LAKELAND, Fla.— Following a series sweep of no. 13 Keiser on the road this weekend, the Fire return home for a slate of four games on the week. Southeastern will take on Florida National on Tuesday before a three-game Sun Conference showdown with Ave Maria over the weekend.
GAME 43:
#3 Southeastern (40-2) vs. Florida National (10-20)
Date: Tuesday April 3, 2018
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
Hot Streak:
After posting a 21-game win streak to begin the season, the Fire are currently riding a 19-game streak. With the three Sun Conference victories this past weekend, Southeastern became the first NAIA team to reach 40 wins this year. The Fire, who have outscored opponents 360-131 in 2018, have a 15-0 record in conference play thus far and have not been defeated when leading at any point in a game.
Dan the Man:
Dan Valerio has been a key contributor for the Fire throughout the season, but has especially impacted the outcomes of contests as of late. The junior has recorded 21 multi-hit games and 18 games with multiple RBIs on the year, including 14 competitions in which he did both. Valerio, who is just ten RBIs short of the Southeastern record for runs batted in over the course of the season, leads the NAIA with 64. Over the last six games, the Tinton Falls, N.J. native has gained significant ground on the record, driving in a combined 21 runs.
This recent success is largely due to production with runners on base, as Valerio can drive the ball to any part of the ballpark. On the year, Valerio has 19 doubles with 12 longballs and is batting .490 with runners on base. His average jumps to .516 when runners move into scoring position.
The Conquistadors:
Florida National comes into their contest with Southeastern after beating College of Saint Joseph's 9-8 in their last outing. The Conquistadors, who are 1-14 against NAIA teams on the season, beat Florida Memorial in a 16-13 offensive-minded contest for their sole win versus NAIA competition earlier this year. In the game, Benjamin Murray was key for the Conquistadors, going 5-6 from the plate with a double and a triple. The freshman drove in three runs and scored twice, leading FNU to victory.
Earlier this season, the Fire took both games of a doubleheader in Winter Haven against the Conquistadors by scores of 9-3 and 17-7, respectively.
GAMES 44-46:
#3 Southeastern (40-2, 15-0 TSC) vs. Ave Maria (14-24, 3-12 TSC)
Dates: Friday April 6 and Saturday April 7, 2018
Times: Game 1: Fri. @ 6:30 p.m., Games 2-3: Sat. @ 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
Ave Maria:
Although the Gyrenes sit at a mediocre 14-24 overall, Ave Maria has won four of its last six matchups, including a victory over no. 13 Keiser. After defeating the Seahawks, the Gyrenes have exploded for 35 runs in their past three wins. In their most recent games, a doubleheader against Florida National, Ave Maria won by scores of 14-12 and 11-10.
Be My Valentine:
Steven Valentine, who leads the Gyrenes with a .333 batting average, was instrumental in the wins. The junior out of IMG Academy went 6-8 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI in the games. Valentine is currently on a four-game multi-hit streak and has recorded a hit in 17 of the last 18 contests.
The Fire lead the overall series with Ave Maria 22-7 and have taken the last eight matchups. On February 6
th of this year, Southeastern notched victories in both games of a doubleheader versus the Gyrenes. The Fire collected an 8-3 win in game one, while edging Ave Maria 4-3 in the second contest.
GAME COVERAGE:
Live video will be provided at seufire.com/watch along with live stats. Be sure to follow @SEUFireBaseball on Twitter for in-game updates of every matchup.
