FSU Baseball 2018 Weekday Preview: vs. Florida

Here’s a preview of FSU baseball and their next set of games during the 2018 baseball season.

For the first 14 games of the 2018 season for FSU baseball, the Seminoles had everything under control – winning every single time they took the field and making it look easy almost every time, with a couple ninth inning game winners being the exception to the rule more than the new normal for this team.

In one day, all that changes as the Seminoles found out how the other half lives with two bad losses – and now, must turn their attention to the first of three midweek games against their most hated rival (who happens to be the defending national champions of college baseball.)

Here’s our preview of this week’s game between the Seminoles and the Florida Gators

The Last Time The ‘Noles Took The Field

FSU baseball started their ACC slate on the road against a Wake Forest team who, while being a Super Regional team last season, had struggled at points in 2018. Both teams fought hard for the first six innings Friday, before a seventh inning that included a two run homer by Jackson Lueck and a two RBI double by Drew Mendoza as part of a five run inning and a 7-3 win for the Noles.

Saturday would be a different animal as the teams played a double header. Florida State would lead by one run in the first game before the Demon Deacons score two runs in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a game-winning homer from DJ Poteet in the 4-3 decision.

Game two wouldn’t be anywhere near that close as Wake Forest jumped out with seven runs in the first four innings – as Florida State got just one run on a bases loaded walk in the seventh inning to drop the series, losing 8-1 in the finale.

Opponent Preview

The heated rivalry with the Florida Gators continues on Tuesday with the first midweek game played between the teams. The defending champs and now second ranked team in the country bounced back from a midweek sweep at the hands of UCF to take all three games of their weekend series against Rhode Island to improve to 15-3 on the season.

On the season, Florida is batting .291 as a team with all but two of their normal starters batting above .300 through the first third of their games. The Gators’ pitching staff has been nearly flawless at points, with an ERA of 2.08 and an opponent batting average of just .207 on the year.

Interesting Fact

While the now seventh ranked Seminoles still hold a slight edge in the all-time series (128-115 entering Tuesday’s game), it has been Florida who has had the advantage in the last 10 seasons since Kevin O’Sullivan took over as head coach.

Next: Noles fall in the polls as bats go silent in ACC play

Since the 2008 season, the Gators lead the series over FSU baseball with a record of 16-23 over that span. What is depressing for fans of the Seminoles is that over the last six seasons, the Noles have just five wins in the series while dropping 18 games to their rivals that includes 10 of the last 11 games in the series.