LEWISTON, Idaho – The Southeastern University baseball team continues to make history in its first appearance in the Avista-NAIA World Series. At 3-0 in tournament play, the fifth-seeded Fire are the only remaining unbeaten team in the field and are inching closer to a championship opportunity. Next for the Fire is a primetime showdown with host school and winner of the last three World Series, the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors.
GAME: No. 6 Lewis-Clark State (40-12) vs. No. 5 Southeastern (57-7)
COVERAGE: LIVE STATS ESPN3
POSTSEASON RECORDS: The Fire have already rewritten the program NAIA postseason record book and are on pace to break more records. Senior right-handed pitcher
Jordan Scott became the first SEU pitcher to win three games in a postseason with the win over Faulkner on Monday. Fellow arm
Jonathan Bermudez (21 Ks) is one strikeout away from setting a new postseason punch out record. At the plate junior outfielder
Manuel Mesa (17 H) is three base knocks away from tying the postseason hits record. As a team, the Fire are one win away from setting a new high mark in postseason victories, two home runs away from tying the record for long balls, and need 11 strikeouts to tie the record for punch outs.
FIRE BALANCED: SEU ranks atop the remaining four teams both offensively and defensively in World Series play. The Fire are hitting .343 with a .515 slugging percentage as a team in Lewiston, having recorded at least 10 hits in each of their three contests. SEU bats have only struck out 11 times in the tournament. On the mound, the Fire hold a 2.00 staff ERA and have only allowed three walks. The Southeastern arms have also only surrendered four extra-base hits in 102 opposing at-bats.
MANUEL TRANSMISSION: Manuel Mesa has been on a tear in the leadoff spot for the Fire. With a .600 World Series batting average, Mesa has recorded three hits in each contest of the tournament. When leading off a frame at the plate for SEU, the Bronx, N.Y. native is 4-5 with all four hits going for extra bases. Mesa is also a perfect 2-2 on stolen bases for the Fire in Lewiston.
THE WARRIORS: Lewis-Clarke State escaped elimination with a 5-3 win over Antelope Valley yesterday. The Warriors feature the second-ranked pitching staff remaining behind the Fire. The LC staff boasts a 3.12 World Series ERA and are allowing opposing bats to hit .237. Junior outfielder Joey Parante is hitting a team-best .500 in the tournament. Junior infielder Kyle Callahan has a team-high four RBIs. The Warriors have won six straight elimination games in the NAIA World Series all-time.
Be sure to follow @SEUFireBaseball on Twitter for all of the latest updates from Lewiston.
