LAKELAND, Fla. -- Third-ranked SEU Baseball opens the 2026 season at home with a four-game series against Montreat College at Ted A. Broer Stadium. The Fire begin the year Thursday night before settling into a busy opening weekend in Lakeland.
- Thursday, January 29 – 5 p.m.
- Friday, January 30 – 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
- Saturday, January 31 – 11 a.m.
- Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium (Lakeland, Fla.)
All four games of the opening series will be available live on the Urban Edge Network App, accessible on smart TVs and mobile devices. Fans can also follow along online, allowing Fire faithful to catch every moment of the season-opening action.
A Year Ago
Southeastern enters 2026 with momentum built from one of the most accomplished seasons in program history. The Fire finished 47–15 in 2025, claimed the Sun Conference regular-season championship, and advanced to the NAIA National Championship game, finishing as the national runner-up. Now in year two under head coach
Gabe Grinder, Southeastern opens the season ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Preseason Poll and picked as the favorite to repeat atop the conference standings.
The Foundation of Firepower
While SEU must replace a historically productive lineup, the returning core provides a proven offensive foundation. Five position players return who accounted for roughly a quarter of the team's offensive production last season. That group is led by
Charlie Collins, who delivered one of the most complete seasons in program history, hitting .393 with a .481 on-base percentage and a .577 slugging percentage while starting 59 games.Â
Nick Streuer also returns after hitting .323 with a .403 on-base percentage and five home runs, offering versatility and consistency throughout the order.
Brock McMullen adds patience and depth, while
Paul Wittmann brings experience and speed.
New Names, Same Expectations
The Fire supplement their returning bats with an accomplished incoming position-player class.
Cooper Ciesielski arrives with experience and a .349 career average from his time at UT Permian Basin, bringing middle-of-the-order power potential.
Cort Pryor adds experience, speed, and on-base ability after stops at Northwestern State and the junior college ranks.
Junior college transfers further elevate the lineup. Nathan Hopkins brings a complete offensive profile after hitting .360 with 15 home runs at Seward County, while
Isaiah Baez adds consistency after posting a .365 average across two seasons at Palm Beach State.
Jace Essig arrives following a breakout year in which he hit .381 with 14 home runs and 23 stolen bases. Speed and pressure offense are enhanced by
Victor Esquivel Perez,
Joel Franco,
Dayne Wimberly, and
Jett Wolfe, giving Southeastern multiple ways to manufacture runs.
Anchors Still in Place
Southeastern returns six pitchers from last season's staff, led by closer
Cole Jones. Jones established himself as one of the NAIA's most reliable bullpen arms, posting a 2.51 ERA with 11 saves while striking out 28 batters in 28.2 innings. His presence gives the Fire stability at the back end of games.
Grant Harvill returns after logging valuable innings as both a starter and reliever, while
Austin Peddycoart,
Micah Earwood,
Olvis Genao, and
Johnny Pecora add familiarity and depth. That returning group provides continuity as Southeastern integrates a wave of new arms.
Built for Volume and Versatility
The transformation of the pitching staff is driven by depth and durability.
Blake Sandvik arrives after two seasons at Everett CC, throwing more than 100 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA and triple-digit strikeouts.
Brody McMullen brings similar reliability after nearly 95 innings at Linn-Benton CC, including a 1.83 ERA in 2025.
Finn Still adds another high-usage arm after logging close to 80 innings at Centralia College.
The staff is reinforced by
Parker Lambeth, who posted a 2.36 ERA with four saves at State Fair CC, and
John McDonald, who brings closing experience after leading his conference in saves at Bossier Parish CC.
Blake Albritton adds veteran versatility after more than 60 innings at Ave Maria while
Kai Langford brings a proven track record on the mound after two seasons at Mineral Area College. Depth pieces such as
Peyten Czekalewski,
Michael Geissler,
Grant Trentmann, and others give the Fire flexibility across roles and matchups.
Montreat at a Glance
Montreat College enters the 2026 season with continuity across its roster, returning 10 position players and eight pitchers from a year ago. The Cavaliers' lineup is led by experienced bats including Justin Austin, Dawson Bryant, Jason Brulport, and Dean Davis, with Tommy Ramos and Kaden Ethier adding power and versatility. On the mound, Montreat brings back a seasoned group of arms highlighted by Matt Campos, Ryan Henrickson, Trevor Laughlin, and Ashe Ammerlaan, giving the Cavaliers experience in both starting and relief roles.
This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between Southeastern and Montreat, introducing a brand-new matchup to the Fire's 2026 opening weekend.
Looking Ahead
Following the opening weekend, SEU remains at home for an early-season national test, hosting Oklahoma Wesleyan, ranked No. 12 in the preseason poll.
- Friday, February 6 – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, February 7 – 11 a.m. (Doubleheader)
- Location: Ted A. Broer Stadium (Lakeland, Fla.)
