FSU baseball faces tough road test against No. 8 TCU

FSU baseball (4-0) will face its toughest challenge in the early season when they travel to play No. 8 TCU (3-1) in a three-game series beginning Friday night.

The FSU offense exploded in its last outing against Jacksonville and will need to replicate that against an explosive TCU offense.

TCU took wins against top 10 teams Vanderbilt and Arkansas to open the 2023 season before dropping a game against Missouri.

They rebounded to beat UT-Arlington in mid-week action this week. They bring a .357 batting average and a .478 on-base percentage into the contest, but their batters have struck out 30 percent of their at-bats.

They are 12 of 15 in stolen base attempts. TCU pitchers bring a 4.86 ERA, with opposing batters hitting .264.

They have struck out 39 batters in 37 innings against only 13 walks but have allowed five home runs. Defensively, they will boot it around as they bring a .945 fielding percentage into the contest.

FSU baseball is hitting .371 as a team with an on-base percentage of .471. FSU pitchers bring a 3.25 ERA into the matchup, and Jackson Baumeister will take the mound since Carson Montgomery tweaked something in warm-ups earlier this week.

The Noles have a .953 fielding percentage through four games.

Keys to the Game

TCU is a talented team, but they’re not unbeatable by any stretch. FSU pitchers must avoid giving free passes and work ahead in the count.

They haven’t shown huge power while striking out a ton, but they can make things happen when they get guys on base with some aggressive base running.

Defensively, FSU has to make routine plays and not provide any extra-out opportunities. The FSU bullpen will have to show up and pitch consistently.

I think the FSU offense is going to score runs. TCU pitchers aren’t overpowering as a whole, but they have solid options in the bullpen and are consistently around the strike zone.

FSU batters must attack in hitter counts and put the ball in play against a defense that’s kicked it around in the first few games.

It’ll be a solid test for a young FSU baseball team playing in an electric college atmosphere. The first game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and air on the Big 12 Now network. You can also follow along at 100.7 FM.