FSU baseball: Can Noles finally win a mid-week matchup hosting FGCU?

FSU baseball (7-4, 0-0 ACC) will look to win their the last mid-week game before beginning ACC Conference play this weekend. The Noles lost Sunday’s contest against California in extra innings, but won the series and have lost their two previous mid-week games against Jacksonville and Mercer. Both loses were by one run.

FGCU (10-2, 0-0 ASUN) comes into the game winners of 10 straight, including a three-game sweep of Seton Hall last weekend.

FGCU batters are hitting .328 with an on-base percentage of .469 and have hit 16 home runs, 31 doubles, and two triples.

FGCU pitchers will enter the contest with a 3.08 ERA, with opposing teams batting .216, with 129 strikeouts and 31 walks in 108 innings. They have allowed 12 home runs.

Defensively, FGCU has 29 errors in 12 games for a fielding percentage of .936.

FSU baseball pitchers enter the contest with a 2.93 ERA, with opposing teams batting .190, with 151 strikeouts and 40 walks in 101.1 innings.

FSU batters are hitting .290 with an on-base percentage of .375 and have 11 home runs, 24 doubles, and four triples.

Defensively, FSU has 11 errors in 11 games for a fielding percentage of .973.

Key To Victory

I know it sounds like a broken record, but it comes down FSU starting pitchers throwing strikes consistently and FSU batters not striking out 40 percent of the time. Carson Montgomery has started the last two mid-week games and looked OK.

He still hasn’t pitched five innings yet and continues to get behind in counts and walks too many batters. The bullpen has to be better in the same regard as they blew a lead against Mercer last week to lose in extra innings. FGCU’s offense will swing it and make pitchers pay for getting behind in the count.

FSU hitters continue to strike out at an alarming rate and have not done a good job of putting together quality at-bats. They need to have better approaches at the plate and take advantage of hitter count opportunities.

Defensively, FSU has been serviceable, but will need to avoid providing any extra outs for the opposing offenses.  The first pitch will take place at 6 p.m. ET and the game will air on the ACCNX channel.