FSU baseball remained undefeated (11-0) with its third three-game series sweep in as many weeks. The Noles took care of business against Georgetown Sunday, winning a close one 4-3 in the final innings.
FSU hasn't played the toughest non-conference schedule, but the game experience is invaluable with so many new faces in the lineup and on the mound.
FSU also has several freshmen playing meaningful innings through 11 games. It's a different team to last year, but we knew that going into the season. We expected the pitching to be the strength, with the offense figuring things out as the season progressed.
That's what has happened to a tee. FSU's starting pitching has been very good, with three solidified starters on the weekends and Evan Chrest in the midweek.
We already sense the pitchers we can trust in the bullpen, especially in high-leverage situations. John Abraham, Maison Martinez, Peyton Prescott, and Chris Knier have delivered in some key situations already. Brady Louck is another who's looked solid so far. Opposing batters are hitting .182, striking out 132 times against 40 walks. The staff has a 1.97 ERA.
I'm interested to see if they can continue near this level once the competition gets stiffer. If so, FSU will be in nearly every game because the defense is solid, with a .980 fielding percentage.
The key to the season will be the pitching remaining consistent and the offense continuing to develop. They were pressing big-time in the first few games, and a few players continued to try and do too much.
Myles Bailey delivers in the eighth! pic.twitter.com/9hgk19FKfM
— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) March 2, 2025
However, the at-bats ending in strikeouts have decreased to 20.7 percent. It was over 25 percent in the first few games. It was 20.2 percent last year, so it needs to continue improving if the power isn't there.
There's a clear decrease in power, but the on-base percentage is at .442. The base stealing is a major strength compared to last year. FSU has already swiped 21 of 25 steal attempts in 11 games. They only had 68 stolen bases in 66 games last year.
The biggest area the offense must improve is getting runners home. They left 28 runners on base in the Georgetown series. It goes back to having better at-bats from guys in key situations because those will be pivotal against teams where runs will be at a premium.
The at-bats should continue to get better as guys settle in, and I think this team is starting to find its identity. They need to embrace the fact they likely won't hit home runs at the same rate as last year. However, they can score runs in bunches if they play to their strengths.
That's taking the walks, putting the ball in play, and using their speed. They have a few more games left to fine-tune things before hosting Florida on March 11th, who just won two of three against Miami.
The Noles will be back in action on Tuesday, hosting North Florida at 6 p.m. ET.