FSU Baseball: Trying To Figure Out Odd Start to 2017 Season
By Jason Parker
FSU baseball was supposed to be a national title contender this season – but nearly halfway through the year, plenty of questions are keeping that in doubt.
It’s been a running storyline for years under FSU baseball coach Mike Martin: the Seminoles start the season with such high expectations which are either met with the team struggling during the regular season or deciding until the get to Omaha for the College World Series to lay an egg. It’s not a knock against the program or Martin – just the sad reality of what has gone on the last three plus decades.
The 2017 season was going to be the one where the Seminoles finally got to Omaha and won Martin his first ever national title in his 15 trips to the CWS (out of the 21 overall in program history). With established pitching and some experienced bats, many experts picked FSU baseball to get to the final right and some even said this was going to finally be the year.
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Almost halfway through the 2017 season, it’s hard to know whether this Florida State team will hoist a national title or bow out even before the Super Regional round – because they have played both ways through the first 25 games of the season.
After starting off the season with a shocking, one hit loss to VCU and a midweek loss to USF, FSU baseball turned a 2-2 start into a nine game winning streak and looked like they had turned the corner. However, a 7-5 run over the last 12 games has put that back into doubt.
The last dozen games have included losses on the road to Florida and Florida Gulf Coast – both teams that they could see in the postseason – along with a conference loss to Boston College and dropping a weekend series with Virginia Tech, both teams who are in last place of their respective divisions in the ACC.
The crowing achievement during the recent schedule? A three game sweep over Notre Dame, a team just two games better than Boston College in the Atlantic Division but still seven games under .500 to start the year.
The next 18 games of the season will make or break FSU baseball and show how far this team will go. It includes conference series at home with North Carolina and Clemson, a road series at Miami, two games with Florida and two more against Florida Gulf Coast. That’s 13 games against teams who could find their way into the NCAA Tournament this summer.
Stats wise, the Seminoles have been able to hit the ball with three consistent starters batting over .300 to go along with a pitching staff who – for the most part – has kept them in games following the move of Drew Carlton to the bullpen. Baseball is a sport of streaks and FSU baseball is full capable of becoming a dominant team this season – but the clock is ticking.