FSU baseball had a gritty and gutsy 6-5 come-from-behind win over No. 3 Clemson on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. The Noles blew a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning before tying the game 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings.
Clemson hit a home run in the top of the 10th for a 5-4 lead, and Max Williams hit a home run in the bottom frame to tie the game again. Max Williams delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 11th for the massive walk-off win.
However, nearly the same thing happened a few weeks ago while Wake Forest was in Tallahassee. FSU fans saw Max Williams deliver a huge walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth for a huge win over Wake Forest, only to see FSU get destroyed over the next two days.
Wake Forest defeated FSU 12-0 and 17-2 in two run-rule games after that dramatic walk-off loss on Friday night to win the series. That's something FSU can't allow to happen against Clemson. Wake Forest had much more energy in the dugout the next two days, almost like the roles had been reversed that Friday night.
This series could determine if FSU remains a top-eight seed in the postseason, which means they would have home-field advantage in the regionals and Super Regionals. The value of playing at home can't be understated, and FSU likely doesn't win that game on Friday night if it's on the road.
They landed a massive haymaker against Clemson to win that game the way they did, showing true resolve and the will to win on the pitcher's mound and inside the batter's box. They didn't play flawlessly but still found a way to win, which is promising.
They have one of the better Saturday pitchers going on the mound in Joey Volini and have a chance to make a statement by winning this series after losing against Louisville last week. Can they avoid the letdown they had against Wake Forest? It would show true growth in the team at the perfect time as postseason play is on the horizon.