FSU Baseball: Top 5 moments of the 2017 season

Jun 21, 2017; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Martin observes the national anthem prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 21, 2017; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Martin observes the national anthem prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 21, 2017; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles pitcher Will Zirzow (30) and pitcher Alec Byrd (31) walk off the field after the loss against the LSU Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 21, 2017; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles pitcher Will Zirzow (30) and pitcher Alec Byrd (31) walk off the field after the loss against the LSU Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

The Zirzow Game

The walk-off victory against Auburn set up what will forever be known in FSU baseball lore as “The Zirzow Game”. The regional format is not kind to teams without pitching depth, especially when trying to escape the losers’ bracket. FSU was attempting to do just that in their winner-take-all regional final against Auburn.

Going into the game, redshirt Junior, Will Zirzow hadn’t pitched in nearly a month. The FSU baseball coaching staff turned to Zirzow hoping to get three or four solid innings out of him while trying to win a slug fest. Zirzow had other things in mind.

The big righty, Zirzow, cruised through the Auburn lineup. The Tigers had absolutely nothing for the breaking ball of Zirzow. Going into the game we were all certain that FSU would need to score a lot of runs to win this game and advance to super regionals. FSU scored just six runs in the game, but one would have been enough.

Zirzow finished with a line of 9 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 11 K’s. It was a performance for the ages and a site to behold as Dick Howser stadium chanted Zirzow’s name with tears running down his mother’s face.

It was a moment that I, and many other FSU baseball fans, will never forget.