LAKELAND, Fla.- After a lengthy offseason, the 2020 Southeastern University baseball team is set to embark on a new journey with an almost entirely new ensemble of player personnel.
The Fire are coming off a 53-12 2019 campaign, in which they captured the program's first ever Sun Conference Regular Season Championship with a 20-4 record in TSC play and advance to the Avista-NAIA World Series for a second-straight season, where they placed fifth.
Southeastern opened up the preseason ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
SEU looks to replace an offense that put up gargantuan numbers last season, leading the NAIA in total doubles (161), team batting average (.347), total hits (741), runs scored (593), and runs batted in (524).
All in all offensively, the Fire must replace 79.3% of their runs scored, 83.4% of their hits, 81.2% of their RBIs, and 93.4% of their stolen bases from last season.
Key members missing from last season include 2019 Sun Conference Player of the Year and NAIA First Team All-American
Manuel Mesa. Mesa recorded a single-season program record 112 hits last season, while also notching 21 doubles, 12 home runs, and 38 stolen bases.
The Fire will also be without senior third baseman
Ivan Nunez. The Miami native was an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American last season after hitting .383 with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, and 77 RBIs. SEU also lost 2018 NAIA Second Team All-American
Dan Valerio to graduation. Valerio hit .345 last season with 11 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
On the mound, SEU must replace 73.6% of its wins, 70.4% of its innings pitched, and 73.9% of its strikeouts from last year.
First Team All-TSC and Fire ace
Felix Dieguez will not be back this season due to graduation. Dieguez was 7-1 with a 2.20 ERA and a team-leading 91 strikeouts last season.
Keven Long, the team leader in wins last season (10-1) also graduated. Long logged the most innings for SEU last season at 89.2 and struck out 87.
Returning at the plate for SEU is senior outfielder
Abdel Guadalupe. Guadalupe played in 60 games for the Fire last season, hitting .286 with a team-leading 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, and placing Second Team All-TSC. Senior first baseman
Nick Bottari is also back after medical redshirting in 2019. Bottari was a .385 hitter on the 2018 National Championship team and placed First Team All-TSC that season.
On the mound, Southeastern welcomes back senior right-handed pitcher
Jayden Hartle, who went 7-4 with a 4.16 ERA, 74 strikeouts, and was Second Team All-TSC. Also back is senior right-handed reliever
Marc Soto, who compiled a 4-1 record and 2.57 ERA in 18 appearances last season.
The Fire welcome a total of 23 newcomers to the program.
"We only have a few returning on the offensive side that will be bolstered with new talent," shared Southeastern head coach
Adrian Dinkel who enters his fourth season at the helm of the program. "There will be plenty of jobs up for grabs, as offensive depth should be a strength."
Offensively, the Fire look to the likes of senior outfielder
Zach Cornell to help fill in the gaps. Cornell is a transfer from Middle Georgia State, where he was a Second Team NAIA All-American last year after hitting .421 with 16 doubles and 12 homers. Junior infielder
Nolan Machibroda is another key bat the Fire added. At College of Central Florida last season, Machibroda hit .369 with 22 doubles, eight home runs, and led all Florida junior college players with 73 runs batted in.
On the mound, SEU added righty
Brenden Heiss, a transfer from NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast. Heiss was drafted out of high school by the Chicago Cubs in the 31
st Round. Junior right-handed pitcher
Ronnie Voacolo also joins SEU after going 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 62 strikeouts during his sophomore season at Mercer County.
"Almost the entire roster is new, added Coach Dinkel. " We have a handful of good returning arms will help guide the pitching staff that should be front-loaded with new guys."Â
Rounding out the group of key newcomers is junior righty
Brayan Garcia. The Walton, New York native posted a 3.49 ERA at New Mexico Junior College last season and was up to 96 miles per hour in the fall.
"Pending good health and success in the classroom should be fun to see what this team can do," summed up Coach Dinkel.
The Fire commence the 2020 season with a highly-touted three-game series at Ted A. Broer Stadium versus preseason No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett College. The first game of the series is set for Thursday January 30 at 4:00 p.m. eastern.
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