FSU baseball: Link Jarrett calls MCWS game with Tennessee 'Clash of the Titans'

FSU baseball will lock horns with Tennessee on Friday night in their first game in the Men's College World Series. Tennessee made the trip in 2021, 2023, and this year. Link Jarrett's Notre Dame team is the reason Tennessee didn't make the trip in 2022, defeating a high-powered Tennessee team in the Super Regionals. Jarrett will be in a similar position Friday night, but he'll have a much more potent offense and one of the best pitchers in college baseball on the mound in Jamie Arnold. Jarrett called the matchup and "Clash of the Titans" in a press conference on Thursday and believes this will be one of the best games baseball fans could ask to watch. Arnold faced several potent offenses this season and fared well, with all of those starts on the road away from the friendly confines of Dick Howser Stadium. He'll have Charles Schwab Stadium at his disposal on Friday night, often described as a cavernous stadium where usual home runs don't leave the yard. He'll face a Tennessee lineup that has struggled against quality left-handed pitching at times this year.

The Vols will counter with a left-handed pitcher, Chris Stamos. FSU faced Stamos for a couple of innings in 2022 when he played for California. The Noles have struggled against some left-handers this season. Stamos has a 4.02 ERA, 31.1 innings pitched, 35 strikeouts, 15 walks, seven home runs allowed, and a .193 batting average against. The Vols typically look to get 2-3 innings from him as a starter before going to righthander AJ Causey. Friday night's game features two teams near mirrors of one another, and the winner will be the team that takes advantage of the other's miscues. It's the small things like a lead-off walk, error, or failure to get a score with a runner on third base with fewer than two outs that could prove costly. The FSU offense must stay disciplined and not chase pitches outside the strike zone. They must not try to pull outside pitches, and FSU pitchers must avoid walks at all costs. If they do those things, they'll have an outstanding shot to beat Tennessee. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN.