FSU baseball: Importance of series win over North Carolina

FSU baseball (15-9, 10-8 ACC) got back in the series-winning column with Sunday’s domination of North Carolina.

It was an important win for the Noles, who dropped a series against sub .500 Wake Forest last week. However, a come-from-behind win over Mercer and winning two of three against North Carolina places the Noles in a good spot confidence-wise.

The Noles are in sole possession of third place in the ACC Atlantic, with a chance to close the distance on the Cardinals, while continuing to improve their RPI rating.

The Noles will take on Jacksonville Tuesday before traveling to Top 10 ranked Louisville(18-8, 10-4 ACC).

FSU currently sets at No. 52 in the RPI rankings, with Louisville sitting at No. 56.

Louisville is one of the best teams in the country, but they are lights out at home with a 13-3 home record.

The Noles couldn’t afford to lose a series against a team the caliber of North Carolina (No. 64 RPI) before such a tough matchup on the road next week.

FSU baseball already holds wins over Florida and Miami, who are ranked No. 18 and No. 37, according to RPI.

FSU found consistency since the Pittsburgh series(ranked No. 24 in RPI), but seemed to play at a different level when facing rivals Florida and Miami.

They’ll be halfway through their regular season after Tuesday’s game against Jacksonville. The rest of their schedule will feature conference games against Clemson, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and NC State.

Only Clemson and Notre Dame are ahead of the Noles currently in RPI, but they will get another chance to beat Florida on the road.

If the Noles can win the rest of their non-conference games and their remaining conference series, they should be in good standing when it comes to seeding in the ACC Tournament and the college postseason.

They have the pitching to compete with anyone, and the defense seems more consistent. The key will be the consistency of the FSU offense.