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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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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