FSU Baseball Has Reached Its Pinnacle Under Mike Martin

FSU baseball was sent home from Omaha this week again without a College World Series title – something they will not see with Mike Martin as head coach.

For my entire lifetime, the man leading FSU baseball has been in that same No. 11 while coming up with over 1,900 wins. I’ve grown up with Mike Martin leading the Seminoles to countless conference titles, wins over rivals Miami and Florida and trips to Omaha for the College World Series.

I’ve had chances to root for him as a young fan and later a student at Florida State – while later having chances to interview him and cover his career on the professional level. So, as I watched the Seminoles lose Wednesday night to LSU and get bounced from yet another CWS, the sad reality had finally come true.

FSU baseball had reached the highest level it would under Martin and won’t bring home a College World Series crown.

Now, before you call for my head and a revocation of my Florida State degree, let me say that I am not condemning the 38 year veteran of the Noles. Yes, in the past I have alluded to the fact it is time to consider moving on (and still believe that), but I will be more than willing to give credit where it is do.

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When the record books are written, titles or not, Martin will go down as the greatest head coach in college baseball history. All those wins – having come up with a 40 win season each of his years in the dugout – to go along with CWS trips almost half of his career (along with never missing the NCAA tournament) are nothing to scoff at. Add that to the turnaround this season when backs were against the wall and you have to tip your cap.

That being said…

Facts have to be faced that in those 16 trips to Omaha under Martin, FSU baseball fell to 21-32 with four trips when they didn’t win a game and just five trips where they won more than one game. While one week in Nebraska doesn’t make a career for any college baseball coach, all those trips without anything to show for it (just two title game appearances) does have to be mentioned.

In reality, as much as the school doesn’t want to admit it, Mike Martin is going to get do exit on his terms (even if he doesn’t really deserve it in the eyes of some) based on the way things were mishandled when Florida State pushed out Bobby Bowden during the 2009 season. FSU baseball doesn’t want the same backlash that fans gave when the living legend was shown the door.

Speaking of Bowden, do we all remember what is commonly referred to as “the lost decade”? After 14 seasons of top five finishes and double digit win seasons that came along with conference and national titles, the Seminoles had just four seasons of nine wins or more between 2001 and 2009 to go along with three ACC titles and one top 10 finish.

Yet, many FSU fans were the first ones to be apologists for Bowden – myself included – talking about how other teams “wish” they could have winning records like the Seminoles and enjoy the same (wait for it) consistency. Yes, the word that fans of FSU baseball continue to use to defend Martin’s lack of a national crown by saying that at least he has been “consistent”.

Mike Martin is under contract for another season – a year in which he will, baring an epic breakdown, become the winningest college baseball coach of all time. It will also be a season that will end without a College World Series crown. I’ve come to accept it, as most FSU baseball fans should. It doesn’t mean Martin is a failure…it’s just the reality we all need to deal with.

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