FSU baseball: Takeaways from series win over No. 8 TCU

FSU baseball (6-1) came up one run short in its effort to sweep No. 8 TCU (4-3) on the road Sunday afternoon.

The offense got shut down, and the FSU defense committed three errors, with FSU pitchers issuing three walks and hitting another three batters in the 3-2 loss.

The good news FSU still had a shot to win the game despite the sloppy play. While it was a disappointing way to end the series, winning two of three against a team ranked top 10 is an impressive feat, especially considering the offensive numbers TCU had put up in its first few games against top-ranked teams.

Here are some key takeaways from the series:

-FSU starting pitching got quality starts from two of three pitchers
-FSU offense scored 20 runs over the first two games
-FSU bullpen was solid
-FSU defense made some solid plays, but five errors are too many in a series
-FSU batters struck out 29.5 percent of their at-bats

FSU will go as far as their pitching will take them because I think they’ll score runs against most teams. Jackson Baumeister and Carson Montgomery went 10.2 innings, allowing six hits, three walks, hitting two batters, one earned run and striking out 13. Both pitchers were fairly efficient with their pitch counts and pitched well.

The FSU offense scored a ton of runs over the first two games, but Sunday’s effort was lackluster, only mustering one hit(according to the FSU boxscore, TCU listed two hits) and two runs. They had 25 hits in the series, but 12 (eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs) went for extra bases. They also drew 11 walks and had three hit batters.

I can see what Link Jarrett is trying to do with the bullpen, particularly Wyatt Crowell and Conner Whittaker in long relief. If FSU can get quality starts, those two guys can likely finish the game and give FSU a great shot to win three-game series. The bullpen went 12.2 innings, allowing 10 hits, nine walks, 12 strikeouts, and seven earned runs. That’s way too many walks.

FSU committed five errors, which is way too many, including a costly one in Sunday’s game. However, they turned several critical double plays to keep the game close Sunday and made most of the routine plays. If FSU pitchers continue to issue this many walks, making errors at this rate could bite them.

While FSU batters banged out a ton of runs over the first two games, they still struck out way too much. They struck out 13 times in game one, four in game two, and 14 in game three. That’s 29.5 percent, which is much higher than the 18.8 percent going into the series.

Overall

Link Jarrett couldn’t ask for a much better start to the FSU baseball season. Freshmen DeAmez Ross and Cam Smith are playing well. Jaime Ferrer, Jordan Carrion, and James Tibbs picked up from where they left off last season. Colton Vincent has been a pleasant surprise at the plate.

Jackson Baumeister and Carson Montgomery look like they might be consistent starters. The Noles will be back in action Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET when they host USF. FSU baseball should find themselves in the top 25 when rankings update.