The Braves finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 36-17 and tied for third in the KCAC with a mark of 23-10. Those 36 wins are the third most in program history.
Ottawa lost five 2023 All-KCAC performers to graduation, headlined by NAIA First Team All-American and KCAC Pitcher of the Year,
Tyler Bryant. The other four are First Team All-KCAC performer
Jonah Weisner, Second Team selections
Lukas Rich and
Zachary Spradlin, and Honorable Mention selection
Eric Reece.
Ottawa returns 20 from its 2023 team.
Tyler Farnham,
Nicholas Sizemore,
Devin Holmes,
Liam Vulcano,
Van Rabe,
Nathan Crum, Colin Heffernon,
Brent Swearingen,
Cole Broughton,
Robby Williams,
Brandon Kelley,
Luis DeLeon,
Caden Gray,
Josh Perez,
Keaton Banister,
John Walsh,
Nolan Maldonado,
Pedro Astacio,
Cameron Sistrunk, and
Ryan Olchoway.
Returners
Cole Broughton,
Tyler Farnham, and
Caden Gray earned post season KCAC honors. Broughton was a First Team All-KCAC selection in left field for OU. Farnham earned 2023 KCAC Gold Glove honors in center field. Pitcher
Caden Gray was named KCAC Freshman of the Year.
The Braves finished the 2023 season with a .312 batting average, 506 hits, 343 RBI, 57 home runs, a .503 slugging percentage, 176 walks, and a .401 on base percentage.
This is the first meeting between the two teams.
Southeastern University finished the 2023 season 58-6, won The Sun Conference with a record of 19-2 and captured the conference tournament for the third consecutive season.
The Fire won 50 or more games for the sixth time in seven years in 2023.
Southeastern returns All-Americans pitchers Darien Smith and Reece Wissinger and infielder Isaac Nunez.
The Fire finished first in the NAIA in team ERA (2.87) and had 726 strike outs in 2023. They had 154 home runs, 754 hits, a .452 on base percentage, and a .634 slugging percentage.
