Seminoles stave off elimination again, advance to CWS rematch with No. 1 Tennessee
OMAHA, Neb. — The Florida State Seminoles wanted another shot at No. 1 Tennessee, and the Seminoles are going to get it.
With a 9-5 victory Tuesday afternoon against North Carolina in a College World Series elimination game, the Seminoles will advance to face the Volunteers on Wednesday afternoon. The Tar Heels’ season is over.
FSU is now 49-16 on the season, while UNC falls to 48-16.
Tennessee is 57-12 after winning its first two games in the College World Series.
“Can’t wait. They’re really good,” Florida State coach Link Jarrett said, when asked about getting another chance against the Volunteers. “They’re really good. I dealt with that program at their place in the Super [Regional] in ’22. Thought it was one of the most talented college baseball teams I’ve ever seen. This one’s right there in that same conversation.”
On a day when the Seminoles’ star batters — Cam Smith, James Tibbs, Marco Dinges and Jaime Ferrer — had a relatively quiet afternoon, it was No. 9 hitter Jaxson West and leadoff batter Max Williams who did the bulk of the damage.
West went 4-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBIs, while Williams went 3-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs.
The two Alabama transfers actually hit their home runs back-to-back in the top of the ninth inning to extend the Seminoles’ lead to four runs.
Through three games, Florida State’s offense is averaging nine runs per outing.
“They seem very focused,” Jarrett said of his hitters. “They’re talented. Our assistant coaches do a really good job of giving them an idea of what’s going on with each arm.”
Florida State’s starting pitcher, Andrew Armstrong, gave the Seminoles everything they could have asked for, despite battling through a nagging oblique injury. The senior left-hander hadn’t pitched in a game since May 25, but he tied a season high by going 4 1/3 innings and had only given up one run entering the fifth.
Armstrong was pulled after giving up a single and a walk with one out, and Florida State opted to go with junior right-hander Conner Whittaker, who threw 71 pitches on Friday night. But Whittaker didn’t have his best stuff, giving up a three-run home run to UNC leadoff hitter Vance Honeycutt and then being pulled after allowing two more baserunners while recording just one out.
Junior lefty Connor Hults came in to end that threat, and he pitched the final 4 1/3 innings to pick up the victory.
Hults allowed no runs and just two hits while striking out two and walking one.
“Hultsy, to come in and finish the fifth and just roll with it, just a phenomenal testament to his toughness and resolve to deliver,” Jarrett said.
While the four sluggers in the middle of the Florida State batting order went a combined 3-for-17 with 1 RBI and five runs scored, West combined with Williams and first baseman Daniel Cantu to collect nine hits and 6 RBIs.
Florida State will face Tennessee on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. The Seminoles will have to beat the Volunteers twice to advance to the CWS championship round, while the Volunteers need one more victory to move on.
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