LEWISTON, Idaho -They had been there before, just not in the World Series.

Southeastern was down six runs after five innings and came back for a 9-7 win over the defending national champions in Georgia Gwinnett in their first game of the 2022 Avista NAIA World Series.

Sam Faith’s two-out, two-run homer to center in the bottom of the ninth sealed the dramatic comeback.

“It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we’re just ecstatic to be out here,” said Faith. “I had a lot of guys picking me up after my second strikeout and that flipped me around because you can’t go far if you don’t have a team that backs you like the guys we do.”

The Grizzlies (46-15) took a 2-0 lead on a pair of two-out solo homers in the first and racked up four more during the fifth on four hits and an error.

Southeastern responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double by Thomas Broyles and a sacrifice fly by Brian Fuentes. Gary Lora got the team within a run with a three-run homer to center to complete the five-run inning.

Broyles scored on a throwing error when GGC attempted to turn a double play in the seventh to tie the game and Faith gave the Fire their first lead of the night on an RBI single.

A throwing error in the eighth allowed the Grizzlies to tie the game, but also set the stage for Faith.

Abdel Guadalupe doubled to lead off the inning for his team-best third hit of the game and Faith’s homer gave the Fire their 55^th win in 58 games.

In eight postseason games this season, Faith is hitting .516 with three home runs and 11 RBIs after his 2-for-5 night.

Alex Munroe picked up the win, going an inning and a third scoreless in relief of Robb Adams. Adams tossed 133 pitches over 7.2 innings allowing four earned on seven hits with 10 strikeouts.

Southeastern will now face LSU Shreveport on Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Inaugural season for the University of Fort Lauderdale comes to a close as the Eagles fall in the NCCAA National Championship game to No. 2 Concordia University Ann Arbor 13-3 at Motley Field on Tuesday evening.

Wilbert Javier-Vargas was named to the NCCAA World Series All-Tournament team. UFTL would finish the season with a 35-27 record.

Jake Cace was 1-for-3 with a run, a walk and a double, Aderlyn Cubilete went 1-for-4, Javier-Vargas was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double, and Justin Martinez went 1-of-3 with a walk.

Josh Crawford started, but his night ended early as the game went into a two-hour rain delay in the top of the second inning. Crawford allowed five runs, four earned on four hits and a walk, with a strikeout. Anthony Anselmo pitched 4.2 innings surrendering five runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out five. Jacob Laroque pitched 0.1 innings giving up three runs on two hits and a walk. Caleb Rodriguez threw 2.2 innings giving up two hits and striking out two.

CUAA scored three runs in the top of the first.

The Cardinals added two runs in the second to build an early 5-0 lead.

Cubilete singled to start the bottom of the second; Chase Davis reached on a fielder’s choice, Cace doubled to left, moving Davis to third, Ethan Kaelin drove in Davis with a sacrifice fly to right, Erik Scott walked, then Javier-Vargas doubled to left to drive in Cace and Scott to cut the lead to 5-3.

Concordia got two runs back in the third to be in front 7-3.

The Cardinals added two runs in the fourth to stretch their lead to 9-3.

CUAA got a run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to close the scoring at 13-3.

The Eagles finished the NCCAA World Series with a record of 3-2, beating fourth-seeded Mid-America Christian 5-4, top-seeded Southwest Assemblies of God (Texas) 10-0, #3 University of Northwestern (Minn.) 13-4, before falling to No. 2 Concordia (Mich.) 18-5 and 13-3 in the championship game.

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WINGATE, N.C. – Conference Carolinas placed a region-best 14 student-athletes on the 2022 All-Southeast Region Teams from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released on Thursday.

Conference Carolinas had seven of 15 first-team selections led by 2022 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Marek Chlup who was named first-team outfielder along with Bobby Dixon of UNC Pembroke. John Michael Faile joined teammate Chlup as the first team catcher while Reece Fields also represented the Crusaders as a starting pitcher. Darius Nobles of Francis Marion was the first team first basemen with Jack Casbarro of Mount Olive at second base and Todd Mattox of Francis Marion at third base on the first team.

Seven other student-athletes earned second team recognition in Alden Cottle of Mount Olive (third base), Ben Gobbel of Belmont Abbey (shortstop), outfielders Will Hardee (Francis Marion) and Sean Johnson (Belmont Abbey), designated hitter Leniel Gonzalez (Francis Marion), utility player Ben Ferguson (Belmont Abbey) and starting pitcher Alex Hart of Barton.

In all, 13 of the 15 Conference Carolinas first team All-Conference selections were represented on the All-Region teams. Francis Marion had the second-most selections of any region program with four while top-ranked North Greenville tied defending national champion Wingate with three first-team selections.

The complete NCBWA All-Southeast Region release is available here.

NCBWA All-Southeast Region

First Team

C – John Michael Faile, North Greenville
1B – Darius Nobles, Francis Marion
2B – Jack Casbarro, Mount Olive
3B – Todd Mattox, Francis Marion
SS – Braylin Marine, Newberry
OF – Marek Chlup, North Greenville
OF – Crews Taylor, North Georgia
OF – Bobby Dixon, UNC Pembroke
DH – Drew Yniesta, Lenoir-Rhyne
UT – Mitch Farris, Wingate
SP – Jared Donalson, Georgia Southwestern
SP – Brody McCullough, Wingate
SP – Joshua Lanham, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP – Reece Fields, North Greenville
RP – Sam Brodersen, Wingate

Second Team

C – Robert Brooks, Columbus State
1B – Steven Minter, Columbus State
2B – Seaver King, Wingate
3B – Alden Cottle, Mount Olive
SS – Ben Gobbel, Belmont Abbey
OF – Nick Brassington, Queens
OF – Will Hardee, Francis Marion
OF – Sean Johnson, Belmont Abbey
DH – Leniel Gonzalez, Francis Marion
UT – Ben Ferguson, Belmont Abbey
SP – Joel Haney, USC Aiken
SP – Alex Hart, Barton
SP – Matt Bradley, Carson-Newman
SP – Austin Mitchell, Wingate
RP – McLain Harris, Young Harris

Player of the Year | Braylin Marine, Newberry
Pitcher of the Year | Jared Donalson, Georgia Southwestern
Coach of the Year | Jeff Gregory, Wingate

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MOCKSVILLE, NC. – The University of Fort Lauderdale dropped the NCCAA South Region Championship to Carolina University on Thursday afternoon, 12-7, at Mando Field at Rich Park. The Eagles now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the National Championship.

Josh Crawford led the charge in end-of-the-year awards, being named the NCCAA South Region Pitcher of the Year. Eight others joined Crawford on the first team: infielders Aderlyn Cubilete and Christian Tavarez, outfielders Wilbert Javier-Vargas and Erik Scott, designated hitter/utility Malachi Woodside and pitchers Jack Keeler and Julian Pichardo. Second-team honorees: Drew Powell as an infielder and Justin Martinez in the outfield.

Javier-Vargas was 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, a home run, and a double and Woodside went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alexi Angelo was 1-of-2, Jake Cace went 1-for-3 with a run, Martinez was 1-of-3 with a run and a walk, Scott went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run and a home run, and Tavarez went 1-of-3 with two RBI, a run and a home run.

Keeler (0-2) got the start, pitching 1.0+ innings. He surrendered seven runs, four earned on four hits and a walk, with a strikeout. Anthony Anselmo threw an inning, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Jacob Laroque pitched 4.0 innings giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.

Carolina would get a run in the first and eight in the second to build an early 9-0 lead.

Scott led off the third with a solo home run, Martinez singled, and Tavarez connected on a two-run home run to center to trim the score to 9-3.

CU got a run back in the third to extend the lead to 10-3.

In the fourth, Chase Davis started the fourth with a walk. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a single by Cace. Angelo singled, moving Cace to third, Scott hit a sacrifice fly to score Cace and Javier-Vargas hit a two-run home run to center to bring the game within three at 10-7.

In the sixth, the Bruins added two runs and took the game 12-7.

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AVE MARIA, Fla. – The University of Fort Lauderdale baseball team grabs the first win in school history on opening day. The Eagles defeated Ave Maria in come-back fashion with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to win 7-6 at Bowie’s Ballpark.

UFTL’s Chase Davis drove a two-run single in the ninth inning to seal himself in the UFTL Baseball record books for life, leading the Maroon-and-Gold to the victory.

Malichi Woodside’s hit-by-pitch and Tad Stockowski’s walk forced home the other two ninth inning runs for the Eagles.

Jacob Laroque pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first save as an Eagle. Laroque, sit the Gyrenes down in order, recording two flyouts and a ground out. Caleb Rodriguez collected the first win in school history, throwing an inning. Rodriguez allowed a leadoff run before retiring AMU to close out the eighth.

AMU would get on the board first, scoring four runs on a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning.

UFTL would get their first two runs in the sixth inning when Woodside doubled in Justin Martinez, and then he would come around to score on a wild pitch.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Ave Maria would get a run back on a solo homerun to stretch their lead to 5-2.

The Maroon-and-Gold were able to push a run across the plate in the eighth inning on a Yabdiel Hernandez infield single to third that scored Aderlyn Cubilete, to trim the score to 5-3.

The Gyrenes would answer back again in the bottom half of the inning on the third Ethan Bergkamp homerun of the game. Bergkamp would be responsible for all six AMU runs on three homeruns.

Davis posted 2-for-4 day with two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch, while Woodside was 1-for-4, scored two runs, drove in two runs and was hit by a pitch.

Erik Scott went 1-for-4 with a run scored, Stockowski was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a walk and Drew Powell was 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch.

Hernandez and Christian Tavarez both collected a pinch-hit knock for the Maroon-and-Gold.

Jake Cace, Justin Frias and Lazaro Salazar stole a base on the day.

The Eagles will travel back to Ave Maria to close out the three-game series tomorrow, with the first game starting at 11 am at Bowie’s Ballpark.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – University of Fort Lauderdale coach Billy Glessner had the Eagles baseball team geared to open their 50-game baseball schedule for the 2022 season starting Friday.

The Eagles will open with a three-game series at Ave Maria before returning home to open a homestand with a midweek matchup against Atlantis before closing out the week, hosting Trinity Baptist for a three-game series. 

Next up will be two games in Lakeland, Fla., against Southeastern on February 2. UFTL will stay on the road to face off against Webber International in a four-game weekend series. 

After that road swing, the Maroon-and-Gold will host Atlantis in another midweek matchup before closing out the week against Edward Waters in a three-game series.

The Eagles will return the favor and travel to Edward Waters for a midweek doubleheader in Jacksonville, Fla. UFTL will host Atlantis in a three-game weekend series on Feb. 18-19.

The Maroon-and-Gold will travel to Miami Gardens to play Florida Memorial for two-midweek games and close out February with three against Florida National at home. 

Atlantis will visit UFTL on March 1 and then face off against Florida Memorial on the road on March 2 before heading into the Eagles spring break. 

UFTL will return to action when Ave Maria comes to Plantation for a midweek doubleheader on March 22.

Florida National returns to the Eagles home field for a three-game series at the end of March before traveling to Trinity Baptist for a three-game series the first week of April.

The Maroon-and-Gold will host Florida National in one last three-game weekend series on April 15-16.

The Eagles will host Atlantis to close out the home slate on April 18 and then again on April 20 before heading to Toccoa Falls, Ga. For a three-game series at Toccoa Falls.

UFTL will travel at Warner for a doubleheader on April 26 to close out the season. 

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LAWRENCEVILLE – Georgia Gwinnett College’s Jeremy Sheetinger has received the 2021 Skip Bertman National Baseball Coach of the Year award from the College Baseball Foundation after leading the Grizzlies to their first NAIA national championship this spring.

“This award is accepted on behalf of our guys, the players on the field and in our dugout, that made this opportunity possible,” said Sheetinger, who guided GGC to a 51-10 record during the 2021 season. “This is a tremendous moment for Georgia Gwinnett College, our athletic department and baseball program, and NAIA baseball to be recognized on the national stage.”

The Grizzlies won 22 of their final 23 games, including all five games at the 2021 Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The team, featuring four NAIA All-Americans and eight all-conference players, outscored its opposition by a 52-30 margin along the championship journey, defeating No. 1 seed Southeastern University (Florida), No. 2 seed Central Methodist University (Missouri) twice, No. 4 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and No. 6 seed Faulkner University (Alabama). The national title came in an 8-4 victory against Central Methodist on June 3.

A national committee of active and retired coaches made the award selection to honor the best coach nationally among all levels of college baseball.

“Coach Sheetinger did a great job this year in leading his ballclub to the NAIA national championship,” said Mike Gustafson, chairman and CEO of the College Baseball Foundation. “He’s a very deserving recipient of this year’s Skip Bertman Award.”

Sheetinger is the first NAIA coach to receive the honor since it was created in 2013. Past award winners have been Erik Backich of the University of Michigan (2019), Kevin O’Sullivan of the University of Florida (2017), Paul Mainieri of Louisiana State University (2015), and Tim Tadlock from Texas Tech University (2014). No award was presented during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season.

The award is named in honor of National College Baseball Hall of Famer Skip Berman, who coached LSU to five NCAA Division I national championships while leading the Tigers from 1984-2001.

“The high level of respect and admiration that I have for Coach Bertman makes this moment very special,” stated Sheetinger. “What Skip did for college baseball and our game has impacted all of us who has followed him in the dugout.”

Sheetinger has guided GGC to a 74-12 record in his two seasons leading the program. Later this month, he is planning to assist the USA Baseball Task Force in identifying and selecting future Team USA national team players. Sheetinger was on the coaching staff of The Canes 16-and-under age group team that won the 2020 Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association national championship tournament.

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After losing in the opening game of the D-II College World Series, Wingate (38-13) staved off elimination time after time after time and hung on to take the title

Logan McNeely’s single in the bottom of the fifth brought in McCann Mellett to tie the game at 3-3. McNeely then scored what proved to be the game-winning runoff the Bulldogs when two batters later, Gehrig Christopher’s single brought him home from second.

Sam Broderson earned the win for the Bulldogs. Broderson came into the game in the fifth and gave up no runs or hits in his five innings of work, striking out five and walking only one.

The top-seeded Mules finished the year at 48-7.

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MARSHALL, Minn. – Four Conference Carolinas student-athletes were named to the Conference Commissioners Association NCAA Division II All-America baseball teams.

North Greenville’s John Michael Faile was named to the first team as a catcher, while Erskine’s Livan Reinoso was tabbed to the third team at third base. Mount Olive’s Hunter Stevens was selected as a third team All-American as a starting pitcher, while North Greenville’s Gehrig Octavio was named a third team All-American at utility.

The Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and the Conference Carolinas Tournament Most Valuable Player, Faile hit .438 for the Crusaders in 2021 with 23 homers and 78 RBIs. The redshirt sophomore from Boiling Springs, South Carolina also had 11 doubles and a triple on the year, scoring 59 runs while compiling an .899 slugging percentage and .512 on-base percentage. The Southeast Region Player of the Year had 78 hits on the season. 

Reinoso hit .423 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs, which were all team-highs for the Fleet. The Hazelton, Pennsylvania native started all 43 games for Erskine in 2021 and also led the Fleet in hits (74), runs (52), doubles (15), and OPS (1.276).

A junior from Garner, North Carolina, Stevens was 9-0 on the year in 71 innings pitched for the Trojans. Stevens struck out 91 and opponents hit just .201 against him in the 2021 season.

A redshirt junior from Hilo, Hawaii, Octavio finished the 2021 campaign with a .418 batting average. He scored 53 runs to go along with 24 RBIs. Octavio had 14 extra-base hits on seven doubles and a league-leading seven triples.

The CCA All-America and All-Region baseball teams, which are selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members from schools playing Division II baseball, were first established in 2007. This is the sixth year in which the program is solely sponsored by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.

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LEWISTON, Idaho – The Southeastern University baseball team’s pursuit for a national championship came up short, as the Fire were eliminated from the 2021 Avista-NAIA World Series by the host Lewis-Clark State College Warriors by a score of 10-6. 

“This team has been the most resilient group I’ve coached in the last 16 years,” shared SEU head coach Adrian Dinkel. “They’ve had every opportunity to give up on themselves with all the injuries we’ve had this year and they didn’t. I want them to remember all the postive things they accomplished.”

The Fire jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to solo home runs by senior outfielder Carter Bridge in the top of the second and senior first baseman Nick Bottari in the top of the third. For Bridge, it was his second homer of the tournament and for Bottari, hit was his third long ball of the series in as many games played.

The Warriors answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 lead over SEU.

Junior right-handed pitcher DJ Roberts was able to compile four-straight scoreless innings from the bottom of the fourth through the bottom of the seventh to keep the Fire in contention.

SEU got one back at the plate in the top of the fifth, thanks to an RBI-single to right field off the bat of senior designated hitter Colton Onstott that brought Bottari home and trimmed the deficit to 4-3.

An RBI-double to left-center off the bat of Carter Bridge scored Onstott in the top of the eighth and tied things up 4-4. Bridge finished the World Series hitting .615 (8-13), with seven runs scored, five extra-base hits, and six RBIs.

The Fire took a 5-4 lead over the Warriors later in the frame, thanks to a defensive miscue that allowed Pedro Castellano to come home. An RBI-single off the bat of Thomas Broyles to center field scored Carter Bridge and grew the SEU lead to 6-4.

A six-run inning in the bottom of the eight for LC State turned the momentum in their favor, as the Warriors retook the lead 10-6.

Southeastern finishes the season 51-9, the program’s fourth-straight 50-win season under Coach Dinkel.

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