FSU baseball: Noles open season with No. 21 ranking

FSU baseball will look to complete its first full season under Mike Martin Jr.

FSU baseball didn’t get a chance to finish Mike Martin Jr’s inaugural season as head coach due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Noles finished the 2020 season with a (12-5, 1-2 ACC) record. The team got off to a rough start, blowing a lead to Niagra in the season opener.

However, they won their next eight games before losing four of the next five games by one run.

The highlight of the shortened season was finally defeating the No. 1 Florida Gators who were the lone remaining undefeated team in the nation.

The win snapped an 11 game losing streak against the Gators, and the Noles went on to defeat Illinois State in what would be their final game of the year.

The 2021 baseball season is quickly approaching as preseason rankings are released:

The Noles began last season ranked No. 14 according to Perfect Game. However, they struggled in two of the three phases of the game.

Their pitching staff performed well, but they struggled defensively and at the plate. The Noles averaged two errors per game and batters struckout 37 percent of the time.

That’s not going to win many games against good teams, and the Noles consistently play one of the tougher schedules in the nation.

The Noles return some talented arms on the pitching mound along with experience and multiple positions.

They have players like Dylan Simmons, Robbie Martin, Tommy Martin, Reese Albert, Matheu Nelson, Chase Haney, Parker Messick, and Logan Lacey,

Parting Thoughts

I’m excited to see the team in 2021, with Mike Martin Jr. having a full year to continue putting his fingerprints on the program.

If they can improve the defense and improve things offensively, they’ll be a tough out for anyone in the nation.