Florida State should have decided advantage facing Pittsburgh in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

Florida State baseball will return to action on Friday afternoon in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina. The two teams squared off a few weeks ago, with FSU sweeping the Panthers in front of the Dick Howser faithful. It’ll be in a neutral field, but FSU will likely have a small advantage in fan attendance.

However, where they should have a decided advantage is on the pitcher’s mound. ACC Pitcher of the Year, Wes Mendes, will toe the rubber for the Noles, and he fired a complete game against the Panthers the last time he faced them.

The pitching staff and defense were already known weak links for the Panthers, and Friday’s game against Florida State will be the third game in four days. They used  three pitchers in Tuesday’s game and five pitchers in Wednesday's game, though only two of those threw more than 12 pitches.

If I had to guess, Friday’s game will likely be a Johnny Wholestaff approach for the Panthers. Florida State will have everyone available, knowing they will play a maximum of two more games if they defeat the Panthers.

Pittsburgh has a good offense, which is what made Mendes's performance against them earlier in the year so impressive. They have scored 23 runs in the first two games, and the ball has been flying all over the ballpark in Charlotte this week. They have four guys with 11+ home runs.

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However, that should spell good news for the Noles, knowing they will face a somewhat limited pitching staff. The key for Florida State in the postseason is its offense. The pitching has been its strength all season, and FSU wins when it can score 5+ runs. The offense has been better of late, limiting strikeouts, and getting contributions from some unlikely candidates.

Pittsburgh will have a slight advantage in that they’ve already played two games in this stadium, and FSU hasn’t played a game since Saturday. If FSU gets another quality start from Wes Mendes and scores some runs early, they’ll be tough for the Panthers to beat.  

The first pitch will be at 3 p.m. ET, and will air on the ACC Network

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