NAIA World Series 2024

Longtime Warrior

Series Leadoff

THE LAST DANCE

Brooke Henze will close out her tenure as LCSC AD with this Series / 12

20 24 NAIA WORLD SERIES BRACKET

We are proud to be the longtime title sponsor of the Avista NAIA World Series. And, as we celebrate five decades of championship baseball at Harris Field inside Ed Cheff Stadium, we thank the loyal fans as well as the participants, partners and volunteers who help bring this exciting event to the Lewis-Clark Valley.

Please enjoy the games

We are proud to be the longtime title sponsor of the Avista NAIA World Series. And, as we celebrate five decades of championship baseball at Harris Field inside Ed Cheff Stadium, we thank the loyal fans as well as the participants, partners and volunteers who help bring this exciting event to the Lewis-Clark Valley. Please enjoy the games

We are proud to be the longtime title sponsor of the Avista NAIA World Series. And, as we celebrate five decades of championship baseball at Harris Field inside Ed Cheff Stadium, we thank the loyal fans as well as the participants, partners and volunteers who help bring this exciting event to the Lewis-Clark Valley. Please enjoy the games

We are proud to be the longtime title sponsor of the Avista NAIA World Series. And, as we celebrate five decades of championship baseball at Harris Field inside Ed Cheff Stadium, we thank the loyal fans as well as the participants, partners and volunteers who help bring this exciting event to the Lewis-Clark Valley. Please enjoy the games

Top-seeded club poses a Fire danger to Series foes

Southeastern boasts NAIA’s top pitching staff, and can also get things done when its lineup comes to the plate

By CODY WENDT SPORTS STAFF

August Frank/Lewiston Tribune Southeastern pitcher Darien Smith flings a pitch against Westmont in Game 18 of the 2023 NAIA World Series at Harris Field in Lewiston. Smith and the Fire are back in the hunt this year and are the top seed in the 10-team field.

> Southeastern

Location: Jacksonville, Fla.

Nickname: Fire

Coach: Adrian Dinkel (eighth season)

Season record: 51-6

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 1

How qualified: Won Lincoln Bracket Number of appearances; best finish: Sixth; won title in 2018, ‘22 > Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS:

The Fire field the Sun Conference pitcher of the year in Darien Smith, along with 2022 national pitcher of the year Robb Adams.

RELIEVERS:

Coach Adrian Dinkel emphasizes that his team has an extremely deep pitching staff with a “multitude of players” capable of stepping up, and the facts bear that out. Southeastern leads the country in strikeouts with 650, only 293 of which were thrown by its primary starters Smith, Adams and David Ramsey. Top reliever Reece Wissinger has notched six saves this season.

FIELDING: 

The Fire have a .967 season fielding percentage, ranking 27th in the NAIA.

HITTING: 

While they are best-known for their pitching, the Fire have stepped up offensively late in the season and rank in the top 20 in multiple batting statistics.

SPEED: ½

With 122 stolen bases, Southeastern is tied for 19th nationally, though it lags far behind the top programs in that statistic, such as firstplace Georgia Gwinnett at 309.

INTANGIBLES: 

An established top team on a 10game winning streak, Southeastern should have both a strong base of confidence and a sense that it has something to prove after last year’s attempted title defense fell short.

FIRE, Page 4

Dinkel

Series Nuggets

By DENNY GRUBB

More than a million fans have attended the previous 31 Series in Lewiston. Last year, more than 25,000 fans attended. The single game attendance record was set in 1979 when 8,799 fans watched the championship game between DAVID LIPSCOMB and HIGH POINT in Nashville, Tenn.

Firefrom Page 3

Each year, two Series teams receive first-round byes. Last year it was SOUTHEASTERN and GEORGIA GWINNETT, but neither made it to the championship game. Since 2000, just six teams receiving first-round byes have won the title.

The team that has stayed in the winner’s bracket the longest has won the last seven title games. Last year, WESTMONT was the last to lose a game, but played three more games

before securing the title. In 1977, LAVERNE won its first three games but lost its last two, finishing third in the tournament.

The Series has been seeded since 2003, with the top two seeds receiving byes. Last year SOUTHEASTERN was No. 1 seed and finished third. In 2014, CUMBERLAND became the only No. 10 seed to win the tournament.

Four teams have won the Series

Southeastern coach Adrian Dinkel gets doused with Gatorade after the Fire beat LCSC in the 2022 title game.

Tribune file photo

playing seven games. Last year, WESTMONT won by going 5-1. In 1984, LEWIS-CLARK STATE lost its opening game, then won six straight elimination games to claim the title.

In Series history, 29 teams have swept through the tournament without a loss. GEORGIA GWINNETT was the last team to go unblemished, winning all five games for the title in 2021. LCSC has recorded seven sweeps in collecting its 19 championships.

SOUTHEASTERN STATS

For Grizzlies, a sense of deja vu

Georgia Gwinnett hopes to use 2021 blueprint to nab its second national baseball championship

By JOSHUA GRISSOM FOR THE TRIBUNE

Paul Winland Jr., second from left, is mobbed by teammates after hitting a game-winning single against Faulkner in the Lawrenceville Bracket Opening Round title game. In the bottom of the ninth, Winland drove in Junior Jackson, who had just tied the score with a three-run double, to win the game 7-6 and earn the Grizzlies another trip to Lewiston.

GEORGIA GWINNETT STATS

> Georgia Gwinnett

Location: Lawrenceville, Ga.

Nickname: Grizzlies

Coach: Jeremy Sheetinger (fifth season)

Season record: 51-7

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 2

How qualified: Won Lawrenceville Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Seventh; won championship in 2021 > Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: 

Often overshadowed by the program’s bats, Georgia Gwinnett quietly employs what many consider the most formidable four-man rotation in the country, led by Kaleb Hill (2.01 ERA) and Ben Harris (2.25 ERA).

Gage Williams has tallied 123 strikeouts while opposing teams are hitting a mere .231 against lefty Tyler Clayton.

RELIEVERS: 

There are plenty of arms to choose from in the bullpen, with Wyatt Dodgens and Jeremiah Locklear combining for 30 appearances on the year.

FIELDING: 

There is very little to critique about this squad, but fielding could be considered an Achilles’ heel as the Grizzlies average an error per game and have posted a .969 fielding percentage.

HITTING: 

Georgia Gwinnett boasts its own version of Murderers’ Row, led by Ajay Sczepowski and his .848 slugging mark. Blaze O’Saben (.454 average) and Jackson Cobb (.403 average) have combined for 143 RBI, while Henry Daniels will be looking to add to his 20 home runs.

SPEED:

This team averages more than five stolen bags per game, led by a combined 144-for-153 effort from O’Saben, Sczepkowski and junior Joe Quelch.

INTANGIBLES:

While the Grizzlies are riding high on the momentum of their thrilling regional rally against Faulkner, will the pressure to live up to the program’s 2021 title run prove too much to handle?

Courtesy Georgia Gwinnett Athletics

Sheetinger O’Saben

Patriots are back and shooting for more

Cumberlands went out 0-2 in its first Series last year. This season, it comes in as one of the top squads in the field

By STEPHAN WIEBE SPORTS STAFF

Athletics

Catcher Charlie Muniz holds records for single-season home runs (34), career home runs, single-season RBI (74) and career hits — and he still has another year of eligibility remaining.

> Cumberlands

Location: Williamsburg, Ky.

Nickname: Patriots

Coach: Brad Shelton (23rd season)

Season record: 51-6

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 3

How qualified: Won Williamsburg Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Second; went 0-2 in 2023

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: ½

FIELDING: 

No Series squad owns a fielding percentage better than the Patriots’ mark of .974, which is tied for No. 3 in the NAIA. Anything hit up the middle is likely to be stopped by shortstop Alec Gonzalez or second baseman Ben Snapp.

With a combined 21-0 record, nobody has figured out how to stop the Patriots’ top-two hurlers, Avila Cesar and Knicko Billings. The duo have combined for a whopping 213 strikeouts.

RELIEVERS: ½

Ten pitchers sport sub-.400 ERAs, so there are plenty of bullpen options. Closer Chipper Korbacher broke the program saves record this season.

HITTING: 

When a team’s nine-hole hitter (Caden Petrey) owns 25 home runs, that’s a pretty good sign of a solid hitting group. The Pats rank No. 1 in the NAIA in home runs (141), No. 1 in slugging percentage (.670), No. 2 in batting average (.366) and No. 2 in hits (702).

SPEED: 

Possibly this team’s only weakness is its dismal No. 185 ranking in stolen bases. Or maybe Cumberlands just prefers extra-base hits over risky steal attempts.

INTANGIBLES: 

One year after going 0-2 in their first Series, these Patriots have no desire to leave Lewiston anytime soon.

CUMBERLANDS STATS

Shelton

Cruz

DIAMOND SHOP IS THE PROUD SPONSOR OF THE DIAMOND CREW!

Royals are coming for the crown

After playing stiff competition in the regular season, Hope International looks to keep the Red Banner in California

By TEREN KOWATSCH SPORTS STAFF

Hope’s

HOPE INTERNATIONAL STATS

> Hope International

Location: Fullerton, Calif.

Nickname: Royals

Coach: Larry Mahoney (third season)

Season record: 40-15

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 8

How qualified: Won Fayette Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Two, first two eliminated (2017) > Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS:

Two of the Royals’ top three starters are throwing below a 4.00 ERA and all three are allowing a batting average below a .249.

RELIEVERS:

Hope has five relievers with more than 15 appearances. One of them is allowing a batting average over .253. All of them average more than one strikeout per inning.

FIELDING: 

It’s hard to judge how much of Hope’s fielding struggles are quanity vs. quality. The Royals have the second most fielding errors in the GSAC (76) but also have the most chances. They committed six errors in four games in the Opening Round, but all of them came in the first two games.

HITTING: 

The Royals were third in the GSAC this year in hitting (.322), home runs (77) and RBI (445). The top three — David Rivera, Alex Moreno, JJ Cruz — combined for 30 home runs, 66 doubles and 166 RBI.

SPEED: 

The Royals don’t steal a lot, but they’re efficient when they do. Amari Bartee has swiped 20 bases in 22 attempts; the team is 72for-92 on steals this year.

INTANGIBLES: 

This may just be the second Series appearance for the Royals, but they’ve been an NAIA mainstay for a while now. Hope has played Southeastern, Tennessee Wesleyan and Arizona Christian this season, and beat No. 8 Central Methodist in its Opening Round bracket.

Courtesy Hope International

Mahoney Seeley

After slow start, Eagles are now on the ascent

Reinhardt stumbled out of the gate in 2024, but has been on a roll ever since on its journey to the Series

By CODY WENDT SPORTS STAFF

> Reinhardt

Location: Waleska, Ga.

Nickname: Eagles

Coach: Jonathan Burton (sixth season)

Season record: 41-16

Rank in fi nal NAIA poll: No. 9 How qualifi ed: Waleska Bracket

Number of appearances; best fi nish: Second; 0-2 in 2018.

has come in clutch for the Eagles all year, registering a 5-1 record with seven saves.

FIELDING: 

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: 

Former Appalachian Athletic Conference pitcher of the year Andrew Herbert recovered from thoracic surgery to go 10-1. “I don’t think he’s lost a game (pitching) in this league in two years,” coach Jonathan Burton noted of Herbert, who boasts an 18-1 record the past two seasons.

RELIEVERS:  Rubber-armed Brett Allen

Burton describes his team as having a “good enough defense (that) it’s giving us a chance to stay in these games.”

HITTING:  ½

With three power hitters — fi rst baseman Nash Crowell, senior outfi elder Tucker Zdunich and senior outfi elder Dylan Lewis — Reinhardt means business at the plate.

SPEED:  ½

The Eagles rank 34th in the NAIA with 101 stolen bases on the season.

INTANGIBLES: 

The Eagles have shown grit and perseverance, as with Herbert’s return to form after a major surgery and Nash Crowell’s quick recovery from being hit in the face with a pitch.

Burton

Herbert

Bulldogs playing as a complete unit

Tennessee Wesleyan

It’s been a team effort for Tennessee Wesleyan, which is once again guided by coach Billy Berry

By TREVAN PIXLEY SPORTS STAFF

Tennessee Wesleyan is a “pretty vanilla” group, described by 17th-year coach Billy Berry.

The Bulldogs (40-16) might not have a standout offensive contributor, but they “play really good team baseball” and have relied on pitching and defense to earn a seventh alltime trip to the NAIA World Series.

“This is just a really good baseball team,” Berry said. “I don’t know if we have a marquee guy with crazy numbers. It’s just a really hardnosed group of kids that understand how to play the game, and they’re playing for one another right now.”

Sixth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan opens the tournament against third-seeded Cumberlands (Ky.) at 11:35 a.m. Friday at Harris Field.

The Bulldogs are the most battle-

See BULLDOGS, Page 11

> Tennessee Wesleyan

Location: Athens, Tenn.

Nickname: Bulldogs

Coach: Billy Berry (17th season)

Season record: 40-16

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 17

How qualified: Won the Kingsport Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Seven, national champions (2019, 2012)

Eagles

from Page 9

can create pressure; we can hit the ball out of the park.”

Crowell also served up what Burton considers the “perseverance story” of the season when he was hit with a pitch “100-miles-an-hour right below the jaw,” but “miraculously didn’t break anything” and went on to hit a walkoff grand slam home run four days later against Johnson University (Tenn.).

On the mound, Reinhardt relies largely on the duo of former conference pitcher

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: ««««

Tennessee Wesleyan’s pitching staff is highlighted by eight capable starters.

Senior left-hander Blake Peyton leads the group with 126 stirkeouts in 75.1 innings.

RELIEVERS: «««

The Bulldogs try to get as many innings out of their starters as possible.

of the year Andrew Herbert, who has bounced back after missing the end of last season following thoracic surgery, and Brett Allen, described by Burton as the team’s “rubber arm” who can “pitch every day.”

“He’s been a closer; he’s been a starter,” Burton said. “When things start to go a little sideways, Brett comes into the game and kind of settles everything for us.

Reinhardt last reached the Series in 2018, when its roster featured an entirely different group of players, but over the course of the season, the Eagles have faced and held their own with several other

But Gage Vailes has been the best arm in relief, notching six saves.

FIELDING: ««««

Tennessee Wesleyan’s .969 fielding percentage ranks No. 17 in the NAIA, and its 59 errors are among the fewest in the country.

HITTING: ««««

The Bulldogs don’t have a singular individual force in the batter’s box. But they led the Appalachian Athletic Conference in home runs

teams now in the field.

“This has been a really close group,” Burton said. “They’ve really worked hard; they’ve really bought into each other. I look forward to seeing how they stack up on the big stage.”

While none of the current Eagles have been to the Series before, Burton furnishes some firsthand experience, having gone twice previously while coaching with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

His takeaway from those outings?

“Pitching helps, but if you’re going to be able to do anything at Lewiston, you better swing your bats.”

(109) and doubles (123).

SPEED: ««

Berry is the first to admit that the Bulldogs aren’t the speediest bunch. Tennessee Wesleyan’s 35 stolen bases rank No. 178 in the NAIA.

INTANGIBLES: ««««

The Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 14 games. If Tennessee Wesleyan can get quality innings from its starters and some timely hits, it could possibly make a run at Harris Field.

Senior lefty Blake Peyton is 9-1 this season for the Bulldogs with an ERA of 2.03.

TENNESSEE WESLEYAN STATS

Series Nuggets

By DENNY GRUBB

There are four former champions in the World Series this year: WILLIAM CAREY, SOUTHEASTERN, GEORGIA GWINNETT and TENNESSEE WESLEYAN. Of the 10 teams in the 2022 series, a record six were former champions. The last Series that was held without an ex-champion was 1994, when KENNESAW STATE won its only title.

GEORGIA GWINNETT, CUMBERLANDS and SOUTHEASTERN enter the Series with 51 victories apiece. OKLAHOMA CITY holds the record for most wins entering the tournament, 70 in 2004. In 1982, ST. XAVIER brought with it 39 losses, the most by any team in the tournament.

SOUTHEASTERN and GEORGIA GWINNETT were voted No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the last NAIA regular season poll. Since the final poll in 1977, the top two teams have met just three times in the championship game. LEWIS-CLARK STATE in 2023 and EMBRY-RIDDLE (FLA.) in 2011 were the last unranked teams to play in the title game.

Berry

Marco Martinez

Not much time for reflection

Lewis-Clark State College athletic director Brooke Henze will coordinate one last NAIA World Series before stepping down from her

Brooke Henze, who has been associated with LCSC athletics and the NAIA World Series for a quarter-century, will soon be moving on — but not before one last tournament

By TEREN KOWATSCH SPORTS STAFF

F“

I knew what it felt like and that’s what I believe that we

provide. That special feeling that you should have when you’re at a national championship.”

August Frank/Lewiston Tribune

position.

from Page 12 Tribune file photo

Brooke Cushman (lower left) and LCSC teammates celebrate a Frontier Conference title in her senior year in 2001. The Warriors made the NAIA tournament all four years Cushman played for them.

Kowatsch can be contacted at (208)848-2268, tkowatsch@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch.

Crusaders cruisin’ back to Lewiston

William Carey doesn’t have the firepower it had last year during its long-awaited return to Series, but there are some vets, including senior RJ Stinson

By TREVAN PIXLEY SPORTS STAFF

Courtesy William Carey Athletics

William Carey players are all smiles during their 24-5 rout of Milligan (Tenn.) in the second round of the Hattiesburg Regional tournament on May 15.

> William Carey

Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.

Nickname: Crusaders

Coach: Bobby Halford (39th season)

Season record: 37-14

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 15

How qualified: Won the Hattiesburg Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Four; national champions (1969) > Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS:

Andrew Shirah has been a reliable option for the Crusaders with a 5.15 ERA. Dario Herrera is also starting to get healthy and boasts a 6-1 record for the season.

RELIEVERS: 

John Snyder knows how to get his team out of a jam. The senior has a team-high 13 saves on the year.

FIELDING:

WILLIAM CAREY STATS

William Carey’s .963 fielding percentage ranks No. 53 in the NAIA. The Crusaders have also committed the third-most errors among the World Series field (68), behind Hope International (76), Reinhardt (70) and Arizona Christian (70).

HITTING: 

RJ Stinson is one of the best hitters in the NAIA. As a team, the Crusaders have 460 hits, 413 runs and 76 doubles.

SPEED: 

The Crusaders’ 57 stolen bases rank No. 130 in the NAIA. They’ve also been caught stealing 15 times.

INTANGIBLES: 

This is a much different team that went 2-2 in Lewiston last year. But with a handful of standouts on its roster, William Carey could possibly make another run.

Halford

Coyotes make their Series breakthrough

> Kansas Wesleyan

Location: Salina, Kan.

Nickname: Coyotes

Coach: Bill Neale (ninth season)

Season record: 48-10

Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 20

How qualified: Won Shreveport Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: First appearance.

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: ««««

Starting pitcher Jarrett Brannen has an 11-1 record, 3.94 ERA and 77 strikeouts. Brett Baddock (9-2, 5.35 ERA, 75 SO) got the win against a formidable LSU Shreveport squad to get to the Series.

RELIEVERS: «««½

The Coyotes have a deep bullpen: Zach Westbrook (6-1, 3.38 ERA), Ritter Steinmann (2-1, one save, 2.13 ERA), K.T. Gearlds (one save, 0.99 ERA) and Ryan Sandoval (eight saves, 3.71 ERA).

FIELDING: «««

Senior shortstop Jarrett Gable is the reigning KCAC baseball player of the year and was an NAIA AllAmerican last season. But can the team make a deep run on one player’s accolades alone?

HITTING: ««««

Led by sluggers Kendall Foster (.353 AVG, .858 SLG and 23 home runs in 46 games) and Gable (.386 AVG, .722 SLG), the team boasts some heavy hitters.

SPEED: «««

The Coyotes have stolen 83 bases in 96 attempts, and have a collective .449 on-base percentage.

INTANGIBLES: «««

This team is a bit of a dark horse, having never made it to the Series before. Will inexpereince be its doom or can it make a Cinderella run?

After 3 near-misses in the past 15 years, Kansas Wesleyan busts through to the Series for the first time

By MATTHEW STRISSEL SPORTS STAFF

After playing in an Opening Round championship series four times in the last 15 years, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes are finally heading to Lewiston.

The Coyotes just missed out on berths in the Avista NAIA World Series in 2009, 2011 and 2023, but finally broke through this spring, knocking off top-ranked LSU Shreveport 2-1 in the championship game of the Shreveport Bracket to make it to the dance. In the game, Kansas Wesleyan stifled Isaac Rohde, the NAIA’s top pitcher in ERA (1.68) and strikeouts (129).

“It’s a bit of disbelief,” said Kansas Wesleyan coach Bill Neale. “Never happened in program history. I’m so proud of (the players) and what they’ve done. It’s something that was on the goal sheet — to make it to Lewiston. I’m definitely fired up.”

The Coyotes (48-10) finished the regular season as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champions with a 32-4 conference record. In the final NAIA coaches’ poll on April 24, the Coyotes were ranked 20th. But the final ranking doesn’t matter much to Neale. There are 10 teams left still play-

Senior shortstop Jarrett Gable (left) is batting .386 this season with 93 hits and 76 runs batted in and a slugging percentage of .722.

ing baseball and that makes the Coyotes a top-10 team.

“We’re not going to change who we are (at the World Series),” Neale said. “We played all year with a freeness, and one thing I like about this team is we don’t look at other teams stats and social media. We worry about us. If we play our best baseball, we

KANSAS WESLEYAN STATS

can beat anybody on any day.

Kansas Wesleyan’s offensive prowess starts with senior shortstop Jarrett Gable. He sports a .386 batting average and a .722 slug percentage with 93 hits and 76 RBI from 241 at-bats. Last season, Gable was named KCAC baseball player of the year and an NAIA All-American.

“We had to convince him to come back for his COVID year,” Neale said. “He was looking at flight school and being a hunting guide, but myself and his parents convinced him to be a kid for another year and play college ball.”

Senior center fielder Kendall Foster leads the KCAC in home runs with 23 in 48 games played. He’s ranked second in triples (5) and sixth in doubles (17) on the season, even after missing 12 games because of an oblique injury.

The biggest leader on the team is junior catcher Tyler Favretto. The Quebec, Canada, native has caught 57 of 58 games this season.

“He’s a leader in the dugout, on the field and he leads by example,” Neale said. “He does everything right, has a high

baseball IQ and his knowledge of the game is as high of anybody I’ve ever coached.”

One of KWU’s biggest strengths is its pitching crew.

“Our bullpen is what we hang our hat on,” Neale said. “We call it a ‘three-headed monster.’”

Junior right-hander Brett Maddock, who won the game against LSU Shreveport (one of the best offenses in the nation) by keeping it a one-run game. The Oakdale, Calif., product sports a 9-2 record with 75 strikeouts and 20 walks through 77⅓ innings pitched.

Senior right-hander Jarrett Brannen has an 11-1 record, tallying 77 strikeouts and 26 walks during 77⅔ innings pitched.

Neale said senior Zach Westbrook has been his best pitcher in the last month or so and has really stepped up.

“We’re excited to be there and the boys are excited to get to be there,” Neale said. “We’re going there on a mission — our plan is to go win some baseball games. I’m proud that we’re one of the last 10 teams standing in the country and we get a chance to play more baseball.”

Kansas Wesleyan Athletics

Arizona Christian brings the heat to first Series

After stumbling to a 14-14 start, Firestorm’s offense and pitching peaking at right time

By TEREN KOWATSCH SPORTS STAFF

Arizona Christian has been close several times, but now it’s finally there.

The Firestorm punched their ticket to the Avista NAIA World Series after going undefeated in the Lewiston Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round.

Arizona Christian’s undefeated stretch in Opening Round came at the expense of Lewis-Clark State’s 25year streak as World Series competitors and featured some season-best showings from several of its players.

Senior pitcher Adrian Santa Cruz crafted a nine-inning shutout with 12 strikeouts against the Warriors. Marques Titialii, who this season broke almost every hitting record that the Firestorm had, posted a three-game total of seven hits, eight RBI and two home runs in 12 at-bats.

Titialii has a .384 batting average this season and Santa Cruz has a 4.09 ERA with 100 strikeouts.

The Firestorm had to take on a Herculean labor that was the Golden State Athletic Conference before even having a shot at the World Series.

The GSAC sent four teams to the Opening Round, more than any other conference. One of those teams, Hope International (Calif.), is joining Arizona Christian as a World Series competitor.

“I think that was huge for

> Arizona Christian

Location: Glendale, Ariz.

Nickname: Firestorm

Coach: Joe McDonald (sixth season)

Season record: 36-19

Rank in final NAIA poll: Unranked

How qualified: Won Lewiston Bracket

us — just competing against good teams all year,” Titialii said. “Even the bottom of our conference was competitive. Then we had Hope International and Jessup. ... I think it really helped us understand the type of adversity that we’re going to have to deal with and how to deal with it.”

The Firestorm started the season 14-14 before going 18-3 the rest of the way in the regular season. They followed that with a 1-2 showing in the GSAC tournament, but going through that gantlet probably earned them an at-large berth in the Opening Round.

And they were all the better for it.

“From the get-go, we had a motto for the year,” Arizona Christian coach Joe McDonald said. “At our first

Number of appearances; best finish: First World Series appearance

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: ««««

Adrian Santa Cruz and Eli Elliott are

Lewis-Clark State second baseman Magnum Hofstetter reacts as Arizona Christian’s Troy Collins rounds the bases on a home run in a second-round game of the NAIA Opening Round o May 14 at Harris Field in Lewiston.

August Frank/Tribune

team meeting, it was the first thing we talked about, the first thing I put on the PowerPoint slide. It was ‘Year of the Dawgpile.’ And that’s exactly what we did. We had a vision and our guys worked hard and they did it together.”

ARIZONA CHRISTIAN STATS

playing some of their best baseball of the season.

Santa Cruz is coming off a nine-inning, 12-strikeout performance and Elliott has allowed more than three runs just twice in 15 starts this season.

RELIEVERS: «««½

ACU’s bullpen is steady, but not invulnerable. The Firestorm’s four mostexperienced relievers this year have allowed a combined nine home runs, but just one has an ERA above 4.50.

FIELDING: «««

The Firestorm have a .962 fielding

percentage in 1,855 total chances. They’ve been victim to some miscues against the high-powered offenses in their conference. But they’ve started to clean things up and only committed two errors in three games in the Lewiston Bracket.

HITTING: «««««

ACU’s lineup is dangerous. It has just one hitter on the team with at least 70 at-bats who’s hitting below .300. Titiallii is batting .384 on the year with 24 home runs and 83 RBI and a 1.267 OPS. This team is built to score runs, which it does in abundance.

SPEED: ««««

Another thing that makes the Firestorm

The Firestorm are hitting .327 as a team with 95 home runs on the year (24 from Titialii). The team is also getting on base at a .430 clip. ACU’s pitching stats are a little inflated, which is understandable considering the offenses it faced in the GSAC. But Santa Cruz (4.09 ERA) and fellow starter Eli Elliott (3.20 ERA) are more than capable of carrying the Firestorm through the first couple of days in the Series. Relievers Jackson Van Eyk (2.45 ERA) and Clay Esqueda (3.86 ERA) can also get the team out of some jams if need be.

Arizona Christian’s offense and pitching are peaking at the perfect time. In a field with teams like Southeastern, Georgia Gwinnett, William Carey and Cumberlands, Series observers might overlook the Firestorm. But they’ve been exceeding all expectations this season, and there’s no reason to suspect they’ll stop now.

dangerous is they have so many runners capable of getting in scoring position. ACU has six runners with more than 10 steals on the year, one with over 20, and has snagged 96 bags in 120 attempts.

INTANGIBLES: «««½

This is the Firestorm’s first World Series in program history. Even without Lewis-Clark State College in it, there’s a who’s who of bluebloods to go through (Southeastern, Georgia Gwinnett, Tennessee Wesleyan). But ACU has one of the most dangerous offenses and a roster that has been prepping for this all year. Underestimate the Firestorm at your own risk.

Miracle inning launched Grenadiers toward Series

Indiana Southeast is a No. 10 seed that got hot at the right time and is still cookin’

By STEPHAN WIEBE SPORTS STAFF

Mason White is the Grenadiers’ offensive catalysts, hitting .423 with 61 runs scored, 17 home runs and 17 stolen bases.

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Neffendorf

Courtesy Indiana Southeast Athletics

Roni

Michael

Kelly

Nate

Kyle

> Indiana Southeast

Location: New Albany, Ind.

Nickname: Grenadiers

Coach: Brett Neffendorf (first season)

Season record: 36-18

Rank in final NAIA poll: Unranked but received votes

How qualified: Won the Upland Bracket

Number of appearances; best finish: Second; won two games to finish sixth in 2021

> Juice (out of five stars)

STARTERS: 

Luke Schafer (9-3, 2.51 ERA) and Tyler Yotkewich (8-5, 5.58) aren’t going to scare anyone with their numbers, but they’re capable of producing big-time outings under pressure.

RELIEVERS: ½

True freshman Connor Sims (4-2, 3.23 ERA) is a star in the making. The youngster fanned seven batters in 5.2 innings in a pivotal Opening Round victory against No. 17 Taylor —

one of his seven starts this season.

FIELDING: ½

Sticky gloves are a staple of this Grenadiers defense. The group ranks fourth among Series teams and No. 22 in the NAIA in fielding percentage (.968) although their 60 errors allowed could be improved.

HITTING: ½

The Grenadiers have scored doubledigit runs in four of their last eight games, and utility man Mason White is an All-American hopeful after finishing in the top two in the River States

Conference in every major batting stat. SPEED: ½

This squad is more of a sedan than a sports car on the basepaths. Getting 100 steals on a season is usually a sign of a fast team, and Indiana Southeast fell just short at 94 steals this year.

INTANGIBLES: 

Nobody expected these guys to make it this far, but they’re playing their best baseball when it matters most. The stats are deceiving — the Grenadiers are explosive enough to beat anybody in this tournament.

INDIANA SOUTHEAST STATS

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