LAKELAND, Fla.—By the end of the week, Southeastern could match its program record win streak.
The Fire sit at 21-0 on the season after posting five more wins last week in which they totaled 87 runs and allowed just four. At the plate, the Fire hit .464 as a team with 82 RBIs, a .952 slugging percentage, and a .571 on base percentage.
The pitching staff was just as impressive with 53 strikeouts against just five walks in 35 innings of work with a 1.03 staff ERA. Opponents hit just .167 against SEU pitching last week.
Robb Adams was The Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week after moving to 2-0 on the season with five shutout innings and eight strikeouts against Iowa Wesleyan. Eight players slugged over 1.000 last week led by
Stephen Cullen's 1.769 with five home runs and a double in his seven hits. Cullen is one of five players on the roster with seven homers this season to lead the team with
Chayce Bryant,
Pablo Lanzarote,
Adonys Herrera, and
Gary Lora.
Bryant currently leads the team in batting average at .463 and
Isaac Nunez leads the club in hits with 38.
The Fire will open the week with the University of St. Francis (Ill.) on Tuesday, then will host Calumet on Wednesday, Northwestern on Thursday, St. Francis again on Friday, and fifth-ranked Bellevue on Saturday.
St. Francis is 5-11 to start the year after dropping a doubleheader on Sunday at Webber International and last night at Warner, 13-7. The Saints have a .431 team slugging percentage with 32 doubles and 10 homers in 15 games. Eric Maffie leads the team with 17 hits and a .362 average with five doubles and four home runs. John McGuire is the top pitcher with 11 strikeouts in 18 innings and a 2.00 ERA.
The Fire are 8-1 all-time against the Saints, winning 11-6 and 11-4 last year.
This will be the eighth meeting all-time between the Fire and the Crimson Wave of Calumet with the Fire having won all seven of the previous contests. The teams haven't met since the 2014 season. Calumet is 6-8 on the season after splitting a doubleheader with Toccoa Falls on Saturday and a 17-9 win over Sienna Heights on Monday. Sean Moore has been on of the top bats so far with 11 hits and seven RBIs with a .536 slugging percentage and a batting average just shy of .400.
Northwestern is 3-7 on the year after splitting with Cornerstone in Davenport on Monday. They will face Roosevelt on Tuesday for a doubleheader in Auburndale before coming to Ted A. Broer Stadium. Mason Porepp has 10 hits in as many games and Brady Roberts has struck out 18 in his three starts. Dylan Kirkeby has 16 strikeouts over 10 innings of work.
Bellevue joined Southeastern in Lewiston last year for the NAIA World Series, going 1-2 in the tournament and finished the season with 49 wins. The Bruins are currently 8-4, dropping two-of-three to St. Thomas over the weekend in Winter Haven. The Bruins will play Warner, St. Francis, and Northwestern before taking on the Fire on Saturday. Bellevue has posted a .409 team on-base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage. Brendan Luther leads the offense with 16 hits and has been walked eight times. Alexandro Celiceo has struck out 21 over 22.2 innings of work.
