FSU baseball: Can Noles rebound from Clemson debacle against Florida?

FSU baseball is off to a (19-3, 3-3 ACC) start this season. The Noles won 19 consecutive games before getting swept on the road against No. 3 Clemson. It was a series that saw the FSU bullpen blow an 8-1 lead in game two in the bottom of the ninth and an 11-2 lead in the sixth inning in game three. Can the Noles wipe the slate clean and refocus against the rival Florida Gators? It should help the Noles beat the Gators on the road a few weeks ago with an offensive explosion. This game will take place at a neutral site in Jacksonville.

Florida used several young pitchers against FSU and struggled much of the year. However, they have won back-to-back series against Texas A&M and LSU. Florida hitters have a .289 batting average and a .401 on-base percentage. They have hit 52 home runs, 46 doubles, and two triples. Florida pitchers bring a 5.45 ERA with 259 strikeouts in 203 innings. Opposing batters hit .240 but have hit 27 home runs against the Gators. Florida is excellent defensively, with a .983 fielding percentage.

The Noles jumped out to a big early 7-0 lead in the last matchup but had to hold off a potent Florida offense. It was a pitcher by committee that saw the FSU staff turn in a lights-out performance with 15 strikeouts and only three walks. That performance against a potent lineup gave FSU fans so much hope for the remainder of the season. However, their performance against Clemson last weekend wiped all that hope away. FSU will likely have a pitcher via committee again this week, with ACC games starting on Thursday instead of the usual Friday due to Easter weekend. The offense more than held up its end of the bargain, and the defense has been solid. FSU's success this year will live and die with its pitching. I'm interested to see how the pitching staff will respond after the meltdown at Clemson. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and air on the SEC Network.