FSU baseball: Noles look to get back on track hosting Samford

FSU baseball (3-1, 0-0 ACC) lost their first game of the season in their last outing. They will look to get back on track as they host Samford in a three-game series.

Samford (4-0, 0-0 Southern) comes into the game after sweeping Arkansas State over the weekend and Alabama State earlier this week.

Samford batters are hitting 273 with an on-base percentage of .395 and have hit nine home run, six doubles and two triples.

Samford pitchers will enter the contest with a 3.00 ERA, with opposing teams batting .237, with 34 strikeouts and 12 walks in 36 innings. They have allowed four home runs.

Defensively, Samford has four errors in four games for a fielding percentage of .972.

FSU pitchers enter the contest with a 2.57 ERA, with opposing teams batting .214, with 55 strikeouts and 16 walks in 35 innings.

FSU batters are hitting .328 with an on-base percentage of .405 and have four home runs and 13 doubles.

Defensively, FSU has two errors in four games for a fielding percentage of .982.

Key To Victory

FSU baseball will throw their usual starting pitchers, even though this isn’t a conference weekend series. They’ll have the advantage as Samford only has three batters that have shown any consistency at the plate. Towns King is batting .400 and has four home runs and nine RBIs, so he’s someone to pay attention to at the plate. FSU’s Sunday starter Ross Dunn will need to perform better than last weekend.

FSU hitters have to avoid striking out as much as they did against Jacksonville earlier in the week. The pitching staff should hold most offenses in check, but scoring 2-3 runs per game leaves little run for error. The heart of the lineup has to deliver the goods like they did against James Madison to open the season. They also can’t give outs away on the base paths like they’ve done a few times this year.

Defensively, FSU has been solid, and that will need to continue. The first pitch will take place at 6 p.m. and the game will air on the ACCNX channel.