LAKELAND, Fla. – After an unforgettable Major League Baseball Spring Training experience last weekend versus the Detroit Tigers, the Fire return to collegiate play with a full slate of non-conference action. SEU hosts the Florida National University Conquistadors for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon before the receiving votes Madonna University Crusaders come to town for a four-game set this weekend.
GAMES:
No. 1 Southeastern (11-2) vs. Florida National (5-13) Tuesday 2:00/5:00 p.m.
No. 1 Southeastern (11-2) vs. RV Madonna (8-5) Friday 3:00/6:00 p.m. Saturday 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.
LIVE COVERAGE: WATCH/LIVE STATS
FIRE FOCUS:
- The Fire and the Tigers drew 4,965 in attendance for last Friday's Spring Training Exhibition, the largest attendance for a Southeastern sporting event in school history.
- SEU ranks second in the NAIA in runs scored (150), fourth in hits per game (11.769), and sixth in team slugging percentage (.554).
- Senior third baseman Ivan Nunez has registered multi-hit games in his last six contests. During that six-game stretch Nunez has driven in 16 runs. The Miami native ranks third in the NAIA in doubles (8).
- After going .136 (3-22) at the plate with three runs batted and no home runs through the first six games of the season, junior Abdel Guadalupe has hit .467 (7-15) with 12 RBIs and four homers over his last five.
- On the mound, junior righty Jayden Hartle has impressed early on. In 16 innings of work, the second highest total on the team, Hartle has allowed just one extra-base hit, one run, and is 1-0. Opposing bats are hitting just .118 at the plate versus the Payson, Utah native.
ALL-TIME SERIES:
- The Fire took all three games from the Conquistadors in their first year as a program in 2018, outscoring FNU a total of 42-12.
- This marks the first ever meeting between Southeastern and Madonna, although both the Fire and the Conquistadors competed in the Kingsport Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round last season.
THE CONQUISTADORS:
- Florida National is looking to snap a five game losing streak coming into tomorrow's doubleheader. Most recently the Conquistadors dropped a midweek doubleheader to No. 3 Faulkner, in which FNU was outscored 20-3.
- 16 of the 18 games Florida National has played this season have been road or neutral site contests.
- As a team, the Conquistadors are hitting a combined .257 at the plate, with a .365 slugging percentage and 58 runs scored.
- FNU has also went yard six times as a team this season.
THE CRUSADERS:
- Madonna has gone 4-5 in the spring portion of its season after a perfect 4-0 fall semester.
- The Crusaders are active on the base paths, averaging 2.4 stolen bases per game which ranks 18th in the NAIA. Four different players have four or more swiped bags for MU thus far.
- Redshirt senior outfielder Stephen Parker carries a five-game hit streak entering this weekend's action. Parker is hitting .407 at the plate this season with a team-leading .526 on-base percentage.
- Junior right-handed pitcher Donovan Thacker has been the top arm for the Crusaders thus far, compiling a 2-1 record with a 2.03 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26.2 innings tossed.
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