Southeastern Baseball Thankful to Take the Field in 2021

LAKELAND, Fla.- After having their 2020 season shortened due to a worldwide pandemic, the No. 1 ranked Southeastern University baseball team is overjoyed to open their 2021 season this weekend. The Fire host the Columbia International University Rams this weekend for a three-game series at Ted A. Broer Stadium.
 
"Our guys are just thankful for the opportunity to be back on the field and compete," shared SEU head coach Adrian Dinkel. "They have learned to take nothing for granted and have brought a high level of work ethic into our practices."
 
Southeastern enters the 2021 season as the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA and the preseason favorites to win The Sun Conference after finishing the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign 26-1 (9-0 TSC), ending the year on a program-record 25-game win streak. The Fire hit .388 with 77 home runs and 286 RBI.
 
The Fire will be without outfielder Zach Cornell this season, after he was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Nationals in the offseason. Cornell led SEU last season with a .519 batting average last season and drove in 44 runs in 27 starts. Southeastern also loses outfielder Cristian Martin, who hit .418 with 10 home runs and nine stolen bases, and Abdel Guadalupe, who hit .409 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs.
 
Despite these losses, SEU still returns a load of production from its offensive lineup. Leading the way is junior shortstop Sam Faith, who batted .455 with six doubles, five home runs, and 25 runs batted in in 2020. Additionally, Faith was named an NAIA Baseball Preseason All-American in the fall.
 
 Senior infielder Colton Onstott is also back at the plate, after hitting .447 with nine long balls and 34 RBIs last season. Senior infielder Pedro Castellano rounds out the group of key returners at the plate for Southeastern. Castellano belted a .351 average with 10 doubles and 10 homers last season.
 
On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Bryce Mulcahy is back for the Fire. Mulcahy was a perfect 5-0 as the SEU ace arm last season, striking 45 batters out in 35 innings pitched conceding a 2.31 Earned Run Average. Senior left-handed pitcher Ryan Munoz is a key bullpen arm back for SEU, after he was 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA and struck out 26 hitters in 22.1 innings tossed in 2020.
 
"We returned most of our key contributors on the mound from last season," commented Coach Dinkel. "But we also added some quality transfers that make us deeper. This is one of the deepest pitching staffs we have ever had."
 
Key newcomers at the plate for the Fire this year include NCAA Division I University of Missouri transfers Thomas Broyles and Austin James. Broyles, a junior outfielder, made 20 starts in 40 career appearances for Missouri. In 2019, he ranked second on the team with eight pinch-hit at bats, where he was successful in half of those opportunities, recording an outstanding .500 average. James started all 16 games of the shortened 2020 season at shortstop for Missouri.
 
Senior right-handed pitcher Christian Camacho is a top new arm for Coach Dinkel. Camacho comes from NCAA DI Pittsburgh, where he appeared in 14 games, starting nine for the Panthers. Senior righty Heath Olive is projected to be a key bullpen arm for the Fire. Olive transferred in from Faulkner University, where he posted a 3-0 record, 0.48 ERA, and struck out 33 in 18.2 innings tossed in 2020.
 
"This is one of the most selfless groups I have ever coached. It has been a lot of fun to run practice with these guys," remarked Coach Dinkel.


The first game of the series between Southeastern and Columbia International is set to take place tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m.