No. 20 Florida State baseball vs North Carolina: Game thread, preview, how to watch

The Florida State Seminoles (32-19, 15-12) are looking to make a statement in their last regular season series. With the ACC tournament and postseason play up next, FSU will aim to position itself to be a hosting site. But the task is not an easy one, as the Seminoles take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (31-19, 12-15) in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels started the season 17-3, but have gone just 14-16 since. As ACC play picked up, UNC slowed down, winning just two series of the last seven. But the month of May has been a bounce back for the Heels as they’re 7-2 overall with those aforementioned series wins taking place the last two weeks. They sport a gaudy 26-6 home record this season.

The Tar Heels are led by a formidable offense averaging eight runs a game over their last ten. Here’s an excerpt from UNC’s site:

DIAMOND HEEL HITTERS ON A TEAR• Junior shortstop Danny Serretti is one of the Diamond Heels’ hottest hitters. He has hit safely in 24 consecutive games, batting .483 (42x97) with two home runs and 18 RBIs during his streak. He collected 11 total hits in five games last week, batting .579. At the end of the Miami series on March 27, Serretti was hitting .296. In the 26 games that have followed, he has raised his batting average 70 points to .366. Serretti has also drawn 19 walks during his current streak.

• Sophomore Mac Horvath has hit safely in 11 of the last 13 games, batting .372 (19x51) with 18 runs scored and 12 RBIs during that time frame. Twelve of his 15 home runs this season have come in the last 25 games. At the end of March he was batting .189 and has raised his average 70 points the last 25 games, hitting .320 with an OPS of 1.214.

• Freshman Vance Honeycutt was inserted into the No. 4 spot in the lineup of the rubber games against NC State and has hit from that position in each of the last six games. During those three games as the cleanup hitter, he is 11-for-22 with four home runs, two doubles and a triple. He also drove in 10 runs, scored 10 and stole four bases.

• Sophomore designated hitter Alberto Osuna has driven in a run in 15 of the last 21 games and has 26 total RBIs in those games after collecting 17 RBIs in the first 29 games of the season.

• Since the start of the 2020 season, Angel Zarate has reached base safely in 111 of 119 games played. He has hit safely in 43 of 50 games this season with a team-high 24 multi-hit games.

FSU will shake their rotation up with Carson Montgomery pitching game one on Thursday. With the series starting one day earlier than normal, the FSU staff opted to not change the normal schedules of Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart. The results of this series could make or break FSU’s chances at hosting a regional site. Picking up two wins would set the ‘Noles in a good position with the committee.

Thursday 5/19: 6:00 PM

Probable Starters: RHP Carson Montgomery (4-1, 4.69 ERA) vs. RHP Max Carlson (1-2, 3.68 ERA)

• How to watch: ACCNX
• How to listen: 100.7 FM in Tallahassee

Friday 5/20: 6:00 PM

Probable Starters: LHP Parker Messick (6-3, 2.94 ERA) vs. LHP Brandon Schaeffer (5-2, 4.16 ERA)

• How to watch: ACCNX
• How to listen: 100.7 FM in Tallahassee

Saturday 5/21: 2:00 PM

Probable Starters: LHP Bryce Hubbart (8-1, 2.62 ERA) vs. TBA

• How to watch: ACCNX
• How to listen: 100.7 FM in Tallahassee

North Carolina top performers

• SS Danny Serretti: .366 AVG/ 5 HR/ 74 H
• CF Vance Honeycutt: .279 AVG/ 15 HR/ 27 SB
• RF Angel Zarate: .340 AVG/ 4 HR/ 73 H

Tomahawk Nation will have updates in the game thread and on our Twitter.