Glendale, Ariz.- It's that time of year again: baseball season. The Firestorm ignite their 2024 campaign at the 5th Annual Coach Calderone Invitational (January 25-27). Greenway High School will host seven games featuring six teams in the opening tournament, and will act as ACU's home field for 2024.

Firestorm Baseball opens their season against Olivet Nazarene this Thursday night, with first pitch at 6:00 PM. Oklahoma Panhandle State and #13 MidAmerica Nazarene follow on Friday and Saturday. 

A total of 12 games (Gene Autry and Sunnyslope High School host five combined games) will be contested to honor the late Coach Calderone, forever a part of ACU Baseball's growing legacy.

Game Details

Arizona Christian vs Olivet Nazarene - 6:00 PM
Arizona Christian vs Oklahoma Panhandle State - 6:00 PM
Arizona Christian vs #13 MidAmerica Nazarene - 6:00 PM

Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

*All Times Are Arizona Time

Live Coverage

Video - https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/ 
Live Stats - https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary 

Arizona Christian
 
Joe McDonald's squad finished 2023 with a 29-24 overall record and 11-13 GSAC performance. The Firestorm fared well at home (16-9) and qualified for the GSAC Championship Semifinals (11-10 (10 INN) loss to Hope International). 

Enrique Porchas, Marques Titialii, and Justin Ramirez were selected to the 2023 GSAC All-Conference Team. Notably, Titialii set the single-season record for home runs in a season (18) and Ramirez broke the all-time career hits record (233) with 75 hits his senior year. A 2022 All-GSAC selection, Eli Elliott led the pitching group with 83.1 innings pitched, which featured a 4.75 ERA and 72 strikeouts. Tanner Vielguth led the fielding category with 274 put-outs and 17 assists.

The Firestorm received votes (15) in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 preseason poll released on November 1st.
 
ACU Key Returners (2023 Stats) 

Marques Titialii - .353 BA, .438 OB, 18 HRs
Trey Tarver - .302 BA, .392 OB, 9 2Bs
Sean Garcia - .295 BA, .390 OB, 6 2Bs
Tanner Vielguth - .290 BA, .475 OB, 274 POs
Eli Elliott - 4.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 72 SOs
Adrian Santa Cruz - 4.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 73 SOs
Jackson Hohensee - 6.11 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 50 SOs

Series Notes

The Firestorm lost their lone game against the Olivet Nazarene Tigers 9-1 on May 15, 2013. It was ACU's first game in the NCCAA Nationals hosted at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. The Firestorm established an early 1-0 lead through two innings before surrendering six runs in the third and fourth and ultimately nine unanswered. Second baseman Chris Russell led ACU with three hits, including one double, in a game the Firestorm left eight on base.

In two all-time meetings, the Firestorm are 2-0 when facing the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies. Both games were played as part of the Coach Calderone Invitational, in 2021 and 2023. ACU was dominant in each meeting, winning 20-6 in 2021 and 13-2 in 2023. Last season, the Firestorm trailed 2-0 early before rattling off 13 unanswered runs from the third to seventh innings. Four ACU players recorded two RBIs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Troy Collins in the seventh. Jackson Hohensee was the winning pitcher after 5.0 innings, six strikeouts and 75 pitches.

ACU is 2-0 all-time against the MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers, both contests played as part of the Coach Calderone Invitational. The Firestorm won the first meeting 11-4 in 2022 and a much tighter battle 4-2 in 2023. Last season, both teams were locked in a 1-1 tie through five innings before ACU exploded for three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Justin Ramirez smashed a double down the left field line that brought three runners home. Eli Elliott was credited the win after 6.2 innings pitched and Riley Quinton earned a save with one strikeouts and two groundouts. 

Thoughts From Coach Joe McDonald

"We are looking forward to the start of the year with the Coach Calderone Invitational," Coach McDonald said. "We have been preparing and working hard in the weight room and on the field. I really like where we are at with our culture and family atmosphere. We have a great mix of returners and new players.  We miss Coach Calderone very much and it is always an amazing time honoring his legacy!"

Olivet Nazarene

The Olivet Nazarene University Tigers (24-26, 14-13 CCAC) were piecing together a promising season through mid-April, but stumbled to eight straight losses to end 2023. They closed things out with two losses in the CCAC Championship, 3-2 to Saint Xavier and 5-3 to Saint Ambrose. Despite the poor finish, ONU led the CCAC in extra-base hits (137), batting average (.298), and slugging percentage (.476). Kai Hudson led the Tigers in hitting (.364 BA, 6 doubles, 6 home runs), Ethan Underwood in pitching (68.0 IP, 6.22 ERA, 81 strikeouts), and Geon Yoon in fielding (194 put-outs, 23 assists, .995 fielding percentage).

Oklahoma Panhandle State

The Oklahoma Panhandle State University Aggies (8-36-1, 3-21 SAC) struggled to 17 consecutive losses to wrap up the 2023 season, including five they were shut out. They bowed out of the SAC Championship with losses to Texas Wesleyan (10-9) and SAGU Texas (11-6) in Oklahoma City. In the SAC standings, OPSU was third in sacrifice hits (18) and fourth in stolen bases (44). Tucker Bond led the Aggies in hitting (.304 BA, 10 doubles, 31 RBIs) and fielding (295 put-outs, 11 assists, .962 fielding percentage) and Esai Torres in pitching (50.1 IP, 8.76 ERA, 33 strikeouts).

MidAmerica Nazarene
 
The MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneers (35-28, 19-13 Heart) punched their ticket to the Avista NAIA World Series for the second straight season in 2023. They defeated #2 LSU-Shreveport 7-6 in the NAIA Opening Round to qualify for a trip to Lewiston, Idaho. MNU recorded one victory in the World Series (4-3 over #6 University of the Cumberlands) and was ousted after losses to #19 Taylor (6-5) and Lewis-Clark State College (16-7). In 63 games, the Pioneers led the Heart of America Athletic Conference in home runs (44) and came in third in extra-base hits (193). Noah Castillo led MNU in hitting (.349 BA, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs) and fielding (334 put-outs, 23 assists, .983 fielding percentage) and Zach Trevino in pitching (109.1 IP, 3.95 ERA, 107 strikeouts).


Roll Storm!