break the game open.

Braly went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Marcos Arias went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Senior David Moskovits added two hits and two runs.

The Fire (41-23) pushes its winning streak in the national tournament to 16 games.

SEU will play the winner of the elimination game between HIllsdale Free Will Baptist and Manhattan Christian College, Saturday, in the NCCAA II National Championship game.

Whoever faces Southeastern would have to beat the Fire twice on Saturday in order to win the national championship. Game one is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.

Manhattan Christian Eliminates Cincinnati Christian, 9-4

LAKELAND--Trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, Manhattan Christian College rallied to score seven runs in the sixth and eventually defeat Cincinnati Christian University, 9-4, in the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament.

Josh Tatem once again shined for the Crusaders, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Kevin Hubbard went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Zack Anderson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and also picked up the win on the mound, in three innings of relief pitching allowing one run on two hits.

Josh Day went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Cincinnati Christian University, which takes fourth place overall.

Manhattan Christian will now play Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College in an elimination game, Friday night, at 7:30 p.m.

The winner will advance to the NCCAA II National Championship game, Saturday, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Fire Holds Off Atlanta Christian, 6-5
(05-08-08)

LAKELAND--After scoring five runs in the first inning, it looked like Southeastern University would cruise to another easy victory Thursday night in the second round of the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted Broer Stadium.

But Atlanta Christian College had other ideas. The Chargers battled back to within a run of shaking up the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, before an unassisted double play by Josh Estridge helped the Fire survive, 6-5.

ACC struck for one run in the first inning, but SEU came storming back behind patient hitting and Tyler Ruehlman's three-run double, giving the Fire a 5-1 lead at the end of one inning played.

Southeastern would not score again until the fifth inning when ACC tried to turn an inning-ending double play, but a throwing error by shortstop Colt Lynn allowed Matt Braly to score on a close play at home.

The Chargers scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to get within one run, and they had two runners on base in the top of the seventh inning, with no outs.

But Fire closer Chad Masters battled back. First, he struck out ACC's Adam Simmons, and then he got Tim Hendrix to ground into an unassisted double play by Josh Estridge with a nice pick at first base by Kyle Petrick.

Southeastern's Grant Berman improved to 9-1 on the season as he allowed four earned runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings.

Braly finished the game going 1-for-1 with two runs scored and two walks.

ACC's Darryl Thomas went 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Hendrix finished the day with two hits.

With the victory, Southeastern is now 40-23 on the year and has won 15 straight games in the NCCAA II National Tournament, never having lost a game since the Fire started hosting the tournament back in 2005.

The Fire will play the No. 2 seed, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, Friday, at 5:00 p.m. Both teams are undefeated in the tournament so far, and the game will be a rematch of last year's national championship game that saw the Fire win, 14-6, on its way to winning its third straight national title.

Atlanta Christian College is now eliminated from the tournament and will play North Central University, Friday, at 11:00 a.m. in a consolation game.

Manhattan Christian Blanks North Central University, 9-0

LAKELAND--Manhattan Christian College is still alive in the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament. The Crusaders defeated No. 6 seed North Central University, 9-0, Thursday afternoon behind Joshua Tatem's big day at the plate.

Tatem went 4-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, and two triples to help guide the Crusaders' offense.

Justin Renhard also had a big day for MCC, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, including a home run.

Zach Anderson went 2-for-3 with two runs and a double, while Joshua Lewis also had two hits, scoring one run and knocking another in.

Manhattan Christian will battle No. 4 seed Cincinnati Christian University, Friday, at 2:30 p.m. in an elimination game.

North Central University is now eliminated from national contention and will play a consolation game versus a team yet to be determined, Friday, at 11:00 a.m.

Saints Rally Late To Defeat Cincinnati Christian, 13-4

LAKELAND--An eight-run sixth inning helped Hillsdale Free Will Baptist defeat No. 4 seed Cincinnati Christian University, 13-4, in the second day of the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted Broer Stadium.

Trailing 4-3 in the sixth inning, the Saints used patience at the plate to break open the game by drawing five walks in the inning.

Jacob Pickeismer went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Ryan Johnston went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Brandon Buchanon also collected two hits while also knocking in three runs. Hillsdale finished the game with 13 hits.

Joseph Mann pitched a complete game for the Saints, allowing just four earned runs on eight hits to earn the win.

Jake Santel, Tyler Leland, and Justin Bilyeu all had two hits apiece for Cincinnati Christian. Bilyeu took the loss on the mound for the Eagles, in 5.1 innings allowing eight earned runs with seven walks.

Cincinnati Christian will take on No. 5 seed Manhattan Christian, Friday, in an elimination game starting at 2:30 p.m.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will play the winner of No. 1 seed Southeastern University and No. 3 seed Atlanta Christian College, Friday, at 5:00 p.m.

Fire Explodes Over North Central, 24-3
(05-07-08)

LAKELAND--Southeastern University made a strong statement in the first round of the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, Wednesday evening, by defeating No. 6 seed North Central University, 24-3.

The Fire scored 16 runs in the first inning, with 10 of those runs coming before NCU even recorded an out. The huge first inning was set up by two-run homers by both Matt Braly and Tyler Ruehlman.

Braly went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs in the game. His RBIs set a new school record for career RBIs, surpassing Craig Maddox's record of 202. Braly now has 205 career RBIs and is just four home runs short of tying Maddox's school record in homers.

Despite the run support, Fire starting pitcher Branden Patterson was sharp anyway, in 4.2 innings allowing just three earned runs on four hits.

With the large lead, the Fire coaching staff ended up playing 16 different positional players in the ball game.

Marcos Arias finished the day going 4-for-4 with two runs and five RBIs. Jared Phillips went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and David Moskovits, Logan Adams, and Andrew Sawyer all added two hits apiece.

Scott Franks went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI for NCU, which will play Manhattan Christian College, Thursday at noon, in an elimination contest.

The Fire (39-23) will battle No. 3 seed Atlanta Christian College at 6:00 p.m.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist Cruises Past Manhattan Christian College, 9-3

LAKELAND--No. 2 seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College advanced to the winner's bracket of the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, Wednesday afternoon, after defeating No. 5 seed Manhattan Christian College, 9-3.

Senior starting pitcher John Fish pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs on just five hits to earn the victory for Hillsdale.

Jacob Munday went 4-for-4, while designated-hitter Ryan Kennedy went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs. Brandon Buchanon went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Tyler McKracken went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Saints.

Manhattan Christian's Joshua Tatem went 2-for-4 at the plate, while also taking the loss on the mound as he pitched a complete game for the Crusaders.

MCC will take on No. 6 seed North Central University, Thursday at noon, in an elimination game.

Hillsdale moves into the winner's bracket and will play No. 4 seed Cincinnati Christian University at 2:30 p.m.

Cincinnati Christian Tops ACC, 12-6, in Game One of NCCAA II National Tournament

LAKELAND--No. 4 seed Cincinnati Christian University jumped out early on No. 3 seed Atlanta Christian College and defeated the Chargers, 12-6, Wednesday in the first game of the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted Broer Stadium.

The Eagles scored five runs in the top of the first inning off of seven hits, which included three doubles. CCU would add five more runs in the third inning, going up 10-4 after three innings played.

The Eagles pounded out 16 hits on the day as Rene Dsotuar earned the victory on the mound for CCU. Dsotuar pitched a complete game, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits with seven strikeouts.

Tyler Leland hit a three-run home run in the third inning to put the game away for the Eagles. Leland went 2-for-5 with two runs, four RBIs, and a double.

Jake Santel went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs also for CCU. David Diener went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs while Justin Bilyeu and Chase Diller both added two hits apiece.

Atlanta Christian's Tim Hendrix went 2-for-4 with a home run in the game.

Cincinnati Christian moves on to play the winner of No. 2 seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist and No. 5 seed Manhattan Christian College, Thursday, at 2:30 p.m.

Atlanta Christian College will play the winner of No. 1 seed Southeastern University and No. 6 seed North Central University, Thursday, at 6:00 p.m.

Southeastern Ready For 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament
(05-05-08)

LAKELAND--The 2008 NCCAA II Baseball National Tournament field is now set, and Southeastern University is in a familiar situation.

The Fire (38-23) grabbed the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year.

Southeastern looks to win its fourth straight NCCAA II title this weekend as The Fire hosts the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, May 7-10, at Ted Broer Stadium.

Asked about the program's recent success in the NCCAA II National Tournament, Head Coach Jason Beck responded, "We set up a grueling schedule during the regular season in order to be prepared for this."

Southeastern played 24 different schools from outside the NCCAA II this season, including two NCAA D-I opponents, Florida Gulf Coast and Cornell University.

"We think the level of baseball we play prepares us for this tournament," added Beck.

The Fire put up a 23-20 record versus teams outside the NCCAA. Southeastern earned victories over NAIA schools Embry-Riddle, Warner Southern, Webber International, and Oakland City. SEU also defeated two NCAA II opponents, Eckerd College and Mercy College.

With all the recent success, the Fire coaching staff is optimistic the program will hold its own when it jumps into the NAIA next year and possibly the Florida Sun Conference in 2009.

"Since I came here four years ago, I was preparing us for this day," added Beck. "We play a tough non-conference schedule to stay one step ahead, so we can try to be competitive when we are in the NAIA."

Southeastern has a perfect 13-0 record the past three years in the national tournament. The Fire will open up the tournament Wednesday afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., versus No. 6 seed North Central University.

Grabbing this year's No. 2 seed is Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, last year's national tournament runner-up. Atlanta Christian College, which earned two victories this season over the Fire in South Region play, is the tournament's No. 3 seed.

Cincinnati Christian University is the No. 4 seed, followed by Manhattan Christian College as the No. 5 seed.

The 2008 National Tournament will start Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. with Atlanta Christian College taking on Cincinnati Christian. Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will play Manhattan Christian College at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Southeastern, North Central game at 4:00 p.m.

Braly Named South Region Player of the Year; Eight Other Fire Players Honored
(04-29-08)

LAKELAND--Once again the Southeastern University men's baseball team dominated the South Region as the Fire repeated as South Region Champions this past weekend. The Fire also took home numerous awards for the 2007-2008 season.

Senior Matt Braly was named the South Region Player of the Year. Not only did he bat .408, leading the team in hits with 78, but he also drove in 63 runs, led the team in runs scored with 49, hit 23 doubles, and unloaded 13 home runs.

Braly set the school record for career hits and is now just two RBIs away from breaking Craig Maddox's record for career RBIs.

Fire pitcher John Cunha, the team's ace, was named the South Region Pitcher of the Year. Cunha went 6-2 with a 4.65 ERA on the year, and he led the team in strikeouts with 55.

Kyle Petrick earned Freshman of the Year honors on the strength of his .387 batting average, 44 RBIs, 15 doubles, and 65 hits on the season.

Braly, Cunha, and Petrick were all named First Team South Region, along with David Moskovits, Grant Berman, Drew Schock, Josh Estridge, Branden Patterson, and Chad Masters.

Fire Wins 2008 South Region Championship
(04-26-08)

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--The Southeastern men's baseball team left little doubt that it was ready to defend its title, on Saturday, as the Fire pounded out 12 hits in a 9-1 victory over Atlanta Christian College to repeat as South Region Champions.

It is the Fire's fourth South Region title in five years.

Senior Matt Braly got the Fire offense going early, driving in two runs in the first inning. The Fire scored four runs in the first and second innings to go up 8-0 after two.

Freshman Josh Estridge had the big day at the plate for the Fire, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run.

Kyle Petrick went 3-for-3, while Tyler Ruehlman went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Hector Echemendia went 2-for-3 with a solo home run.

Grant Berman improved to 8-1 on the year for the Fire. In six innings pitched, Berman allowed no runs and just two hits, striking out six ACC batters altogether.

Braly was named the South Region Player of the Year. He went 7-for-8 In the tournament with seven RBIs, two home runs, and four walks.

Eight other Fire players were named First Team All-Region: Kyle Petrick, Josh Estridge, Chad Masters, John Cunha, Grant Berman, Branden Patterson, and David Moskovits.

Cunha was named South Region Pitcher of the Year, while Petrick took home Freshman of the Year honors.

Southeastern (37-23, 14-3) has now locked up the No. 1 seed for the upcoming NCCAA II National Tournament, May 7-10, in Lakeland, hosted by Southeastern University.

The Fire has won the past three NCCAA II National Championships.

Fire Advances To South Region Championship Game
(04-25-08)

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--The Southeastern baseball team advanced to the South Region Championship game with an 8-6 victory over Atlanta Christian College, Friday afternoon.

The Fire trailed, 6-2, in the bottom of the fifth inning when SEU exploded to tie the game by scoring four runs in the frame.

Senior David Moskovits hit a two-run double and then scored on a single by Andrew Sawyer. Marcos Arias then singled home Edwin McPhee to tie the score at 6-6.

Sophomore Drew Schock shut down the Chargers in the sixth inning.

Matt Braly and Josh Estridge hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Fire the only runs they would need to close out the game.

Chad Masters earned his ninth save of the season, pitching a perfect seventh inning. Schock earned the victory for Southeastern, improving to 4-1 on the year.

Moskovits ended the game going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Arias also added two hits.

Braly is 6-for-6 for the tournament, with two home runs, five RBIs, two doubles, and two intentional walks.

Southeastern (37-23, 14-3) will take on Atlanta Christian again on Saturday, this time for the South Region Championship.

ACC defeated Toccoa Falls College, 3-2, Friday night to advance to the championship game. The Chargers will have to defeat the Fire twice on Saturday in order to become region champions.

Game one is scheduled to start at noon.

Braly Leads Fire Over Clearwater Christian, 8-3

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--Matt Braly is starting to look more and more like the South Region Player of the Year.

The senior designated hitter went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the Fire's 8-3 victory over Clearwater Christian College, Thursday afternoon, in the first round of the South Region tournament hosted by Toccoa Falls College.

The South Region Player of the Year has not yet been named, but Braly definitely has a good shot at winning the award.

Braly has 12 home runs and 60 RBIs on the season and is now just five RBIs away from tying Craig Maddox's career record of 202 RBIs at Southeastern.

Three of his four hits on Thursday went for extra bases as he homered and hit two doubles on the day.

The Fire struck first with two runs in the first inning, but the Cougars tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the second.

But a five-run second inning put the game away for the Fire as Marcos Arias helped the Fire offense by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Alex Barron earned the victory on the mound for SEU. Barron pitched six innings, allowing six hits and just one earned run with five strikeouts. Barron is now 4-4 on the year.

Branden Patterson pitched a perfect seventh inning for the Fire with a strikeout.

Southeastern (36-23, 13-3) will play Atlanta Christian College today at 1:30 p.m. ACC defeated No. 2 seed Toccoa Falls College, 6-4, on Thursday.

The Fire went 3-2 versus ACC during the regular season.

Fire Earns No.1 Seed In South Region Tournament; Regular Season Notes
(04-22-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern baseball team will look to win its fifth South Region title in six years, this weekend, at the 2008 South Region Tournament in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.

Toccoa Falls College will host this year's tournament, and the Eagles will be the No. 2 seed overall.

Southeastern is 35-23 overall and went 12-3 versus South Region opponents this season.

Atlanta Christian College earned the No. 3 seed, while Clearwater Christian College is the No. 4 seed.

Southeastern opens up the tournament versus Clearwater Christian Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

The winner of the South Region Tournament will get an automatic bid into the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, May 7-10, which will be hosted by Southeastern University.

The Fire has won the NCCAA II National Championship three straight years.

REGULAR SEASON NOTES

Breaking Records
--Senior Matt Braly set the school record for career hits this season, breaking Will Gonzalez's record of 227 career hits.

--Braly needs nine RBIs to tie the school record for most RBIs in a career. Craig Maddox currently holds the record with 202 career RBIs.

--Braly led the team in hitting this year, batting .388 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs.

--Dave Moskovits set the school record with 118 walks in his career. Moskovits broke Adam Rogers old record of 108 career walks. Moskovits also led the Fire in on-base-percentage, compiling a .523 ob% at the lead-off spot. He batted .360, scored 39 runs, gained 36 walks, and made 50 hits this year.

Surprise, Surprise

--Former red-shirt freshman Kyle Petrick had a monster season this year, surprising the Fire coaching staff. Petrick batted .381 on the year with 61 hits, which was second on the team, and 42 RBIs. He also had a .988 field percentage at first base.

--Freshman Josh Estridge set a school record by belting seven home runs as a freshman.

--The Fire stole only 77 bases this season, compared to 202 stolen bases in 2007. Estridge led the team with 19 stolen bags.

--Sophomore Tyler Ruehlman hit .373 on the year, with 20 doubles, 39 RBIs, and four home runs.

Limited Action

--Marcos Arias played in only 26 games this season due to injury. But, despite the injury, he put up solid numbers, batting .367 with 12 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and 29 hits.

--Russ Steinhorn started in 16 games at second base this season. Steinhorn batted .356 with 12 RBIs and 11 runs without making a single error.

Let's talk pitching

--Grant Berman led the Fire with seven wins on the year, going 7-1 overall.

--John Cunha went 6-2 overall and led the Fire in strikeouts, with 53, and complete games, with five.

--Chad Masters led the Fire in appearances, with 19, and saves, with 8.

--Drew Schock led the Fire in earned run average with a 3.46 ERA in 13.0 innings pitched.

--Two freshmen, Branden Patterson and Alex Barron, had nice years on the Fire pitching staff. Patterson went 5-1 overall with a 4.56 ERA, and Barron led the team in innings pitched with 60, going 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA.

Fire Holds Off Late Rally, Defeats Webber International, 7-6

LAKE WALES, Fla.--The Southeastern University baseball team defeated Webber International University, 7-6, Monday night, giving the Fire its first-ever win over the NAIA program.

The win did not come easily, though. Trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Warriors put together an incredible rally, scoring five runs in the inning, four of those runs coming with two outs.

Eventually, Fire reliever Clay Rideout got Juan DeJesus to fly out to first baseman Kyle Petrick.

Matt Braly homered for the Fire and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the game.

Marcos Arias went 2-for-5, while Hector Echemendia went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

Grant Berman got the win on the mound for SEU, in three innings allowing no runs and just four hits. Berman is now 7-1 on the season.

The Fire ends its regular season with a 35-23 overall record and a 14-11 record versus NAIA opponents.

Fire Swept By NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic

WEST PALM BEACH--The Southeastern baseball team was swept by NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic, Saturday, as the Fire bats went cold, scoring only five runs in two games.

In game one, Buddy Fisher pitched a complete game shutout of the Fire as the Sailfish won easily, 7-0. Fisher allowed just five hits while striking out four batters.

Edwin McPhee, Marcos Arias, Derek Cone, Tyler Ruehlman, and Kyle Petrick all collected hits for SEU.

Cody Bracy took the loss for the Fire, in three innings allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Clay Rideout pitched two perfect innings for the Fire, with two strikeouts, in relief.

In game two, Southeastern trailed, 8-0, before making a late rally and losing, 8-5.

Petrick went 3-for-4 with two runs, while Cone went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Ruehlman added two hits and an RBI.

Alex Barron took the loss on the mound for the Fire, in three innings allowing four runs on seven hits.

Southeastern is now 34-23 on the season.

Fire Sweeps Double-Header From Florida College On Senior Day
(04-21-08)

LAKELAND--On senior day at Ted Broer Stadium, it was two underclassmen that stole the show for the Fire.

Southeastern swept a double-header from Florida College, winning game one, 12-2, behind freshman Josh Estridge and sophomore Tyler Ruehlman.

Estridge went 3-for-4 with two home runs, including a walk-off two-run homer in the fifth inning, to help the Fire 10-run-rule Florida College.

Estridge drove in three runs and scored three runs in the game.

Ruehlman went 3-for-3 with three runs, five RBIs, and two home runs.

Estridge and Ruehlman hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning, and then Ruehlman connected on a three-run homer in the third.

Jon Cunha pitched a complete game for SEU. Cunha allowed just two runs on six hits, improving to 6-2 on the year.

In game two, Florida College struck for three runs in the first inning before the Fire pitching staff settled in for the rest of the game to give SEU a 7-4 victory.

Kyle Petrick went 2-for-4 with a double, while Clint Saenz went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double.

Matt Braly went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Southeastern is 34-21 on the year and will play a double-header versus Palm Beach Atlantic, Saturday, in West Palm Beach.

Southeastern said good-bye to five seniors before the game on Thursday: Matt Braly, David Moskovits, Russ Steinhorn, Marcos Arias, and John Cunha.

SENIOR DAY

MATT BRALY: Braly graduated with his bachelor's degree in education in the spring of 2007. He is now working towards his master's degree in business at Southeastern.

On April 11th, versus Toccoa Falls College, Matt broke the school record for career hits with a two-run homer to left-centerfield. Braly currently has 236 career hits and is also the school's all-time leader in doubles.

Braly is on pace to finish second all-time in home runs and RBIs, while also finishing in the top five for career batting average and runs.

Braly was also named the NCCAA II National Player of the Week, for March 24-30th, as he batted .916, scored seven runs, hit six home runs, and knocked in 14 RBIs. Two of those home runs were against NCAA D-I Cornell University.

He was named a First Team All-American and First Team All-Region in 2007, and he was also a part of three NCCAA National Championship teams at Southeastern.

DAVID MOSKOVITS: Moskovits will graduate this spring with a degree in education. Moskovits is a four-year player for SEU and has been a captain the past two years.

Moskovits will leave Southeastern as the school's all-time leader in hit by pitches and is third all-time in on-base percentage. He has been hit by a pitch 82 times in his career.

He will also finish his career second all-time in runs scored and third all-time in hits.

Moskovits will also be remembered for hitting a grand slam versus Hillsdale Free Will Baptist back in 2005, leading the Fire to the school's first NCCAA II National Championship.

RUSS STEINHORN: Steinhorn will graduate this spring with a degree in mathematics. He plans on teaching high school math when he leaves Southeastern.

Steinhorn was named a team captain entering this season.

He has served the Fire the past three years on the mound, compiling a 12-8 overall record, including a 5-1 record last year with a 2.70 ERA.

Steinhorn moved to second base this season and is currently hitting .400 with a 1.000 fielding percentage. On March 25, he hit his first career home run, versus Florida Memorial.

Steinhorn has been a part of three national championship teams here at Southeastern.

MARCOS ARIAS: Arias transferred from Judson College in the spring of 2007. Before that, he was at NCAA D-I Charleston Southern.

Starting in only 18 games due to injuries, Arias has still hit .394 for the Fire over the season, and since coming back from injury, he is batting .687 with a current seven-game hit streak.

Arias hit his first career home run for Southeastern on February 11th, versus NAIA Webber International.

JOHN CUNHA: Cunha transferred to Southeastern from Judson College this past September.

He is currently 5-2 on the year with a 4.50 ERA.

On February 6th, he recorded his first win for Southeastern as he defeated nationally ranked Embry-Riddle University, 7-6.

His only two losses have come to NCAA D-I Florida Gulf Coast and NAIA Indiana Wesleyan.

Cunha has logged over 47 innings, 47 strikeouts, and four complete games on the year.

Fire Pounds Clearwater Christian, 12-6, Behind Braly's Big Day

CLEARWATER--Southeastern jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back as the Fire pounded out 18 hits and defeated South Region foe Clearwater Christian College, 12-6, last Tuesday.

Matt Braly went 5-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI, while Josh Estridge went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a double and a home run.

Two other Fire players collected three hits: Marcos Arias went 3-for-6, while Hector Echemendia went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs.

Edwin McPhee went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

Branden Patterson got the win on the mound for SEU. Patterson pitched six innings, allowing just three runs while striking out six batters. Patterson improves to 5-1 on the season.

The Fire is now 12-3 in the South Region and 32-21 overall.

Lots of Pitching In Double-Header With Atlanta Christian College; Fire Splits
(04-14-08)

ATLANTA, GA--After having to wait out a five-hour rain delay, Southeastern University battled Atlanta Christian College in a double-header, Saturday, splitting the series with the Chargers.

In game one, ACC's Tim Hendrix pitched a complete game, leading the Chargers to a 4-1 victory.

Hendrix allowed 10 hits, but the Fire failed to hit with runners in scoring positions, and Hendrix allowed just one earned run for the game.

Josh Estridge took the loss on the mound, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits.

Josh Lyons pitched a solid sixth inning, allowing no runs and no hits while walking one batter.

Tyler Ruehlman and Russ Steinhorn both had two hits apiece for the Fire.

In game two, Fire starting pitcher Alex Barron lost a no-hitter bid in the sixth inning, but earned the victory on the mound, improving to 3-3 on the season.

In his six innings on the mound, Barron allowed no runs and just one hit to help SEU defeat ACC, 2-0, in a pitchers' duel.

Chad Masters came in during the seventh inning to earn his seventh save of the year, striking out the side.

The Fire scored one run in the fifth inning, Andrew Sawyer coming home on a single off the bat of Marcos Arias.

SEU added its other run in the top of the seventh when Logan Adams scored on a wild pitch.

Southeastern improves to 31-21 on the year and 11-3 in the South Region. The Fire will next play at Clearwater Christian College, Tuesday, at 6:00 p.m.

Fire Sweeps Toccoa Falls College

TOCCOA FALLS, GA--The Southeastern University baseball team swept a double-header from Toccoa Falls College this past Friday, defeating the Eagles 5-2 in game one and 13-2 in game two.

In game one, Jon Cunha earned the victory on the mound for the Fire, improving to 5-2 on the season.

Cunha pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs on four hits while striking out four batters.

Kyle Petrick led the Fire offense, going 3-for-4 with a three-run double to help spark a four-run third inning.

Josh Estridge went 2-for-4 for SEU.

In game two, Grant Berman improved to 6-1 on the season as SEU pounded out 12 hits in its 13-2 victory.

Berman pitched just five innings since the Fire 10-run-ruled the Eagles in the fifth.

Matt Braly had a huge day at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a home run and six RBIs.

Braly hit a two-run single in the first inning as the Fire jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Braly followed that up with a three-run homer in the fourth inning and then finished the game with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to right field in the fifth.

Braly now has 10 home runs on the season.

Tyler Ruehlman went 3-for-3 with two doubles, while Marcos Arias went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.

Southeastern is now 30-20 on the season.

Fire Wins One, Loses One In Double-Header Against Florida College
(04-07-08)

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla.--After dropping game one of a double-header to Florida College, Saturday afternoon, the Southeastern baseball team battled back in game two behind Russ Steinhorn's two-run homer in the sixth inning followed by his two-run double in the seventh.

In game one, Florida College starting pitcher Joe McGeehan pitched a complete game, allowing one earned run on three hits as the Falcons earned a 6-1 victory.

Tyler Ruehlman, Josh Estridge, and Logan Adams were the only Fire players with hits.

Branden Patterson took the loss on the mound for SEU, but the Fire got four strong innings from Josh Lyons, who came out of the bullpen to allow just two hits and one earned run. Lyons also struck out five batters.

Tyler Willis pitched a perfect sixth inning for the Fire.

In game two, Southeastern grabbed a 4-0 lead in the third inning behind a grand slam off the bat of Kyle Petrick. Petrick went 1-for-2 with two runs and four RBIs on the day.

Florida College struck back, scoring three runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 6-4 lead into the sixth.

Edwin McPhee drew a lead-off walk to start the sixth inning for the Fire. It was then that senior Russ Steinhorn took over, hitting a two-run homer to tie the game at 6-6.

Florida College took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring one run to go up 7-6.

Steinhorn struck again in the seventh, this time hitting a two-run double to bring Petrick and Marcos Arias home.

Petrick had walked and then earned second base on Josh Estridge's sacrifice. The Falcons then elected to intentionally walk Fire shortstop Arias, hoping for an inning-ending double-play.

Steinhorn then delivered the game-winning double, giving Southeastern the victory, 8-7.

Drew Schock took the win on the mound for SEU.

Southeastern is now 28-20 on the year.

Former Fire Standout Kevin Cominsky Signs Professional Deal With Long Beach Armada
(04-04-08)

LAKELAND--Former Southeastern University baseball player Kevin Cominsky signed a one-year deal Monday with the Long Beach Armada.

The Armada plays in the independent Golden Baseball League, in California.

"I guess I'm just excited; I've been looking for an opportunity to see how I measure up to everybody," said Cominsky by phone on Friday.

Cominsky batted .364 last season with 48 stolen bases and 44 runs scored.

Over two seasons, Cominsky had a career batting average of .412 and is second all-time in school history with 93 stolen bases.

Cominsky will be coached by former major leaguer Steve Yeager, who played 15 seasons as a catcher in the major leagues, 14 of those years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cominsky will report to camp in early May.

Fire Sweeps Clearwater Christian in Double-Header

CLEARWATER, Fla.--The Southeastern Fire baseball team improved to 8-2 in the South Region with a double-header sweep of Clearwater Christian College, Tuesday afternoon, at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium.

The Fire won game one, 11-3, behind Josh Estridge's strong showing on the mound. Estridge earned the win, pitching five innings, allowing three earned runs on just five hits.

Tyler Ruelhman went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while Edwin McPhee went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.

Kyle Petrick went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Dave Moskovits went 1-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Andrew Sawyer went 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

In game two, Southeastern pounded out 16 hits and defeated the Cougars, 12-6.

Moskovits went 4-for-4 with four runs scored, and Matt Braly went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBIs.

Hector Echemendia went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Ruelhman added two more hits on the day.

Chad Masters went 1-for-1 with a double.

Grant Berman pitched a complete game and improves to 5-1 on the year.

Southeastern is now 27-19 on the year and will next play a doulbe-header versus Florida College, Saturday, in Tampa.

Fire Splits With Warner Southern College

LAKE WALES, Fla.--The Southeastern baseball team split a double-header with NAIA Warner Southern College, Monday afternoon, winning game one, 3-0, and then dropping game two, 5-1.

In game one, Fire starting pitcher Alex Barron pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. Chad Masters earned his fifth save of the season, pitching a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout.

The Fire scored its only three runs of the game in the second inning when Tyler Ruehlman led off the inning with a double.

A Clint Saenz single advanced Ruehlman to third base, and he eventually scored on a Edwin McPhee single. After advancing to third base on McPhee's single, Saenz would then steal home to give SEU a 2-0 lead. Andrew Sawyer, who reached first base on a fielder's choice, stole second base and then scored on a Hector Echemendia single.

Echemendia added two stolen bases on the day.

In game two, Fire pitcher Cody Bracy fell to 2-1 on the year with the loss.

Southeastern is now 25-19 on the year.

The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger: Southeastern loses to Flying Tigers before 2,000 spectators in exhibition game
(04-03-08)

LAKELAND--You would have never guessed from the noise the crowd was making that the Lakeland Flying Tigers were about to defeat Southeastern, 7-0, in an exhibition baseball game on Wednesday night.

With two outs in the seventh and final inning most of the 2,085 red-clad spectators were standing and cheering for Fire first baseman Kyle Petrick.
(Click here for more.)

Fire Pounds Florida Memorial in Double-Header Sweep
(03-26-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern baseball team swept NAIA Florida Memorial, Tuesday afternoon, winning game one, 13-0, and then following up with a 14-4 win at Ted Broer Stadium.

In game one, Grant Berman pitched a complete game, allowing just four hits with five strikeouts; the game lasted only five innings due to the 10-run rule.

Matt Braly had a monster game, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and six RBIs. Braly had a huge second inning, hitting a solo home run and a two-run single as SEU scored six runs in the frame.

The Fire then scored seven runs in the fourth inning as Braly hit a three-run homer and Edwin McPhee added a three-run homer as well.

Clint Saenz went 2-for-2 as eight Fire players had hits in the game.

In game two, the Fire offense continued to roll as SEU scored two runs in the bottom of fifth inning to implement the 10-run rule once again.

Dave Moskovits went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI while Tyler Ruehlman went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs.

Reserve catcher Logan Adams continued to impress the Fire coaching staff by hitting his third home run on the year. Adams went 2-for-3 with five RBIs including a three-run homer in the third inning.

Josh Estridge went 2-for-2 with two runs, and Russ Steinhorn went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Derek Cone also added two hits.

The Fire improves to 23-18 on the year and will host NCAA II Oakland City University (Evansville, Ind.) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Southeastern to Play Lakeland Flying Tigers and award free tuition to master's program
(03-24-08)

The Southeastern University baseball team will play a historic exhibition game versus the Lakeland Flying Tigers on April 2 at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

It will be the first game in Southeastern baseball history where the Fire will play a professional baseball team.

To mark this historic occasion, Southeastern University will award a Polk County public school teacher free tuition to complete his or her master's degree in elementary education, educational leadership, or school counseling at Southeastern. The announcement will be given in the middle of the sixth inning. Five finalists will be notified that they may be selected.

The teacher finalists must be in attendance at the game to be eligible to win, and all finalists will receive a voucher for one three-credit hour course in one of three education-related master's programs.

Southeastern University and the Lakeland Flying Tigers already have a partnership in promotions and marketing.

"The opportunity to play the Lakeland Flying Tigers is another incredible step forward for our baseball program and Southeastern University," said Southeastern Athletic Director Duane Aagaard.

The Lakeland Flying Tigers is the Class A Major League Baseball affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and the Flying Tigers has produced incredible Major League talent over the past few years.

"Just last year Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller played games in Lakeland before being called up to Detroit," added Aagaard.

Maybin and Miller were both traded in the off-season to the Florida Marlins, and CNN/SI has Maybin as baseball's 10th best prospect in America. Miller, a 6'6" left-handed pitcher, is also considered a top prospect by the Marlins.

"It's going to be an amazing experience for not only the players and myself, but for the students and administration as well," said Fire baseball Head Coach Jason Beck.

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets cost $2.00 for Southeastern students, faculty, and staff.

"Southeastern University and the Lakeland Flying Tigers, two great Lakeland institutions, combining to play some hot baseball and help a deserving teacher toward a bright, new future," said Southeastern President Dr. Mark Rutland. "Now, that's a game to love."

Fire Wins Two Games
(03-19-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University baseball team has won seven out of its last nine games and won two games on Tuesday, first defeating Toccoa Falls College, 10-2, and then winning the season series over Dordt College, 11-10.

Chad Masters earned the victory for the Fire over Dordt College. Masters pitched 1.2 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, with two strikeouts as SEU pounded out 16 hits in the game.

The Fire offense was led by Logan Adams, who came off the bench to catch and went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs on the day. Adams hit a three-run homer in the third inning to help SEU tie the game at 4-4.

Matt Braly went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI while Josh Estridge went 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs.

Southeastern rallied from being down 10-4 in the seventh inning as the Fire scored three runs in the seventh, one run in the eighth, and three runs in the ninth to earn the victory.

Southeastern (21-17) will play NCAA I Cornell University, Saturday, in West Palm Beach at 1:30 p.m.

Fire Wins One, Loses One In Double-Header With Toccoa Falls College
(03-18-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's baseball team defeated Toccoa Falls College, 10-4, in game one of a double-header, Monday afternoon, and then fell to the Eagles, 5-3, in game two.

In game one, Jon Cunha pitched six innings, allowing just three earned runs on three hits. Cunha also struck out eight batters as he improves to 3-2 on the season.

Josh Estridge went 1-for-3 with three RBIs while Edwin McPhee went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs on the day.

Clint Saenz, Matt Braly, and Dave Moskovits all collected two hits apiece while Tyler Ruehlman, Hector Echemendia, Braly, Estridge, and Saenz all had doubles on the day. SEU had seven extra base hits for the game.

In game two, TFC's Phil Pendergrass pitched a complete game as the Eagles scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to grab only their second victory at Ted A. Broer Stadium ever.

Pendergrass allowed only three earned runs on eight hits while striking out five Fire batters.

Drew Schock took the loss for SEU on the mound as he pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out four batters.

Alex Barron got the start on the mound for the Fire and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits.

Braly went 2-for-4 with a double while Estridge went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. McPhee also collected two hits on the day.

Southeastern (19-17, 5-2) will finish up its three-game series with Toccoa Falls College, Tuesday, at noon. The Fire will then play Dordt College at 3:00 p.m.

Fire Splits Double-Header With Mercy College
(03-13-08)

LAKELAND--Grant Berman helped the Fire avoid being swept in a double-header versus NCAA II Mercy College, Wednesday afternoon, as the Fire won game two, 9-2, after falling in game one, 9-5.

Berman pitched six strong innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out six batters.

Berman now improves to 3-1 on the season, and the win helps the Fire get back to the .500 mark at 15-15 overall.

Kyle Petrick went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Hector Echemendia went 3-for-4 with three runs scored.

Derek Cone also went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs on the day, and Matt Braly went 2-for-3 with a double.

Drew Schock pitched the seventh inning, striking out two batters and allowing no hits.

In game one, Mercy pounded out 14 hits and capitalized on four SEU errors as Josh Estridge took the loss on the mound for the Fire.

Estridge pitched six innings, allowing 10 hits and eight earned runs while striking out eight batters. He is now 1-1 on the year.

Dave Moskovits went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the first game, while Tyler Ruehlman and Matt Braly both went 2-for-5.

Fire Swept By NCAA I Florida Gulf Coast
(02-26-08)

FORT MYERS, Fla.--History was made this past weekend when Southeastern University took on NCAA D-I Florida Gulf Coast University, making it the first game in Southeastern baseball history where the Fire played an NCAA D-I opponent.

Southeastern was swept by FGCU, starting Friday night with an 11-1 loss.

Clay Rideout pitched five innings and kept the Fire in the game but took the loss on the mound.

Southeastern managed just seven hits with Kyle Petrick and Hector Echemendia both leading the way with two hits apiece.

Chad Masters pitched a scoreless eighth inning, facing three batters and setting them down in order with two strikeouts.

On Saturday, Southeastern fell in game one, 7-1, as SEU could not manage enough offense to support the great pitching outing by Alex Barron.

Barron pitched six innings, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits to keep SEU in the game.

A costly Fire error in the bottom of the fifth inning led to two unearned runs for FGCU, as the Eagles broke open a 1-1 game and took a 4-1 lead into the sixth.

FGCU would add a run in the seventh and two runs in the eighth to pull away from the Fire, which managed only four hits on the day. Josh Estridge provided two of those four hits. SEU scored its only run of the game in the second inning when Estridge scored on a double off the bat of Anthony Francis.

In game two, FGCU rang up 21 hits and blew out SEU, 18-1.

Six FGCU players had multi-hit games. The Eagles were led by Josh Upchurch's 4-for-5 day with three RBIs and two runs scored. Stephen Rassel went 3-for-5 with four runs scored.

The Fire totalled seven hits; its lone brightspot was the run it scored in the fifth inning when Andrew Sawyer singled home Derek Cone, who led the inning off with a single.

Jon Cunha took the loss on the mound for Southeastern, which falls to 6-9 on the season overall.

Masters pitched another perfect inning for the Fire, this time in the seventh inning. Masters made two appearances in the three-game series as he faced six batters and allowed no hits or runs and struck out four batters.

Southeastern will host Goshen College, Tuesday afternoon, at Ted A. Broer Stadium starting at 1:00 p.m.

Southeastern Splits With Edward Waters
(02-20-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's baseball team split a double-header with Edward Waters College, Tuesday afternoon at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

The Fire won game one, 5-4, in extra innings as SEU scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Tyler Ruehlman led the inning off with a double, then Matt Braly walked. Marcos Arias then singled, giving the Fire bases loaded with no outs.

After Josh Estridge struck out, junior catcher Edwin McPhee singled home the game-winning run for the Fire.

The Southeastern bullpen gave its best effort of the young season as Branden Patterson and Grant Berman pitched eight innings combined, allowing no runs and just three hits.

Berman improved to 2-1 on the year as he pitched three innings of hit-less baseball with two strikeouts. Patterson pitched five innings of shutout baseball with three strikeouts.

Hector Echemendia, Clint Saenz, and Ruehlman all had two hits apiece while Saenz also added two RBIs.

In game two, Edward Waters' Rapheal Riege pitched a complete game, allowing just four earned runs while striking out nine Southeastern batters; Edward Waters defeated SEU, 8-4.

Tyler Willis took the loss on the mound for Southeastern. He pitched four innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits.

The lone bright spot on offense for Southeastern was Kyle Petrick's day at the plate. Petrick hit his first college career home run and went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Estridge went 1-for-2 with two runs and a double while Braly went 1-for-3 with a double.

SEU's Chad Masters pitched a perfect inning of relief in the seventh inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Southeastern (6-6) will play a three-game set with NCAA I Florida Gulf Coast University this weekend in Fort Myers, Florida.

Game one of the series is on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. The Fire will close out the series with a double-header on Saturday starting at 3:00 p.m.

Fire Blanks Queensborough Community College, 5-0

LAKELAND--Sammy Hayyim earned the victory on the mound for Southeastern University as the Fire shut out Queensborough Community College, 5-0, Monday afternoon at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Hayyim pitched six innings, allowing no runs and just four hits. Clay Rideout closed out the game for SEU, allowing no hits over two innings with two strikeouts.

Kyle Petrick led the Fire at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run and a double while Andrew Sawyer went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two RBIs.

Southeastern is now 5-5 on the season and will host Edward Waters College on Tuesday for a double-header starting at 4:00 p.m.

Fire Splits With NCAA II Eckerd College
(02-18-08)

ST. PETERSBURG--Southeastern University split a double-header with NCAA II Eckerd College, Saturday, losing game one, 4-3, while taking game two on the day, 12-8.

In game one, Eckerd rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and won the game on Tim Lorek's game-winning RBI single to right field.

The Fire was led by Tyler Ruehlman, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs on the day.

Jon Cunha took the loss on the mound for the Fire as he pitched six innings, allowing four runs with five strikeouts.

Grant Berman earned the victory for SEU in game two as he pitched four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits on the day.

Matt Braly led the Fire offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Marcos Arias added two hits and two runs while Logan Adams also added two hits and two RBIs for the Fire.

SEU jumped out early in game two and never trailed in the contest, getting ahead 9-0 after two innings.

Southeastern is now 4-5 on the year and will host NAIA Edward Waters on Tuesday for a double-header; game one starts at 4:00 p.m.

Embry-Riddle Blanks Southeastern, 5-0
(02-14-08)

LAKELAND--Tucker Jensen and Robbie Flynn combined to shutout Southeastern University, 5-0, on Wednesday night, avenging a 7-6 Embry-Riddle loss to the Fire last week.

Jensen pitched five innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six batters; Flynn came in relief and pitched four innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts to push Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to 7-3 on the year.

James Kissinger went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI for the Eagles while Tommy Cauley also added two hits.

Tyler Ruehlman and Clint Saenz managed the two Fire hits on the day.

SEU starter Alex Barron pitched 7.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. With the loss, Barron is now 1-1 on the year.

Southeastern (3-4) will travel to St. Petersburg on Saturday to play a double-header against NCAA II Eckerd College. Game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. followed by game two at 3:00 p.m.

SEU Falls To Webber International; Game Today Postponed
(02-12-08)

LAKELAND--A four-run fourth inning for Webber International University propelled the team to a 11-7 victory over Southeastern Monday night at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Southeastern jumped out to a 4-2 lead after the first inning, but the Warriors got two runs off the bat of M.J. Wilson in the third inning as he hit a two-run home run, tying the game at 4-4.

Then, the Warriors exploded in the fourth inning to take an 8-4 lead and never trailed in the game afterwards.

The Warriors were led by Gil Metzger who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs while Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-6 with a home run.

Josh Estridge and Tyler Ruehlman both had two hits apiece for Southeastern. Marcos Arias hit a solo home run for the Fire in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Clay Rideout took the loss for SEU; he drops to 0-2 on the year.

Southeastern's game versus NAIA Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been postponed and is being rescheduled for 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 13.

SEU Gets First-Ever Victory Over Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
(02-07-08)

DAYTONA BEACH--Southeastern University earned a historic victory Wednesday night when the Fire defeated NAIA Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 7-6, behind Josh Estridge's big day at the plate.

The Fire jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after two innings; SEU got three runs in the first inning when Estridge doubled home Hector Echemendia and eventually scored along with Tyler Ruehlam on Edwin McPhee's two-run single.

Embry-Riddle, which is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation for NAIA schools, countered with a four-run third inning and tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth.

But the Fire just had too much heat Wednesday night as SEU got a run in the top of the seventh when Echemendia led off the inning with a double and eventually scored on Matt Braly's RBI single.

The Fire would add an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning when Estridge doubled home Braly, giving the Fire a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

After Fire reliever Jon Cunha walked Embry-Riddle's Matt Tomaszewski, Chad Masters entered the game for SEU and got the Fire out of a jam where the tying run was at second base and earned his first save of the season.

Fire starter Tyler Willis pitched 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits.

Cunha (1-0) earned the victory in relief, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out four batters.

Estridge finished the game going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two doubles while Chad Saenz went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple.

Echemendia scored three runs and Ruehlman added two RBIs all for SEU.

With the victory, the Fire improves to 3-2 on the year and will face Webber International University on Monday at home, starting at 4:00 p.m.

Fire Sweeps Double-Header From Clearwater Christian
(02-06-08)

LAKELAND -- Southeastern University swept Clearwater Christian College in a double-header Tuesday as the Fire outscored the Cougars 19-1 on the day.

In game one, Matt Braly and Clint Saenz cleaned up the bases with two RBIs a piece to help Southeastern defeat Clearwater, 8-0.

Freshman Alex Barron pitched 6.2 innings, allowing no runs on three hits. Barron struck out seven of the 21 batters he faced.

In game two, freshman Josh Estridge led the Fire at the plate, going 2-for-2 with four RBIs. Hector Echemendia also contributed, going 2-for-3 with two hits and an RBI to give SEU an 11-1 victory.

On the mound, freshman Branden Patterson pitched five innings and struck out six batters.

Southeastern (2-2, 2-0) will travel to Daytona Beach to play NAIA Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at 4:30 p.m.

Fire Opens Season By Dropping Double-Header To Northwood
(02-05-08)

LAKELAND--The 2008 Southeastern baseball season opened on Saturday with the Fire opening its season at home, hosting NAIA Northwood University.

SEU dropped both games of a doulbe-header to Northwood, losing game one 15-9 and game two 10-3.

In game one, Matt Braly hit an inside-the-park home run for the Fire, but Northwood's Jay Miller stole the show, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.

Northwood's Manuel Goberna pitched a complete game while starting pitcher Clay Rideout took the loss for SEU.

Rideout pitched 2.2 innings, allowing nine earned runs on seven hits. Chad Masters pitched an inning of scorelss ball with a strikeout.

Tyler Ruehlman went 3-for-4 with four RBIs for the Fire while David Moskovits went 1-for-1 with two RBIs.

In game two, Northwood's Miller pitched a complete game, allowing just five hits and three earned runs. Miller also had 11 strikeouts as Northwood improved to 7-0 on the season.

Southeastern's Hector Echemendia went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Anthony Francis, Moskovits, and Ruehlman all added hits.

Grant Berman took the loss for the Fire as he pitched four innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. Masters once again shined out of the bullpen for the Fire, pitching 1.1 innings allowing no runs and one hit with a strikeout.

Southeastern (0-2) will host Clearwater Christian College on Tuesday for a doulbe-header starting at 4:00 p.m.

Sutton Finding Success In South Coast League
(06-28-07)

Former Southeastern University standout pitcher Tommy Sutton has been adjusting well to professional baseball so far.

Sutton, who signed a contract with the Charlotte Red Fish (Port Charlotte), an independent team out of the South Coast League in Florida, has allowed no runs and just one hit in 4 1/3 innings while striking out three batters.

Sutton has been pitching out of the bullpen and is being managed by former major leaguer, Cecil Fielder.

Sutton has been named the NCCAA II National Pitcher of the Year for the past two years and left Southeastern as the school's all-time leader in wins, strikeouts, appearances, innings pitched, shutouts, and complete games.

Maddox Signs With Tigers

LAKELAND--Craig Maddox finished his Southeastern baseball career by hitting two home runs in the NCCAA II National Championship game, leading the Fire to its third straight national championship.

But for Maddox, a bigger dream lay ahead, though when he didn't hear his named called in the 2007 MLB draft on June 8, he questioned if pursuing that dream of a professional baseball career was really worth it.

"I was pretty much crushed," said Maddox. "Because I poured everything I had into that dream of being drafted."

Maddox watched the draft at Head Coach Jason Beck's home, celebrating when former teammate Steve Hill was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals organization said they were interested in Maddox, but Maddox never got that phone call from them, which left him scrambling to keep his dream alive.

"After that, I said I'm not going to be set back by this," added Maddox.

Maddox then received a call from Dan Lunetta, who is charge of minor league operations for the Detroit Tigers, inviting him to a workout in Lakeland.

"I got a call on June 20, they had a need for a couple of catchers, and I worked out, and they liked me, so I signed a contract," said Maddox.

Maddox was then placed in the Gulf Coast League, which means he will be playing his home games in Lakeland at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Maddox saw his first playing time this past Tuesday and threw his first runner out from behind the plate.

As for Maddox's first at bat, "It just happened so quick; I worked the count to full and then struck out on a 94 mph fastball."

Welcome to the big leagues.

"It didn't hit me for a long time, but maybe this is the way I have to go," said Maddox, who is traveling with the team today. "Maybe this was the way I could move up quicker, being in Lakeland around places and people I'm familiar with."

Maddox finished his Southeastern career as the school's all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. He was a three-time NCCAA All-American and the 2007 NCCAA II National Player of the Year.

Hill Becomes First Ever SEU Player To Be Drafted
(06-12-07)

LAKELAND--They knew it was going to happen. They just didn't know exactly when.

Southeastern baseball coach Jason Beck and some of his players watched the 2007 Major League Baseball draft at his house this past Thursday and Friday, believing that senior right-handed pitcher Steve Hill would get drafted sometime on Thursday.

"It was relieving," said Coach Beck. "What got us nervous was they (Cardinals) were taking so many right-handed pitchers. The anticipation built each round. We knew he was going to be drafted; we just didn't know when."

Hill's name was eventually called in the 34th round by the St. Louis Cardinals; Hill is first Fire baseball player ever to be drafted by a MLB team.

'I'm thankful and grateful,'' said Hill, who is from Rainbow City, Alabama. "This is an awesome opportunity. I never came to Southeastern expecting to play baseball. I was called into ministry and thought nothing about it.''

The Cardinals believe Hill has a tremendous upside. He was just 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA and four saves while piling up 24 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. But his upside is his strong arm; HIll has been clocked at 94 mph on the radar gun more than once while pitching at SEU.

Hill was a First Team All-Region player in 2007 and is an above-average hitter; he batted .341 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs last season. He also was named to the 2007 NCCAA II National All-Tournament team.

Hill is currently at the Cardinals' spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida, and is waiting to be assigned.

Hill will either be placed in rookie ball with the Johnson City Cardinals (Johnson City, Tenn.) or he will be sent to Class A and the Batavia Muckdogs (Batavia, NY).

Maddox Steals Show As SEU Wins 2007 NCCAA II National Championship
(05-12-07)

LAKELAND--Senior catcher Craig Maddox went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs to lead Southeastern University to its third straight NCCAA II National Championship on Saturday; the Fire defeated No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 14-6.

Until Saturday's national championship game Maddox was a little disappointed in his national tournament performance.

"I just prayed last night to get a hit, and to contribute like this is unbelievable," said Maddox about his performance on Saturday.

Maddox must have high standards because even struggling in his three games in the national tournament he still went 2-for-6 with two runs and four RBIs combined.

But Maddox heated up on Saturday, contributing to the Fire's five-run third inning when he hit a two-run homer to dead center field, giving the Fire a 5-1 lead.

SEU would add three more runs in the inning to put the game away early; six different Fire players had multi-hit games.

Matt Braly connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning as SEU pounded out eight extra-base hits for the game. Braly finished his day going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.

Devaris Strange was named the NCCAA II National Championship Most Valuable Player. Strange went 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base on Saturday.

Strange finished the tournament going 7-for-15 with six runs scored, four RBIs, and six stolen bases.

Southeastern's Joel Mailly and Steve Hill also were named to the national tournament's all-tournament team.

Mailly went 2-for-3 with two RBIs while Hill went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI on Saturday.

Russ Steinhorn got the win on the mound for SEU. Steinhorn pitched four strong innings, allowing just three earned runs on four hits while striking out three batters.

Southeastern finishes its season with a 48-17 record, which ties for the most wins in school history. SEU has not lost a national tournament game in three years and is a perfect 13-0 since hosting the national tournament in 2005.

Box Score

Hillsdale Eliminates Mid-America Christian, Advances To NCCAA II National Championship Game
(05-11-07)

LAKELAND--Hillsdale Free Will Baptist's A.J. Boswell got three key outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to hold off Mid-America Christian University, 6-5, Friday night in the NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Leading 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Mid-America loaded the bases with no outs in the inning. Hillsdale head coach Eddie Davis called on Boswell to get the save, and he delivered by getting Mid-America's Matt Howard to ground into a double play.

Boswell then got Bryan Ozuna to fly out to first base and end Mid-America Christian's season. Hillsdale Free Will Baptist advances to its second NCCAA II National Championship game in three years.

Hillsdale's Nathan Thorne went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Johnathon Fish got the win on the mound for the Saints.

The Saints will face No. 1-seed Southeastern University on Saturday at noon. Hillsdale will need to defeat SEU twice on Saturday in order to win the 2007 NCCAA II National Championship.

Fire Advances To National Championship Game

LAKELAND--Southeastern University advanced to the NCCAA II National Championship game for the third straight year with a 5-4 victory Friday night over No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, SEU's Steve Hill led off the inning with a double down the left field line.

Joel Mailly then drew a walk, and Kevin Cominsky's sacrifice bunt moved Hill to third and Mailly to second base.

Mid-America chose to intentionally walk senior Will Gonzalez and pitch to freshman shortstop Davaris Strange.

Strange managed to drive Hill in for the winning run on a ground ball to first base, giving SEU its 12th straight NCCAA II National Tournament win.

Fire pitcher Tommy Sutton shut the door on the Evangels in the top of the seventh, pitching a perfect inning. Sutton got the win on the mound as he pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Mid-America's Chad Lantz took the loss on the mound, but he pitched a complete game, giving up five earned runs on eight hits.

Gonzalez finished the day going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs while Hill batted 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored. Mailly went 1-for-1 with a two-run homer and two walks in the game.

Mid-America will now face No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist on Friday night with the winner advancing to the NCCAA II National Championship on Saturday.

Whoever advances to face SEU will have to defeat the Fire twice on Saturday in order to win the NCCAA II National Championship. SEU has won the NCCAA II National Championship the past two seasons.

Saturday's national championship game will start at noon.

Box Score

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist Stays Alive, Eliminates North Central University

LAKELAND--Billy Maxwell's RBI single to center field plated Jaron Jedlika in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Hillsdale Free Will Baptist a 6-5 victory over North Central University in the NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted A. Broer Stadium on Friday.

The Saints trailed 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning after NCU scored a run in the top of the seventh on Matt Skahen's RBI single to left field that scored Brandon Haag.

But NCU didn't manage to get an out in the seventh inning as Clint Tennell started off the inning for the Saints with a single to left field. Tennell then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error.

Jedlika then singled home Tennell, tying the game at 5-5, and advanced to second base when NCU tried to throw out Tennell at home. Maxwell's game-winning hit then followed, sealing NCU's fate.

A.J. Boswell got the win on the mound for Hillsdale. Boswell pitched three innings of relief and allowed no earned runs while striking out three batters.

Jedlika finished the day going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs while Tennell added two hits and two runs for the Saints.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will face the loser of No. 1-seed Southeastern University and No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

North Central University is eliminated from competition for the NCCAA II national title and takes fourth place in the tournament.

Box Score

Cincinnati Christian Takes Fifth Place in Tournament

LAKELAND--Cincinnati Christian took fifth place in the NCCAA II National Tournament with its 7-1 victory over No. 3-seed Lancaster Bible College on Friday at Ted Broer A. Stadium.

Justin Bilyeu pitched a complete game for the Eagles, giving up just one earned run on nine hits while striking out eight Lancaster batters.

Cincinnati's Tyler Leland went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases while the Eagles' David Deiner went 2-for-4 with two runs, a stolen base, and an RBI for the day.

CCU finishes the national tournament going 1-2 while Lancaster Bible College finishes with an 0-3 record and takes sixth place in the country.

Guy DeAngelis collected two hits for Lancaster.

Box Score

SEU Rolls Past Lancaster Bible College, 12-2
(05-10-07)

LAKELAND--Southeastern University used a six-run fifth inning to defeat No.3-seed Lancaster Bible College, 12-2, Thursday night in the second round of the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Southeastern has now won 11 straight national tournament games and is just one win away from reaching the national championship game for the third straight year.

Dan Quackenbush got the win for the Fire as he pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out five batters.

Once again the Fire ran wild on the base paths; SEU stole nine bases on the night.

Davaris Strange once again led the Fire offense, going 2-for-4 with two runs and three stolen bases while Craig Maddox went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a two-run homer in the third inning.

"We started to win once our lead-off guys got on; they really neutralized our speed until the fifth inning," said Head Coach Jason Beck.

Matt Braly and Joel Mailly both went 2-for-3 with a double, and Steve Hill knocked in three RBIs on the night for SEU.

Southeastern will face the only other undefeated team in the national tournament, No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University, on Friday at 4:00 p.m. The winning team will advance to the national championship game on Saturday.

Lancaster Bible College will play No. 5-seed Cincinnati Christian University at 10:00 a.m. Friday for fifth place overall in the tournament.

Box Score

Mid-America Christian Stays Perfect in 2-1 Victory Over Hillsdale

LAKELAND--Craig Southard led No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University past No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 2-1, Thursday afternoon in the second round of the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Southard pitched a complete game, allowing just four hits and one earned run, as Mid-America Christian University stayed perfect in this year's national tournament.

The Evangels scored runs in the third and fourth inning and never trailed in the game despite managing only six hits for the game.

Hillsdale's Aaron Smith pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run in his outing.

The Evangels' Cole Woodward was the only player in the game to have more than one hit. Woodward finished the day going 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Mid-America will face the winner of No. 1-seed Southeastern University and No. 3-seed Lancaster Bible College on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist will take on No. 6-seed North Central University at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

Box Score

North Central Defeats Cincinnati Christian in Extra Innings

LAKELAND--No. 6-seed North Central University stayed alive in the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament after scoring three runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat Cincinnati Christian University, 7-6, in extra innings Thursday afternoon at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

Cincinnati Christian rallied in the bottom of the eighth when Kyle Arnold hit a two-run home run with two outs, but NCU pitcher Philip Culham managed to get Nick Westfall to fly out to left field to end the game.

Culham pitched a complete game for the Rams, allowing just four earned runs on the day.

NCU catcher Phillip Davis went 1-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI to help lead the Rams' offense. Ben Wood and Curtis Mattila both collected two hits apiece for NCU.

Arnold finished the day going 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs while Westfall also collected three hits on the day for the Eagles.

North Central will now play the loser of No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University and No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist on Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Cincinnati Christian's loss knocks the school out of the running for the NCCAA II National Championship, but Cincinnati Christian will play on Friday at 10:00 a.m. for fifth place in the tournament.

Box Score

SEU Cruises Past North Central University, 11-1
(05-09-07)

LAKELAND--Southeastern University got off to a good start in day one of the NCCAA II National Tournament as the Fire defeated North Central University, 11-1, Wednesday night at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

The Fire has now won 10 straight national tournament games dating back to 2005; SEU is looking for its third straight NCCAA II National Championship.

Grant Berman got the start for SEU, and he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits to earn the win on the mound.

The Fire bullpen looked great too as Josh Lyons and Steve Hill combined for 1.2 innings, allowing no hits or runs while striking out four batters.

Davaris Strange stole the show on offense for the Fire. Strange went 3-for-4 with two runs, two stolen bases, and an RBI. Josh Clark went 2-for-2 with two runs while Kevin Cominsky went 2-for-3 with two runs, two stolen bases, and three RBIs for the Fire.

Southeastern will face No. 3-seed Lancaster Bible College on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. North Central University will take on No. 5-seed Cincinnati Christian University at 1:00 p.m.

Box Score

Mid-America Rallies Past Cincinnati Christian

LAKELAND--After Cincinnati Christian scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5, No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat CCU, 10-5, in the first round of the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

The Evangels' Chad Lantz got the win on the mound as he pitched two-thirds of an inning in which he allowed no runs and just one hit. But more importantly for the Evangels, Lantz put a stop to the Eagles' sixth inning rally.

Rocky Polk went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI while Jon Reed went 1-for-4 with three runs scored for Mid-America Christian.

Rene Disotaur took the loss on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing seven earned runs on just three hits for the Eagles.

Mid-America will now face No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Hillsdale Free Will Baptist defeated Mid-America in the Southwest Region Tournament last week to earn a berth in the national tournament.

Cincinnati Christian will face the loser of No. 1-seed Southeastern University and No. 6-seed North Central University on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Box Score

Hillsdale Free Will Baptist Edges Lancaster Bible, 5-4

LAKELAND--Bryon Semrau gave No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist a solid start to its 2007 national championship quest.

Semrau pitched six strong innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out five batters to get the win on the mound; the Saints of Hillsdale defeated No. 3-seed Lancaster Bible, 5-4, Wednesday afternoon in the first round of the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament.

The Saints came into the national tournament as the No. 4 seed overall after winning the Southwest Region Tournament; they will play the winner of No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University and No. 5-seed Cincinnati Christian University on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Saints catcher Nathan Thorne went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs while Ryan Kennedy went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Saints' reliever A.J. Boswell pitched a scoreless seventh inning to get the save for Hillsdale.

Lancaster's Carl Edwards went 3-for-3 for the game, and starting pitcher Drew Karschner pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs on five hits.

The Chargers will play Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Lancaster will face the winner of No. 1-seed Southeastern University or No. 6-seed North Central University.

Box Score

Fire Looks To Three-Peat

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's baseball team is preparing for the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament, which Southeastern will host Wednesday through Saturday. SEU is once again this year's No. 1 seed in the tournament.

All games will be played at Ted A. Broer Stadium on the campus of Southeastern University.

SEU is currently 44-17 on the year and will play No. 6-seed North Central University tonight at 7:00 p.m.

No. 3-seed Lancaster Bible will face off against No. 4-seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College at 1:00 p.m. to kick off this year's national tournament.

Game two will see No. 2-seed Mid-America Christian University taking on No. 5-seed Cincinnati Christian University at 4:00 p.m.

Southeastern University has won the NCCAA II National Tournament the past two seasons and is a perfect 9-0 in the NCCAA II National Tournament since 2005.

For all the latest news on this year's NCCAA II National Tournament stay connected to Southeastern University's athletic Web site.

Fire Wins 2007 South Region Championship
(04-28-07)

CLEARWATER, FL--The Southeastern University men's baseball team regrouped and swept Clearwater Christian College at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium on Saturday to win the 2007 South Region Championship tournament.

The Fire fell to Clearwater Christian Thursday night--its only South Region loss on the year--and needed to defeat CCC twice on Saturday to win its first South Region title since 2005.

"This is probably the most special one because of the seniors,'' said Southeastern coach Jason Beck. "A few of them have been with me the entire time, so this one is big.

"It was tough,'' he said. "Our pitching struggled a bit, but we just kept hitting. Even with our pitchers struggling, we felt man-to-man we could outhit them, and we did enough to win.''

In game one, Brett McCollum got the win on the mound for the Fire, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing just two runs.

The Fire bullpen also came up big in game one as Russ Steinhorn pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing no runs. Tim Dodd got the save on the mound for the Fire after CCC threatened in the seventh to tie the game.

In game two, Will Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs, and a stolen base, and Devaris Strange went 2-for-3 with two runs and three stolen bases to pace the Fire offense.

SEU led 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning when CCC rallied to score three runs and cut the lead to 5-4, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

Unshaken, SEU answered right back when Gonzalez broke open the game with a bases-loaded double, scoring five runs and putting the Cougars away for good.

Southeastern (44-17) will most likely be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCCAA II National Tournament, May 9-12, which SEU will host at Ted A. Broer Stadium for the third straight year.

Southeastern has won the NCCAA II National Championship the past two seasons.

Game One
Game Two

SEU Needs Two Wins Over Clearwater Christian For South Region Title

CLEARWATER, FL--Southeastern University bounced back Friday afternoon to win two games and advance to the 2007 South Region Tournament Championship on Saturday after falling to Clearwater Christian College, Thursday night.

In game one, SEU turned to starting pitcher Tommy Sutton, who had flu-like symptoms before the game. Sutton threw 152 pitches over just six innings, giving up eight earned runs while striking out 10 batters as SEU defeated Atlanta Christian College, 13-9. Sutton was treated for heat exhaustion after the game and will be unavailable to pitch on Saturday.

Devaris Strange went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs on the day, while David Moskovits went 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

In game two, Southeastern eliminated Toccoa Falls College with an 11-8 victory. Russ Steinhorn got the win on the mound for the Fire.

Matt Braly went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Strange went 3-for-5 with two runs and two stolen bases.

Southeastern is now 42-17 on the season and will face off with Clearwater Christian College on Saturday, starting at 2:00 p.m. The Fire needs to defeat CCC twice on Saturday in order to win the 2007 South Region Tournament.

With a Fire victory in game one, game two would start at 5:00 p.m. at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium.

ACC Box

The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger: Senior Fire pitcher excels, offers comic relief
(04-27-07)

LAKELAND--Southeastern senior pitcher Tommy Sutton is quirky, some say. He's had entire conversations with himself on the mound. He's dropped his pants on the mound to tuck in his shirt. He's run to the store for a bag of Skittles candy minutes before a start. (Click here for more.)

Fire Ready For South Region Tournament
(04-25-07)

CLEARWATER, FL--The Southeastern University baseball team had a record-breaking 2007 regular season. It compiled a 40-17 overall record while going a perfect 16-0 in the South Region.

SEU is the No. 1 seed in this week's NCCAA II South Region Championship tournament hosted by Clearwater Christian College; all games will be played at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in Clearwater, Florida.

The Fire will face No. 4 seed Clearwater Christian College, Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

With a victory Thursday, the Fire would play on Friday at 4:00 p.m. versus the winner of the game between Atlanta Christian College and Toccoa Falls College.

The South Region Championship game will be played on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Fire Falls Late To Eckerd, 10-9, In Extra Innings
(04-19-07)

ST. PETERSBURG--Southeastern pitcher Russ Steinhorn surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th inning as NCAA II Eckerd College rallied past SEU, 10-9, Wednesday night, avoiding a season sweep from the Fire.

Tommy Sutton pitched eight innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out five batters. Sutton took a no-decision in the game.

The Fire jumped out early on Eckerd, taking a 9-5 lead into the sixth inning, but SEU would not score for the rest of the game as Eckerd reliever Mike Fallin pitched six innings, allowing just three earned runs while striking out seven SEU batters.

Will Gonzalez went 4-for-6 with three RBIs while Tim Dodd went 4-for-6 with a run batted in. David Moskovits collected three hits and scored three runs while Joel Mailly went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Southeastern (40-15) will finish up its regular season with a double-header versus St. Thomas College, in Miami, next Monday.

The Fire earned the No.1 seed in the upcoming South Region Championship tournament in Clearwater, Florida, April 26-28. SEU will open up the tournament facing Clearwater Christian College, Thursday night a 7:00 p.m.

Box Score

SEU Sets Regular Season Win Record With Victory Over CCC
(04-18-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's baseball team is arguably having its best season in school history. The Fire defeated Clearwater Christian College, 15-5, on Senior Night at Ted Broer Stadium, Tuesday night, and improved to 40-14 on the year, setting a regular season win record.

Dan Quackenbush got the win on the mound as he pitched five innings, allowing just one earned run to earn his sixth win of the season.

Craig Maddox hit his 14th home run of the seaon in the second inning and finished the day going 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Josh Clark went 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Joel Mailly went 1-for-3 with a home run on the day.

The Fire is a perfect 15-0 in the South Region and clinched the No.1 seed in the upcoming, South Region Championship tournament in Clearwater, Florida, next weekend.

Ten Fire seniors were honored Tuesday night: Will Gonzalez, Matt Braly, Maddox, Tommy Sutton, Tim Dodd, Chris Shaw, Kevin Cominsky, Andrew Seip, Steve Hill, and Quackenbush.

Gonzalez, Braly, Maddox, Sutton, Dodd, and Quackenbush were all members of the 2005 and 2006 NCCAA II National Championship teams.

Gonzalez ends his SEU career as the school's all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored while Braly leaves SEU as the program's all-time leader in doubles.

Maddox will end his career as SEU's all-time leader in hits, home runs, and RBIs.

Sutton finishes his SEU career as the Fire's all-time leader in wins, strikeouts, appearances, complete games, innings pitched, and career ERA.

Southeastern will play at NCAA II Eckerd College tonight at 7:00 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Florida. SEU will end its regular season with a double-header versus St. Thomas College, next Monday, in Miami.

Box Score

The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger: Fire baseball player, Major League father thrive despite adversity
(04-17-07)

LAKELAND--Tom Gordon and Devaris Strange-Gordon have had to deal with adversity for most of their lives. At 5-foot-9, Tom Gordon was told he was too small to play Major League Baseball. (Click here for more.)

SEU Sweeps Season Series From Toccoa Falls
(04-16-07)

TOCCOA FALLS, GA--Davaris Strange led a Fire offensive that pounded out 15 hits Saturday as SEU swept the season series from Toccoa Falls College with a 7-6 victory.

Strange went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a stolen base while Joel Mailly went 2-for-4 with a home run.

Will Gonzalez, David Moskovits, and Matt Braly all added two hits apiece on the day.

Brett McCollum pitched 4.2 innings in relief, allowing no runs and giving up just three hits to earn his fourth victory of the season.

Trailing 7-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, TFC struck for two runs and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs. Fire reliever Steve Hill got TFC's Ryan Kirby to ground out to end the game. The save was Hill's second of the season.

Southeastern improves to 39-14 on the year and 15-0 in the South Region. SEU will host Clearwater Christian College, Tuesday night, at 7:00 p.m. for its last regular season home game of the year.

Box Score

Fire Takes Two From Toccoa Falls College

TOCCOA FALLS, GA--Southeastern University swept a double-header from Toccoa Falls College, Saturday, as the Fire pitching staff surrendered just two runs on seven hits in both games combined.

In game one, Cody Bracy got the win on the mound for SEU; he pitched five innings, allowing no runs on two hits. Chad Masters pitched a perfect sixth inning as SEU defeated Toccoa Falls, 11-0.

Craig Maddox went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and finished the game with six RBIs. Will Gonzalez went 4-for-4 with three stolen bases on the day.

In game two, Maddox pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits; SEU cruised to a 7-2 victory.

Tim Dodd went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI while Kevin Cominsky went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

Southeastern improves to 38-14 on the year and 14-0 in the South Region.

SEU will finish up its series with Toccoa Falls College on Saturday with a single game versus the Eagles at 10:30 a.m.

Game One
Game Two

Braly Stays Hot As Fire Sweeps ACC
(04-13-07)

ATLANTA, GA--Southeastern University used two strong pitching performances from Dan Quackenbush and Russ Steinhorn and the bat of Matt Braly to lead the Fire to a double-header sweep of Atlanta Christian College, Thursday afternoon.

In game one Quackenbush pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits as the Fire defeated ACC, 11-4.

Braly hit his second home run of the series and went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Davaris Strange went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base as the Fire jumped out on ACC 3-0 in the first inning. SEU added three runs in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.

In game two, Steinhorn pitched another complete game for the Fire, allowing just two earned runs on six hits as SEU defeated ACC, 10-2. Southeastern remains perfect in the South Region with a 12-0 record.

Braly homered for the third straight time in the series and went 1-for-2 with three RBIs.

Braly now has 13 home runs on the season and is now tied with Craig Maddox for the team lead. Braly and Maddox have both broken the single-season home run record, which was 11 home runs hit by Maddox in 2005.

Game One
Game Two

Dodd Leads SEU To Win Over Atlanta Christian

ATLANTA, GA--Senior Tim Dodd led Southeastern University to a 19-9 victory over Atlanta Christian College on Wednesday, keeping SEU perfect in the South Region.

Dodd blasted two home runs and went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and four RBIs. The Fire pounded out 21 hits for the game.

Matt Braly went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs while Craig Maddox went 3-for-4 with four RBIs as well.

Tommy Sutton got the win on the mound and improves to 10-1 on the season. Sutton allowed three earned runs over six innings with seven strikeouts.

Josh Clark and Steve Hill both added three hits apiece for SEU.

Southeastern (34-14, 10-0) will play a double-header versus Atlanta Christian College on Thursday.

Box Score

Fire Falls To Webber International
(04-10-07)

BABSON PARK, FL--NAIA Webber International University pounded out 15 hits and snapped SEU's five-game winning-streak with a 16-6 victory Monday night.

Chris Dupree led the Warriors' attack by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs while Chad Pearce went 4-for-4 with three RBIs on the day.

Starting pitcher Ros