FSU baseball: Nole Pitchers need to make these adjustments

FSU baseball (2-4, 0-3 ACC) is off to a forgettable start in Mike Martin Jr’s second season as head coach. The Noles came into the season with high expectations after ending last year’s shortened season on a high note.

However, some things that need addressing, as I pointed out weeks ago. One unit thought to be a strength of the team was the pitching staff, albeit, most of that was projecting with a lot of the young talented arms on the staff.

The pitching staff has been disappointing overall, but a couple of guys have stood out as examples of how to be an effective pitcher. Bryce Hubbart and Clayton Kwiatkowski would be prime examples, and their numbers are excellent.

The first thing that has stood out has been the number of walks issued by FSU pitchers. They have given up 41 walks and 42 hits in 58 innings.

I’ve seen FSU pitchers consistently behind in the count, walking lead-off batters, which usually leads to runs for the opposing team.

There’s a reason FSU baseball has been in the hole in five of their first six games. The other issue is not making smart pitches when they manage to get ahead in the count.

I’ve seen them have hitters in the hole 0-2, 1-2, and throw a pitch right down the middle, which isn’t smart. They’ve had hitters in the hole 0-2 and walked them on four straight balls.

It’s as simple as this, getting ahead and pitching smart, hoping the batter is undisciplined, and swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone.

However, at some point, it’s as simple as throwing a strike and letting your defense work for you. FSU’s defense hasn’t been the best, so I can understand FSU pitchers trying to be too perfect at times.

I think a lot of their faults, especially the young pitchers, are nerves and not having the college experience to handle situations. The days of rearing back and throwing it by hitters are over, and it’s about the location and changing speeds.

I’d rather a pitcher get shelled from throwing strikes than continuously walking batters. Here’s to hoping the pitchers can get it together by their next outing.