Baseball | 2/16/2017 1:00:00 PM
LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire baseball team, who has a perfect 12-0 record so far in 2017, will put their undefeated season on the line when they face Thomas University in a three game series beginning Friday night at 6:00pm.
On Fire:
The offense has been firing on all cylinders for Southeastern, as they rank in the top five in the NAIA in 14 separate statistical categories. This includes leading the nation in total runs scored (127) and total RBIs (105), while ranking second in total hits (146).
Seniors
Mike D'Acunti and
Luis Diaz captain the Fire offense. D'Acunti, the Dix Hills, New York native, leads the Fire in total hits (22), which puts him 5
th in the country in that category, while batting a solid .500 through 12 games. Diaz has also contributed to the Fire's hot start, leading both the team and the Sun Conference in stolen bases (12) and RBI (17). He ranks 2
nd and 5
th in the NAIA in those categories, respectively.
Nate Harmon,
Kade Wagner, and
John Jaeger have led the pitching efforts for the Fire. Harmon, who is 3-0 on the year, boasts a 1.13 ERA through his three starts. Wagner has carried the team in strikeouts per nine innings, recording an 11.57 K average. Jaeger earned honors as the Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week after tallying a win and a save in the series against USCB.
The Night Hawks:
Thomas University has had a roller coaster start to their year, beginning 2-3 before a six game homestand. During the homestand, the Night Hawks swept Milligan College (Tenn.), but were then defeated in each of their first three conference games against Keiser University.
Tanner Elsbernd, the senior from Tallahassee, paves the way offensively for the Night Hawks. Elsbernd leads the team with 12 total hits and has a .375 batting average so far this year. Justin Young and Jordan Martin handle a majority of the pitching duties for Thomas. Young has recorded a 3.24 ERA through 16.2 innings pitched, while Martin leads the Night Hawks in strikeout average (9.00). Both players picked up a win in the series against Milligan.
Games are scheduled to be played at All-Saints Academy in Winter Haven on Friday at 6:00pm and Saturday at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
