FSU baseball takes season-ending series over Louisville

Florida State got its third quality start in as many games with Connor Whittaker taking the mound. Whittaker gave up just one earned run over six innings of one walk, five-hit ball. He only struck out one but he consistently induced weak contact. Ben Barrett lead FSU at the plate on a 3-4 day using two doubles and a triple to pick up two RBI and a run.

Louisville got the scoring started in the second with a leadoff double by Brandon Anderson. A sac bunt and single brought him around to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.

FSU would grab that run back in the top of the third when James Tibbs and Cam Smith hit back-to-back doubles to knot the game at one. The ‘Noles would take a 3-1 lead in the fifth on a Jaime Ferrer double-plating Jordan Williams and Tibbs.

The Seminoles would plate two more the very next inning. Nander DeSedas connected on a one-out single and came around on Barrett’s double. Barrett would score two batters later on Williams’s single. FSU gave a run back in the bottom of the inning when Williams misplayed a two-out single turning it into a triple and Smith couldn’t corral a slow roller. After six innings FSU held a 5-2 lead.

Louisville threatened in the bottom of the seventh with two walks off of new pitcher Brandon Oxford. Doug Kirkland came in and induced a double play to end the inning. The ‘Noles struck for more runs in the top of the eighth using a DeSedas leadoff walk and Barrett single to take a 6-2 lead. Jamie Arnold took the mound in the ninth to close out the FSU victory and series win.

Not the season wanted at all, but a promising series win to give a glimpse of the future.

Friday recap: FSU uses late-game surge to pass UL

The Florida State Seminoles beat the Louisville Cardinals 7-4 behind a good start from Jackson Baumeister and some late-inning heroics from the offense.

Outside of the third inning Baumeister was very strong recording eight innings on the day with eight strikeouts and just two walks. The sophomore set down the Cards in five of his eight innings on the night and gave up just one base running two of those remaining three. Baumeister was helped quite a bit by some good defense by FSU early and took over late to extend his outing further than his line might suggest. The third inning was his big bugaboo in which he gave up a couple of singles and a couple of home runs but that accounted for four of Louisville’s seven hits on the night and all four runs.

In the fifth inning, FSU had a couple of two-out singles combined with a wild pitch to put runners at second and third with two outs but couldn’t get the key hit. Those accounted for two of the Seminoles’ three hits before the seventh inning. Louisville pitchers Evan Webster and Greg Farone really did a great job of keeping the FSU offense off the scoreboard allowing just three base runners through 6.1.

With one out and a runner on second in the seventh Louisville brought in Alex Gavin. Gavin gave up a single to McGwire Holbrook and walked Jordan Carrion to load the bases. The Cardinals made another pitching change bringing in Tate Kuehner proving that the baseball staff doesn’t watch football because if they did they’d know that FSU can cook with a Tate on the field. Jordan Williams brought Ben Barett and Holbrook home with a single and the lead was cut to 4-2.

The ‘Noles weren’t done yet though. In the eighth FSU would tie the game at four when Jaimie Ferrer singled and Colton Vincent hit a home run over the left field fence.

FSU would take the lead for good in the top of the ninth when Nander DeSedas started the inning with a single and moved up on a sac bunt. An intentional walk to James Tibbs wouldn’t pay off as Cam Smith made Louisville pay with a single to left scoring DeSedas and staking the Seminoles to a 5-4 lead. FSU would extend the lead to 7-4 on a Ferrer double in the next at bat.

Baumeister would start the ninth inning but gave up a walk and a single so Brennon Oxford was called in. The transfer ended the game with a strike out and double play to eliminate Louisville from post season contention.

Thursday recap: ‘Noles fall late to Cards

Florida State (21-31, 7-21) fell to Louisville (31-22, 10-18) 7-4 in a game the Cardinals had to have to stay alive for the ACC tournament. After a rough start Andrew Armstrong ended up going six innings giving up three runs. Hit batters were the undoing for the ‘Noles as Armstrong and Kirkland combined for six hit batters, four of which were involved in scoring Louisville runs. Offensively, FSU gathered a lot of base runners, often having two runners on in an inning but struggled to bring them home leaving 11 on base.

Florida State took a lead before most fans where able to sit down when James Tibbs to a 2-0 pitch over the right field fence. Louisville would get that run back and more in the bottom of the inning with a couple of singles and a couple of hit batters, the second of which scored a run. The Cardinals would take the lead a batter later on a fielder’s choice and the first inning ended in a 2-1 UL lead.

FSU got a couple of two out singles in the second but couldn’t push anything across. Louisville took a 3-1 lead on a single, double and wild pitch and it looked like Armstrong’s day might be coming to a close. Once more Tibbs started an inning with a home run, this time to dead center to draw the ‘Noles within one and Armstrong picked up the intensity. The man FSU has turned to time and time again allowed two base runners over the next three innings and kept a clean slate on the scoreboard.

FSU would continue to get base runners on and finally broke through in the fifth. Jaime Ferrer started the inning taking a pitch off the arm and Cam Smith laced a line drive single through the left side. Jordan Carrion loaded the bases with a four pitch walk and Ben Barrett gave FSU a 4-3 lead with a rainbow single to left.

Doug Kirkland came in to start the seventh and gave up an infield single and an error on Nander DeSedas on an attempted double play followed by a sac bunt put runners on second and third with no outs. Kirkland almost got out of the inning unscathed but Smith couldn’t make the bare handed grab and throw on what amounted to little more than a swinging bunt and the game was tied at four.

In the eighth Kirkland got two outs but hit a couple of batters and gave up a three run bomb to right field leaving FSU on the wrong side of a 7-4 score. FSU couldn’t get a base runner in the top of the ninth and began to look forward to Saturday’s game.

Up Next: Fall ball and the 2024 season. It can’t come soon enough!