FSU baseball takes on Michigan State in First Pitch Classic

FSU baseball had its Friday afternoon game in the First Pitch Classic Tournament against Illinois moved to Saturday night because of inclement weather. The Noles will play two games Saturday, with the first against Michigan State (3-5) at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Spartans started the season 1-5 but have won their last two, including a win over Georgia in their last outing earlier this week. Michigan State hasn't been a good team early this season after going 33-22, 12-12 B1G) in 2023. Spartan batters bring a .286 batting average and .372 on-base percentage into the game. They strikeout in 28.5 percent of their at-bats, hit 11 home runs and lost most of their top hitters from last season. However, Jack Frank is someone to keep an eye on if he gets on base. He's 6 of 6 in stolen bases Overall, this lineup is not a great recipe against Cam Leiter or Jamie Arnold.

I'm not sure what order Link Jarrett will use with the game getting moved. Michigan State pitchers are usually around the plate and have allowed more hits than innings pitched. I'm not sure who they will start since they have a 9 a.m. game before playing FSU. Defensively, Michigan State has been abysmal in the field, with a .957 fielding percentage.

Overall, I think FSU is the better overall team. Michigan State has a few decent arms, but I like FSU's offensive approach against them, and they've allowed eight home runs in 68 innings. The key for FSU will be having good at-bats and putting the ball in play, forcing their suspect defensive to make the plays. If FSU gets solid starting pitching, it's a game they should win most of the time. The game will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET on The Greenville Drive YouTube channel.