FSU baseball: Same issues haunt Noles in year three of Mike Martin Jr.

FSU baseball (34-25) finished their 2022 season with another exit in the regionals in year three of Mike Martin Jr.

The Noles lost against UCLA 2-1 in the elimination game of the Auburn regional after getting destroyed by Auburn 21-7 Saturday night.

Both games saw every facet that has haunted the Noles over the last few years come to pass.

-Poor situational hitting
-Poor baserunning
-Poor defense
-Poor Game IQ
-Pitchers issuing walks

The number of times FSU made baserunning blunders in regional play, not to mention the regular season was appalling. The inability to score runs with the bases loaded or runners on second and third with less than two outs was mind-blowing.

FSU baseball hitters having no plan at the plate and having awful at-bats was a constant all season.

Mike Martin Jr. took the blame after the regional exit and said they have to coach better. The only problem is Mike Martin Jr. has been coaching at FSU for nearly a quarter of a century, and the same issues have been persistent forever with no signs of them improving.

FSU’s offensive on-base percentage was basically the same as last year. They scored fewer runs than last year while playing in four more games.

The fielding percentage was worse than last year, despite having more athletic players. FSU pitcher’s ERA increased nearly a full run while allowing 25 more home runs than last year. They were .500, finishing ninth in the ACC after getting picked to finish first with another regional exit.

The scary part is that FSU will lose a lot of great pitchers they’ve had over the past few years. Parker Messick, Bryce Hubbart, Jonah Scolaro, and others will exit the program.

Pitching is one of the reasons they had opportunities to win many of the games they won. How will that look next year if the offense and defense continue to struggle? Mike Martin Jr. enters the final year of his four-year contract in 2023.

If I were FSU Athletic Director Michael Alford? I let the 2023 season happen before deciding between Mike Martin Jr. A new coach isn’t gonna magically make this team a contender for Omaha because there are too many holes to fix in one season. However, another season like the last two, and it’s time to make a move.

I’m going to go more in-depth with my thoughts on the next Built For Playmakers Podcast. Make sure you go subscribe to get the latest episodes.