Florida State Baseball drops series opener to N.C. State, 8-7
Florida State coach Link Jarrett expected a highly competitive series with N.C. State this weekend, and Game 1 on Friday certainly disappoint.
After falling behind early and then sitting through a lengthy weather delay, the No. 5 Seminoles rallied to make things close but ended up falling to the No. 13 Wolfpack, 8-7.
With the win, N.C. State improves to 26-17 and 13-9 in the ACC, while Florida State falls to 34-10 and 13-9.
FSU ace Jamie Arnold had a tough night and fell to 8-2 on the season, but he was hurt by some softly hit balls that fell in for base hits. He only pitched three innings because of the lightning delay, which lasted more than 90 minutes, and finished with six runs allowed (five earned) on nine hits.
When play resumed in the bottom of the third inning, FSU quickly got back in the game with a two-run home run from James Tibbs after Cam Smith drew a walk. That cut the deficit to 6-4, then Marco Dinges blasted a solo homer to make it 6-5.
But the Seminoles could never get over the hump.
After scoreless fourth and fifth innings for both teams, N.C. State pushed its lead to two runs with a solo homer from Alec Makarewicz in the top of the sixth, then they added another on a wild pitch in the eighth.
Florida State again rallied to cut the deficit to 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single from Jaime Ferrer. But that was as close as the Seminoles would get.
FSU was led offensively by Tibbs, who went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and two runs scored. He had two of the Seminoles’ seven hits for the night.
Brennen Oxford was the Seminoles’ most effective pitcher; he allowed one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings while striking out five and walking three.
The Seminoles and Wolfpack will return to action for Game 2 Saturday at 7 p.m. (ACC Network). The first 500 fans will receive FSU Baseball T-shirts, and 2024 NFL Draft picks Jared Verse and Trey Benson will throw out the first pitch.
Here are additional notes from FSU Sports Information:
- Third baseman Cam Smith drew two walks and scored two runs in his first two plate appearances, extending his on-base streak to 54 games, the eighth-longest in program history. Smith leads FSU with 57 runs scored.
- James Tibbs and Marco Dinges hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning, FSU’s fourth back-to-backs of the year. FSU has hit a home run in a school-record 19 consecutive games and 40 of 44 this year.
- Tibbs was 2-for-4 with a two-run HR and an RBI double. Tibbs leads FSU with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 16 doubles; Tibbs 46 career home runs are tied for eighth in FSU history (Jeremy Morris, 1994-97).
- Jaxson West hit his seventh double of the season.
- Left fielder Jaime Ferrer threw out a runner at second base in the first inning; Ferrer has two OF assists this year and five in his career. Tibbs also threw out a runner at the plate to end the third inning, his fifth of the year and ninth of his career.
- The last time FSU had multiple outfield assists in a game was the 2023 season opener vs. James Madison; Ferrer and Jordan Williams threw out runners in that game.
- Ferrer singled in two runs in the eighth inning, extending his hitting streak to a team-high eight games.
- Jamie Arnold earned his 100th strikeout of the season. Arnold entered Friday night fifth in the country in total strikeouts.
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