Top-Seeded Fire Prepared to Battle for the Banner in Lewiston

LEWISTON, Idaho- The Southeastern University baseball team finds itself on a familiar stage with a familiar goal with a plethora of new faces. With 20 of their 25 players on the postseason roster making their first career appearance in Lewiston, the Fire enter the 2021 Avista-NAIA World Series as the top-seeded team.
 
GAME ONE:

No. 1 Southeastern (50-7) vs. Winner of No. 8 Keiser (36-16) vs. No. 9 LSU-Shreveport (44-14)

Saturday | 6:00 p.m. eastern | Harris Field | Lewiston, Idaho
 
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FIRE FOCUS:

• Southeastern is making its third-straight and third all-time appearance in the World Series. The Fire went undefeated in the 2018 World Series, capturing the school's first ever NAIA National Championship of any sport. The Fire placed fifth in Lewiston in 2019.
• Southeastern punched its ticket to Lewiston this season after sweeping its way through the NAIA Opening Round Lakeland Bracket, which the Fire hosted at the Chain O' Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, Fla. SEU defeated Middle Georgia State 18-4 in the championship game to punch their ticket to Lewiston.
• During the three games in the Opening Round, the Fire hit .368 as a team with a .509 slugging percentage.
• Senior first baseman Nick Bottari his hitting a team-best .500 in the postseason, posting a .676 slugging percentage as well.
• Senior designated hitter Colton Onstott leads the Fire in postseason RBIs at 16.
• In the postseason, the Fire pitching staff has allowed just 27 earned runs in 81 innings of work.
• Senior right-handed pitcher Christian Camacho is 2-0 this postseason with an astounding 0.53 Earned Run Average. Camacho has struck out 12 hitters in 17 innings pitched during that stretch.

FIRE ALL-TIME:

• The Fire are 4-0 against Keiser this season, sweeping the Seahawks over three games in Lakeland during the regular season April 2-3, and eliminating KU from the TSC Tournament 8-3 on May 8.
• SEU trails the all-time series to Keiser 23-21, however, the Fire have won five-straight and nine of the last 10 exchanges.
• Southeastern and LSU-Shreveport have ever gone head-to-head on the baseball diamond.

THE SEAHAWKS:

• Keiser punched its second all-time ticket to Lewiston by going 3-0 in the NAIA Opening Round New Orleans Bracket, defeating Oklahoma City 7-3 in the championship final.
• Offensively, the Seahawks rank 10^th in the NAIA in runs scored per game (9.058), 13^th in runs batted in per game (8.135), 15^th in hits per game (10.962), and 25^th in home runs per game (1.346).
• Junior infielder Tim Bouchard leads the way for KU offensively, hitting a team-best .403 and leading the Seahawks in home runs (16), RBIs (67), and slugging percentage (.760). Bouchard is also tied for the team lead in doubles (16).
• On the mound, Keiser ranks 16^th nationally in team ERA (3.91).
• Senior right-handed pitcher Pablo Arevalo is the ace of the Keiser pitching staff. Arevalo leads the NAIA in fewest walks per nine innings (0.54), ranks third in Earned Run Average (1.38), and is 9-3 on the season.

THE PILOTS

• LSU-Shreveport earned its fourth all-time World Series berth after beating Point Park twice in the championship round of the NAIA Opening Round Williamsburg Bracket.
• Offensively, the Pilots ranks 13^th in the NAIA in runs scored per game (8.845), 14^th in team batting average (.335), 15^th in runs batted in per game (7.897), 16^th in team slugging percentage (.546), 21^st in hits per game (10.517), and 23^rd in doubles per game (2.121).
• Senior utility man Payton Robertson is hitting a team-leading .417 and enters Lewiston on a 12-game hit streak. Robertson also leads the team in RBIs at 56.
• Pitching wise, LSUS ranks 20^th nationally in opponent batting average (.249) and 34^th in ERA (4.64).
• Junior righty Trent Sholders boasts a team-best 3.04 ERA and has struck out 30 hitters in 50.1 innings of work this season. Opposing bats are hitting just .237 off Sholders.