LAKELAND, Fla. – Southeastern is back on the national stage once again, as the Fire head to Columbus for the 2026 NAIA Softball World Series after capturing the Lakeland Opening Round title last week. SEU enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed after posting a 48-8 overall record and winning the Sun Conference regular season championship with a dominant 22-2 league mark.
The Fire will open World Series play on Friday, May 22, at 4 p.m. ET in Game 7 of the tournament against the winner of Thursday night's matchup between No. 7 College of Idaho and No. 10 British Columbia. A victory would move Southeastern into Saturday night's third-round matchup at 7 p.m. ET against either No. 3 Southern Oregon or No. 6 Cumberlands (Ky.). A loss would send SEU into an elimination game Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET against the winner of Game 5.
The 10-team event begins Thursday at the South Commons Complex with four opening-round contests. Indiana Wesleyan and Marian meet in Game 1 at 10 a.m., followed by Mobile and Our Lady of the Lake at 1 p.m. Southern Oregon faces Cumberlands in Game 3 at 4 p.m. before College of Idaho and British Columbia close the opening day slate at 7 p.m.
The World Series schedule continues through the week with Sunday serving as an off day for the remaining teams. Monday features two elimination games along with the first semifinal matchup, while Tuesday includes two more elimination contests and the second semifinal. The NAIA National Championship game is set for Wednesday beginning at 5 p.m. ET, with an if-necessary game to follow if needed.
Follow the Action
All games of the NAIA Softball National Championship will stream free through the Urban Edge Network, available online at
UrbanEdgeNetwork.net as well as on smart TVs and mobile devices.
Fire 5 – Five Twitter-Worthy Notes Fueling the Fire
- Southeastern enters the NAIA Softball World Series at 48-8, already securing the best winning percentage in program history (.857). The Fire need four wins in Columbus to tie the single-season program record with 52 victories. #FuelTheFire #BattleForTheRedBanner
- Returning to Columbus. For the third time in program history, Southeastern Softball is headed to the NAIA Softball World Series. The Fire join the 2016 and 2022 squads after winning the Lakeland Opening Round title. #FuelTheFire #BattleForTheRedBanner
- Built for survive-and-advance softball. SEU is 5-1 in elimination games this postseason, including three straight elimination wins to claim the Lakeland Opening Round championship and punch a ticket back to Columbus. #FuelTheFire #BattleForTheRedBanner
- The Fire lead the NAIA in BOTH ERA (1.16) and WHIP (0.91), while holding opponents to a .200 batting average all season long. SEU has allowed just seven home runs in 56 games. #FuelTheFire #BattleForTheRedBanner
- Southeastern can win any style of game. The Fire are 15-4 in games decided by two runs or fewer, recorded two 1-0 wins during the Opening Round, and are also 23-2 in games decided by 5+ runs. #FuelTheFire #BattleForTheRedBanner
Resume of a Contender
Southeastern enters the NAIA Softball World Series as the No. 2 seed after putting together one of the best seasons in program history. The Fire captured the Sun Conference regular season championship with a 22-2 league record and enter Columbus at 48-8 overall. SEU has already secured the best winning percentage in program history, currently at .857, entering the World Series and needs four victories in Columbus to tie the program single-season wins record of 52. The Fire are making their third trip to the NAIA Softball World Series, joining the 2016 and 2022 squads.
The Fire have been battle-tested throughout the postseason. Southeastern is 7-3 overall in postseason play with three shutout victories, including a pair of 1-0 wins during the Opening Round. SEU is also 5-1 in elimination games this postseason, including three consecutive elimination victories to secure the Lakeland Opening Round title and punch its ticket to Columbus.
Few teams in the country have been more consistent than Southeastern this season. The Fire tied a program record with a 17-game winning streak during the regular season and finished undefeated in true road games at 13-0. SEU enters the World Series riding a three-game winning streak while also posting a 14-5 mark at neutral sites.
Statistically, Southeastern has established itself as one of the most balanced teams in the NAIA. The Fire lead the nation with a 1.16 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while also ranking among the NAIA leaders offensively with a .333 team batting average, .401 on-base percentage, and 438 hits. SEU has outscored opponents 293-76 this season while holding opposing hitters to just a .200 average.
The Fire have also excelled in situational hitting throughout the year. Southeastern is batting .353 with runners on base and .361 with runners in scoring position while opponents are hitting under .200 in both categories. SEU has been especially dangerous early in innings, batting .444 in leadoff situations.
Close games have become a strength for Southeastern this season. The Fire are 7-0 in two-run games and 15-4 in contests decided by two runs or fewer. SEU is also 39-2 when leading after four innings and 38-1 when scoring first. At the same time, the Fire have shown the ability to rally when trailing, going 7-7 when opponents score first this season.
Power production has often translated directly into victories for the Fire. Southeastern is 18-1 when hitting a home run this season and 14-0 when scoring between six and nine runs. At the same time, the Fire have proven they can win lower-scoring games as well, posting a 39-2 mark when holding opponents to two runs or fewer.
Defensively, Southeastern has been one of the cleanest teams remaining in the field. The Fire have committed one error or fewer in 41 games this season and are 38-1 when out-hitting opponents. Whether winning with dominant pitching, timely hitting, speed on the bases, or defensive consistency, the Fire enter Columbus as one of the most complete teams in the tournament field.
Offensive Firepower
Offensively, the Fire are led by one of the most dangerous hitters in the NAIA in Sun Conference Player of the Year
Raylei McKinney. McKinney enters the World Series batting .476 with 20 doubles, 13 home runs, and 63 RBIs while posting a .835 slugging percentage. Her 78 hits and 137 total bases both rank among the best single-season marks in program history, and she became just the second player in SEU history to record 60 RBIs in a season. McKinney also captured the Sun Conference Triple Crown, leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.
At the top of the lineup,
Ella Brooks has been one of the nation's premier table-setters. Brooks is batting .422 with 57 runs scored and 44 stolen bases while reaching base at a .492 clip. She produced 21 multi-hit games during the season and at one point reached base safely in 25 consecutive contests. Her 44 steals rank second most in a single season in program history, and she became just the fourth player in SEU history to eclipse the 40-steal mark.
Lauren Sekinger has provided stability throughout the season both offensively and defensively. The Second Team All-Sun Conference selection is batting .343 with 48 hits and 23 RBIs while anchoring the middle infield with a .962 fielding percentage.
Erica Ramsey has been another key middle-of-the-order presence for the Fire. The Second Team All-Sun Conference selection enters the World Series batting .325 with seven doubles, four home runs, and 22 RBIs while carrying a .990 fielding percentage behind the plate.
Hailey Bradley has delivered several important postseason moments for Southeastern and continues to provide versatility throughout the lineup. Bradley is batting .311 with 42 hits and 18 RBIs while also drawing 12 hit-by-pitches, one of the highest totals on the roster.
Abby Franey and
Nicole Wasserstrom have also been steady contributors all season. Franey has started all 53 games and is hitting .306 with 20 RBIs, while Wasserstrom has thrown out runners at an elite level behind the plate and owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage entering the World Series.
Circle of Fire
Inside the circle, Southeastern features one of the deepest pitching staffs in the country. Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year
Maria Zelenka enters Columbus with a 17-3 record and a 1.20 ERA while striking out 153 batters in 128 innings. She posted eight shutouts during the season and held opponents to a .200 batting average. Zelenka also contributed offensively, batting .322 with 16 RBIs and recording a 10-game hitting streak during the year.
Edan Playa has been equally dominant throughout the season and enters the World Series with a 17-4 record and a 0.95 ERA, ranking fourth nationally in the NAIA. Playa has allowed just one home run all season while limiting opponents to a .188 batting average. She also delivered a career-high nine strikeouts in Southeastern's Opening Round elimination victory over Evangel and has elevated her game even further during the postseason, recording three games with eight or more strikeouts after not recording a single such outing during the regular season.
Emma Vickers has provided invaluable depth and consistency for the Fire throughout the season, giving Southeastern one of the deepest pitching staffs remaining in the tournament field. The sophomore enters the World Series with a 10-1 record and a 1.29 ERA across 70.1 innings while helping SEU lead the NAIA in both ERA and WHIP. Vickers has limited opponents to a .213 batting average and allowed just one home run all season while striking out 51 batters.
Returning to Columbus
Southeastern returns to the NAIA Softball World Series for the third time in program history after previous appearances in 2016 and 2022. The Fire enter Columbus with a 5-4 all-time record at the national tournament and have reached at least the semifinal round in both prior trips to the World Series.
The program made its first appearance on the national stage in 2016, opening the tournament with a 10-6 victory over St. Gregory's before defeating Auburn Montgomery 4-1 to advance into the semifinals. The run eventually ended against St. Xavier and eventual national champion Oklahoma City, but the tournament established Southeastern as an emerging national contender.
SEU returned to Columbus in 2022 and again advanced deep into the bracket. The Fire opened with a dramatic 5-4 win over rival Webber International before dropping a tightly contested 2-0 game to Oklahoma City. Southeastern responded with consecutive elimination victories over Oregon Tech and Indiana Wesleyan to advance to the semifinals before falling in 10 innings to Science and Arts in one of the most dramatic games in program history.
The Fire now return to Columbus with another experienced and battle-tested roster after winning the Lakeland Opening Round title. Southeastern enters the week looking for its first appearance in the national championship series and hoping to continue the momentum built from previous World Series runs.
SEU also brings significant experience against the 2026 World Series field. The Fire are 5-0 all-time against Indiana Wesleyan and own a 6-6 mark against Mobile. Southeastern is unbeaten against Our Lady of the Lake at 2-0 and split its all-time meetings with British Columbia at 2-2. The Fire have also faced several familiar postseason opponents in recent years, including Southern Oregon (1-3), Cumberlands (2-4), and Marian (1-2), while Friday's possible opponents College of Idaho and Southeastern have never previously met on the softball field.
