LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire baseball team will end its 17-game homestand with nine home games over the next eight days. The games begin with a matchup against Doane University later today and feature another trip to Tigertown to take on St. Ambrose on Friday.
GAME 22:
#1 Southeastern (18-3) vs. Doane (4-9)
Date: Monday March 11, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
The Fire:
- SEU has won 16 of its last 17 contests after going 2-2 to start the year.
- The Fire have boasted a prolific offense thus far, as Southeastern has scored more than 10 runs in 10 of its last 14 contests. Five players have at least 20 RBIs on the year, while eight are batting higher than .350.
- The second frame has been a productive inning for the Fire. Southeastern has scored its most runs in the second inning (39), while also giving up the fewest runs (3) in any inning in the second.
Doane:
- The Tigers come into their matchup with the Fire winning three of their past six competitions following a 1-6 start.
- In victories this season, Doane is giving up just 4.25 runs, a dramatic difference from the 12.78 runs the Tigers surrender per game in losses.
- Bradley Bero has been vital in wins for the Tigers this season. The pitcher has recorded three of Doane's four victories, while posting a 3.43 ERA. Bero has given up six or less hits in all appearances and has struck out at least six batters each game.
GAMES 23-24:
#1 Southeastern (18-3) vs. Olivet Nazarene (9-3)
Date: Tuesday March 12, 2018
Times: Game 1- 4:00 p.m., Game 2- 7:00 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
Olivet Nazarene:
- Olivet Nazarene makes its trip down south on a bit of a hot streak. The Tigers have won five of their last six contests.
- In nine wins this year, ONU is averaging 8.89 runs as opposed to a mere single run in the three losses. When the Tigers score more than one run in contests this season, the team is 9-0.
- Olivet Nazarene leads the country in steals per game (3.83) and attempts per game (4.08). The Tigers rank fifth in ERA, giving up just 2.22 earned runs and tenth in opponent batting average (0.218).
GAME 25:
#1 Southeastern (18-3) vs. Aquinas College (1-6)
Date: Wednesday March 13, 2018
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
Aquinas College:
- Aquinas has struggled to find their rhythm early in 2019 as the Saints have dropped five of six to open their campaign.
- Mitchell Weber leads the Saints offense with a .417 average so far this year. The senior has gone 5-12 in competitions with an impressive .429 on-base percentage, while leading the team in hits (5), RBIs (4) and total bases (7).
- Mistakes could play a role in the outcome of the ballgame, as AC ranks third in the country in errors (2.67 per game). The Saints also get caught stealing every other contest, which ranks 46th in the nation.
GAME 26:
#1 Southeastern (18-3) vs. Viterbo (5-4)
Date: Wednesday March 13, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla.
Viterbo:
- Viterbo comes in to this week after winning three of its last five games. Every time the V-Hawks have registered more than three runs in a competition, they have come out on top (3-0).
- The first inning has been an indicator of success for Viterbo. The V-Hawks are outscoring opponents 15-3 in the inning this season. When VU scores in the opening frame, the team is 4-0 this year.
- DJ Wilson captains the team in a plethora of offensive categories. The junior has a .591 batting average, which ranks second on the squad, while leading the V-Hawks in hits (13), total bases (13) and RBIs (seven).
GAMES 27-29:
#1 Southeastern (18-3) vs. St. Ambrose (0-6)
Dates: Friday March 15- Saturday March 16, 2018
Times: 2:00 p.m. (Friday), 11:00 a.m. (Game 1 Saturday), 2:00 p.m. (Game 2 Saturday)
Locations: Joker Marchant Stadium (Friday), Ted A. Broer Stadium- Lakeland, Fla. (Saturday)
St. Ambrose:
- A three-game series is set between the Fire and the Fighting Bees, with the opening game on Friday taking place at Tigertown. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
- Overall, it seems like the Fighting Bees have been unable to produce at the plate. St. Ambrose has lost all six of its competitions this season by at least three runs, scoring an average of only 2.83 runs per game.
- St. Ambrose has been outscored 59-17 through six games this year, including 10-0 in the first inning and 20-2 in the fifth. The only inning the Fighting Bees are outscoring their opponents is the eighth (2-1).
Be sure to catch live stats and video at seufire.com/watch or follow @SEUFireBaseball on Twitter for updates.
