Fire Ready to Battle Bobcats in Lewiston

LAKELAND, Fla.- The Southeastern University Baseball team is set to defend its World Series' crown. The defending-champion Fire are the third-seeded team in the 10-team field of the 2019 Avista-NAIA World Series. The road to a repeat-title begins with a familiar face, as the Fire take on the sixth-seeded St. Thomas University Bobcats in the first round.

GAME:
No. 3 Southeastern (51-10) vs. No. 6 St. Thomas (45-13)

COVERAGE:
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LAST TIME IN LEWISTON:
-Southeastern is making back-to-back Avista-NAIA World Series appearances after capturing the 2018 championship, the first NAIA National Title of any sport in school history.
-The Fire went a perfect 5-0 in Lewiston last season, becoming the first team to run the table in the World Series since Kennesaw State did so in 1994. SEU was also the first team from the state of Florida to win the series.
-SEU returns five hitters who saw at-bats in Lewiston last season, but only two pitchers who recorded innings in the World Series (Felix Dieguez, Heibert Romero).
-At the plate last year in Lewiston, Fire bats averaged 10.6 hits per game and led the field in extra-base hits (19), as well as stolen bases (11). On the mound, SEU arms posted a 2.40 World Series ERA and set the series' record for fewest walks by a team who played four or more games (4).
-Last season in Lewiston, returning outfielder Manuel Mesa was the series MVP and Charles Berry Hustle Award winner after hitting .520 at the plate with seven extra-base hits and eight runs scored. Additionally, returning infielder Ivan Nunez was the top SEU bat in the World Series last year, hitting .526 with a .545 on-base percentage.

FIRE FOCUS:
-The Fire earned the return trip to the World Series after a 3-0 sweep of the Macon Bracket in the NAIA Opening Round.
-Pitching was the story for SEU in Macon. In the Opening Round, Fire arms posted a collective 0.67 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, .215 opponent batting average, and surrendered just three extra-base hits in 27 innings pitched. The Fire only used five different pitchers during that stretch.
-Senior catcher Willie Estrada is hitting a team best .409 this postseason, while senior outfielder Mike Taylor Jr. is batting .400.
-In two postseason starts, senior left-handed pitcher Austin Covers has posted a 0.84 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a .143 opponent batting average in 10.2 innings of work.

PREVIOUS VERSUS ST. THOMAS:
-This marks the fifth meeting this season that SEU and STU will have met on the diamond.
-The Bobcats swept the Fire in Miami Gardens in the regular season series. However, Southeastern eliminated St. Thomas 11-7 in their most recent meeting at The Sun Conference Tournament.
-Senior third baseman and Miami native Ivan Nunez has hit a team-best .462 versus STU this season.

THE BOBCATS:
-For the seventh time in program history, including  the third in the last five seasons, St. Thomas will compete in Lewiston.
-The STU offensive lineup features six hitters with 130 or more at-bats hitting above .300.
-Senior shortstop Erick Delgado is hitting a team-best .367 with 16 doubles, three triples, and he is a perfect 20-20 on stolen base attempts.
-On the mound, St. Thomas features two First Team All-Sun Conference arms in graduate right-handed pitcher Orlando Rodriguez and senior left-handed pitcher Ian Expositio.
-Both pitchers have posted a sub-3.00 Earned Run Average and the Bobcats are 21-5 when either man is starting on the mound.
 
Be sure to follow @SEUFireBaseball on Twitter to follow Fire baseball's journey in Lewiston!