Fire Baseball Brings Deep Squad into 2022 Campaign

LAKELAND, Fla.- The Southeastern University Fire baseball team is reloaded and poised to take the field for the 2022 season. Bolstered by a savvy core of returners and boosted by a barrage of new talent, the Fire aim to maintain their incredible reputation for success in both The Sun Conference and on the national scale.

SEU is coming off a 51-9 2021 campaign, the program's fourth-straight full season with 50 or more wins under head coach Adrian Dinkel. In 2021, SEU became the first team to sweep both The Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships since 2013.

Additionally, the Fire baseball program both hosted and swept the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Lakeland Bracket at Chain O' Lakes Complex, punching their third-straight trip to the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, where the Fire finished fifth.

The Fire will take the field without some key contributors from the 2021 squad, chief among those first baseman Nick Bottari, who was First Team NAIA All-American and The Sun Conference Player of the Year last season after batting .424 with 21 doubles and 24 home runs. SEU graduated another First Team All-American in Pedro Castellano. The Fire second baseman hit .357 last season while accumulating 16 doubles, 15 home runs, and a team-high 87 RBIs.

'

First Team All-SUN designated hitter Colton Onstott also graduated, after hitting a team-best .427 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and 62 runs batted in.

On the mound, left-handed arm Ryan Munoz is the biggest loss for SEU. Munoz was a Second Team NAIA All-American and First Team All-SUN selection who was 11-1 with a 3.00 Earned Run Average and 75 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched in 2021.

Fire fans will recognize some familiar faces on the field in 2022. Senior infielder Sam Faith returns for his third season with the program. Faith was a Second Team All-American, First Team All-SUN, and SUN Gold Glove selection as a shortstop for the Fire last season. At the plate, Faith hit .411 accumulating 20 doubles, two triples, 12 homers, and 54 RBIs.

Senior outfielder Thomas Broyles is also back for SEU. Broyles was a First Team All-SUN player after hitting .364 with 15 doubles and six home runs. Additionally, Broyles was second on the team in stolen bases at 12. Senior Luis Cabrera will be back behind the plate for the Fire. The 2021 Second Team All-SUN selection batted .347 last season with five home runs and threw out an impressive eight of the 13 individuals who attempted stolen bases on his watch.

On the mound, the Fire welcome back senior right-handed pitcher Drew Gillespie, who was First Team All-SUN last year after compiling a 1.79 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55.1 innings tossed.

"Our returners have helped keep our culture and expectation going on the track we expect," shared SEU head coach Adrian Dinkel, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the program. "They all have and will be crucial in keeping it moving forward with growth . Each year your culture changes, but expectations don't. The returning class has done a good job making sure everyone is on the same page."

Coach Dinkel also brings in a lengthy list of newcomers, as there are 22 student-athletes new to the program in 2022.

"With so many new faces this group has had a long process of meshing into the program and what makes us, us," commented Coach Dinkel. "This group is still growing as we push forward to getting tougher. I feel like we are heading on the right path."

The Fire have added a noteworthy middle infielder in freshman Isaac Nunez. The Orlando native brings NCAA Division I experience, having competed at both the University of Florida and the University of South Florida. SEU also added sophomore corner infielder Stephen Cullen, who batted .376 with 13 doubles and 18 home runs at Dyersburg State last season where he was First Team All-Region 7.

Freshman catcher Gary Lora also joins the Fire, after hitting .391 with 11 doubles and 11 homers at Florence Darlington Tech last year.

"One of our greatest strengths this year is our depth," added Coach Dinkel. "We feel as if we are more athletic on the offensive side of the ball this year than in the past. On the mound, we have the makings of a staff that has some quality depth."

On the mound, Southeastern has brought in the 2021 Florida Junior College Pitcher of the Year in Robb Adams. The 6-4 lefty went 7-2 with a 1.96 ERA in 87 innings pitched at Sante Fe Community College in Gainesville last season. Sophomore righty Juan Pimentel is another new arm for the Fire. Pimentel was an NJCAA All-American at Western Oklahoma State in 2021.

The Fire enter the 2022 season ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll and were picked to finish first in The Sun Conference via the SUN Preseason Coaches' Poll. SEU opens the season this weekend at home for a three-game non-conference weekend series versus the RV Columbia International University Rams. The series commences on Friday with a doubleheader at 2:00/5:00 p.m. followed by a single-game on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.