FSU baseball listed in two top-25 polls, peaking at No. 19

FSU baseball (10-0) enters two top-25 polls after winning three games in the First Pitch Invitational over the weekend. The Noles enter the Perfect Game Poll at No. 19 and the Baseball America Poll at No. 24. Ironically, the D1 Baseball Poll doesn't have the Noles ranked but has a 5-5 UC Santa Barbara team ranked at No. 25. I understand the Noles haven't played any top 25 teams, or any good teams really, but found that interesting. The rankings at this point don't mean much since the Noles haven't started ACC play, but that's when we'll separate the contenders from the contenders. The ACC has seven teams(including FSU) listed in the top 25 rankings for Perfect Game and Baseball America.

The Noles will play four of those teams and Florida later this season. Some FSU baseball fans seem surprised by the 10-0 start and have asked if this team is legit. They play Florida on March 12 and a three-game series on the road at Clemson on March 22. We'll know soon enough. I've seen some encouraging signs through the first 10 games. The offense is going to play against most teams, and they've done a solid job responding to adversity in a few games. The Jacksonville win and response to Illinois closing a 7-0 lead late in the game was impressive. Defensively, they've been better, but the pitchers have gotten a ton of strikeouts early, which limits their chances somewhat. We'll see if that continues. However, if Cam Leiter can be consistent the way Jamie Arnold has through three starts, I think this team can make some noise, even with a shaky bullpen that's still defining roles. FSU will be back in action Wednesday against Florida Gulf Coast at 4 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium. Tuesday's game against FGCU has been canceled, and tickets purchased for that game can be used at any home game except Miami and Florida.