Nice path? In-depth look at FSU baseball potential opponents in Tallahassee Regional

FSU baseball (38-14) is hosting the Tallahassee Regional as the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They'll face the No. 4 seed in the regional, Bethune-Cookman first.

If they win that game, they'll play the winner of the No. 2 seed Mississippi State/No. 2 seed Northeastern game and go from there.

Frankly, FSU received a favorable draw from the committee after losing three of four games against North Carolina late in the season. They're matched up with the No. 8 seed Oregon State Beavers in the Super Regionals if the seeds hold.

None of the teams in either region scare me, and FSU will be FSU's biggest opponent. If they play well, they should have no problems reaching the College World Series for the second consecutive year.

Let's break down potential opponents in the Tallahassee Regional:

No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman (37-21, 24-5 SWAC)

The Wildcats are a solid baseball team with experienced players who have already made the trip to Dick Howser Stadium earlier this season. FSU won the game 9-7 and led 9-4 going into the top of the ninth. Bethune-Cookman hits .307 with a .424 on-base percentage. They strike out in 22 percent of their at-bats and get active on the bases with 128 steals in 159 attempts. They've hit 84 home runs (4.4 percent of their at-bats). Pitching and defense are their weakest links. They have a 5.29 team ERA, and opposing batters hit .270. Defensively, they have a .960 field percentage.

No. 2 seed Northeastern (48-9, 24-2 Coastal Athletic)

The Huskies have some hype due to their 27-game winning streak. While winning that many baseball games in a row is impressive, I can't help but qualify it by pointing out they played an incredibly weak schedule that ranked No. 168 nationally. However, they went 2-3 against Quad 1 teams and 6-2 against Quad 2 squads. They bat .290 and have a .391 on-base percentage. They hit 76 home runs, but their best quality is their aggressiveness on the bases. They swiped 192 of 236 attempts and have an offensive style similar to Louisville (which gave FSU problems). Their pitching staff has a 2.92 ERA, and opposing batters hit .210. The pitchers don't walk many batters and are usually around the plate, allowing their defense to make plays (.980 fielding percentage). They're the type of team that doesn't beat themselves, but they haven't faced competition or talent close to what Mississippi State or FSU bring to the table.

No. 3 seed Mississippi State (34-21, 15-15 SEC)

The Bulldogs played a top-30 strength of schedule and went 8-17 against Quad 1 teams and 3-3 against Quad 2 squads. They bat .307 with a .407 on-base percentage. They have power, hitting 97 home runs, but lack the speed to do damage on the bases aside from two players who have 10 and 12 steals, respectively. They strike out in 25 percent of their at-bats. Their pitchers have a 4.44 ERA and strike out a ton of batters (605) without issuing many walks (187) in 461.2 innings. Opposing batters hit .228, but they have allowed 55 home runs. Defensively, they have a .972 fielding percentage.

FSU and Mississippi State are the two most talented teams in the region, and that is why they are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. It'll be interesting to see how teams decide to use their pitchers, which could impact teams in different ways. FSU has the option to avoid pitching Jamie Arnold against Bethune-Cookman and still have a high probability of winning. Mississippi State and Northeastern may have to throw their aces in game one. We'll see. FSU will play Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, and it will air on the ACC Network.