FSU baseball: Can bats stay hot against Wake Forest in ACC Championship Semifinals?

No. 5 seed FSU baseball (41-14) moved past No. 4 seed Virginia with a 12-7 win Saturday afternoon and learned they will face the No. 8 seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest defeated No. 1 seed North Carolina in extra innings Friday night, in a game that didn't end until after midnight. They will have to face the Seminoles on very short rest with a 1 p.m. start time. Wake Forest won the series on their home field earlier this year, but FSU had opportunities to sweep the series, but the bullpen couldn't hold late leads in two of the games. FSU will not have to face ACC Pitcher of the Year Chase Burns, who pitched against North Carolina. They will likely face left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle, who pitched well against the Noles earlier this year. He pitched 6.2 innings, scattering nine hits, allowing two earned runs(five total), one walk, and seven strikeouts.

The only game FSU won in the series was the game Hurtle started. Carson Dorsey was the starting pitcher for the Noles in that game and went six innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. I thought Dorsey would start Saturday's game, but Link Jarrett brought him into Friday's game out of the bullpen, and he didn't record an out while throwing 17 pitches. Either way, Wake Forest has an explosive offense, and the ballpark in Charlotte is playing like it's in Colorado, especially in the afternoon games. The FSU offense will need to show up as it has in the first two games in the ACC Tournament. However, I'd like to see more patience early in the game from some hitters. There were way too many quick at-bats Friday, and FSU did the same against Hartle earlier this year. It wasn't until they started making him work that they started to see results. FSU has likely done enough to secure a top-eight seed in the Field of 64, but a win over Wake Forest would nearly guarantee it.