When FSU baseball went on to sweep No. 11 Wake Forest on the road and took two of three from No. 10 NC State over the weekend, it baffled FSU fans why the Noles were not ranked higher in the national polls on Monday. FSU lost to a top 10 Auburn team, Nebraska, Florida, and NC State.
However, the Florida loss looked bad with the FSU offense striking out 18 times. They got completely dominated. However, the offense woke up since that game against some solid competition. Would we see that improvement carry on to the Florida game on Tuesday night?
It was more of the same. FSU struck out 16 times in a 5-0 shutout loss; that’s 34 strikeouts on 54 outs in those two games.
Florida has one of the more talented pitching staffs nationally, but has struggled in SEC play. How does it look for the No. 1 or 2 team in the ACC to get beaten twice in non-competitive games against an SEC school that has a series loss against High Point and got swept by Alabama a few days ago?
It gives the impression that these ACC teams may not be as good as once thought, and likely why the national voters have been hesitant to move FSU up in the rankings. I wrote before the Florida game:
I don't quite trust them yet...I trust the pitching more than he offense...that UF game still in my head...and if we get another dose of what we got in game one....
— Kelvin Hunt (@khchopchat) March 23, 2026
FSU has to find a way to improve its approach at the plate when they face top-tier pitching or it will be another disappointing season in the postseason.
We got another dose of what we got in the first game. I like the pitching that FSU has, but the way the offense has disappeared for long stretches against good pitching isn't ideal when I know that's what they will face in the postseason.
There is still time for some key guys to develop at the plate and find confidence. However, if that doesn't happen, it'll be a shame because this pitching staff is good enough overall to make some noise.