FSU baseball: 4 major takeaways from Noles winning Tallahassee Regional
By Kelvin Hunt
![May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State first baseman Daniel Cantu (32) fist bumps Florida State head coach Link Jarrett. May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State first baseman Daniel Cantu (32) fist bumps Florida State head coach Link Jarrett.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6000,h_3375,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/270/01hzf01y4f86w20teew2.jpg)
Noles Produced Without James Tibbs
ACC Player of the Year and future Major League First-Round Draft selection James Tibbs III had a forgettable Tallahassee Regional. Tibbs went 0-9 with four strikeouts, six walks, and scored four runs. Teams have been pitching around Tibbs since the ACC Tournament, which has frustrated the veteran hitter. It's tough going up to hit, believing you won't get a good pitch to hit. Tibbs did a good job taking the walk four times in game one, scoring three times. However, he started pressing and swinging at pitches well outside the zone, which is uncharacteristic of a guy who walked more than he struck out this season.
Tibbs will be fine as he gets this week to reset, and his lack of success in the regional may influence teams to believe they can start pitching to him again. That will be a mistake on their part. However, it was good to see other players step up in his absence. Cam Smith was outstanding after a 0-5 game one, and Marco Dinges and Jaime Ferrer were highly productive. Max Williams had some key hits, picking up where he left off at the ACC Tournament. The FSU bats left a lot to be desired overall in the regional. They left too many guys on base, were poor situationally at times, and struck out way too much. If they get those things corrected and James Tibbs starts hitting? Watch out!