Lakeland, FL- The first NAIA Ball Big Series of the Week in the 2023 season of course has to feature the #1 team in the nation as they continue their gauntlet non- conference schedule. But both of the teams in this weeks top billed series are entering undefeated and with plenty to prove.
Who’s Playing
9-0 #1 Southeastern University (FL) hosts 9-0 #17 Oklahoma Wesleyan at Ted A. Broer stadium in Lakeland, FL.
History
Oklahoma Wesleyan is 1-0 all-time vs Southeastern with their lone matchup coming in 2011 at the NCCAA World Series in Ohio, a 5-1 OKWU win.
Schedule
Game 1- Thursday 6p (CST)
Game 2- Friday 6p (CST)
Game 3- Saturday 12p (CST)
How to watch
Click on the corresponding game to be linked to the “Fire Network”. SEU has a multi-camera broadcast and play by play commentary available for the viewer.
The Teams
#17 Oklahoma Wesleyan is a team with a heavy offensive presence, they rank 2nd nationally in home runs, top 15 in hits, and they have scored 93 runs in 9 games. The Eagles are hitting a .369avg so far into 2023, and are slugging .716% this season. 4 OKWU players have double digit hits, and six have hit multiple homeruns. Drenis Ozuna is back! The former all- NAIA Ball star had been sidelined for multiple years and in his last full season in 2019 he hit for an average over .400 with 20+ homeruns and 78 runs batted in, he ranked top 10 nationally in 10 offensive categories. On the mound Kellen Brothers has been fantastic for the Eagles at 3-0 in 18 innings pitched allowing just 8 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 22. The staff boasts a sterling 1.88 earned run average in 67 innings, and has a clear concise rotation this far into the season with Brothers, Evan Foor, and Michael Mendoza. At 9-0 the Eagles come into a hitter friendly Lakeland confident.
#1 Southeastern has 4 ranked wins already added to its resume and is looking to collect more. Offensively its hard to beat this lineup, you might be able to keep them down for a few innings but the moment you give them a chance this team takes a mile. And that’s what’s made SEU a national power house, the ability to capitalize on your mistakes or weaknesses and turn those opportunities into crooked numbers. The Fire very well could have started out the year 0-2, instead 16 days later here we are at 9-0. As a team the Fire are hitting a .331avg in the first 9 games of the season, 3 players already have reached a double digit hit mark, and 8 of the Fire bats have hit multiple homeruns. Isaac Nunez has started the year right at .500avg with 3 long balls, 17 hits, and 11 runs batted in. Lora, Herrera, Bryant and Lanzarote all have hit three-plus homeruns this year as well. While Broer stadium may be known as being hitter friendly, SEU put up 35 runs in 32 innings at the Cajun Collision in neutral site action. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that SEU leads the nation in homeruns either. Talented offenses have been apart of the game plan for many years in Lakeland, the defending national champions have reloaded on firepower. On the mound 14 different pitchers have seen action in 75 innings for SEU, with Robb Adams and Darien Smith being the only 2 pitchers to throw over 10 innings.
Final Thoughts
One place where these teams differ greatly is in their scheduling up to this point in the season. Southeastern has played 9 different teams with 4 ranked wins including wins over #2, #14, #16, and #23. Most of those have come as convincing wins too, including an 8-3 win against #2 Lewis-Clark State (ID). Oklahoma Wesleyan to this point in the season has been largely untested, scoring 93 runs in 9 games while allowing just 15 to their opponent. There is no doubt that this series with SEU will be the best litmus test for the Eagles so far. On the other hand it’ll be the first time we watch SEU in a true 3 game series this season. While both of these teams are offensively heavy, the real matchup is how the pitching staffs respond to those offenses. For OKWU it’ll be the best bats they’ve seen this year, in a ballpark that’s comfortable to those bats, and a hitter friendly one. For both OKWU and Southeastern staffs it’ll be about limiting free base runners, mixing locations, and not making mistakes to win this series because both teams can take advantage of mistakes.
Predictions
Conner: SEU wins series 2-1
Robby: SEU wins series 2-1
-Robby Gutierrez
Game 1 was a fun watch last evening!