FSU starting pitcher leaves game early with injury: UPDATE

UPDATE: In the post game press conference head coach Mike Martin commented on Sands’ shoulder tightness.

“It was a little further in the back this time. It is nothing but shoulder tightness, there was no issue with any structural situation. It was just tightness.”

Cole Sands pitched only 2.2 innings before he left with right shoulder tightness. It appeared the junior was bothered by it from the start of the game as he did not have the control that was evident in his last three games, most notably the 11 strikeout appearance last week against Clemson. Before his departure the right-hander pitched the first two innings unscathed but with two outs in the third he allowed a double before Samford’s best hitter, Brooks Carlson, homered over the left field wall.

The Florida State pitching staff is already extremely thin as the ace of the staff, Tyler Holton, suffered a season ending injury during his first start of the year. As the season has worn on there are few arms left that Mike Martin trusts so making it through the regional could pose a challenge.

As more news breaks on the status of Sands we will update the article.