'That was for you' ... FSU opens with 11-0 win in first game since passing of Mike Martin Sr.
Playing their first game since the passing of legendary head coach Mike Martin Sr., the Florida State baseball team opened the 2024 season with a fitting tribute Friday night on the field that bears his game.
Thanks to a dominant pitching performance and a late-inning display of power at the plate, the Seminoles rolled to an 11-0 victory against visiting Butler. The No. 11, of course, was Martin’s jersey number and, “Eleven,” was how he was known to players, coaches and fans for four decades.
“I’m proud of that performance all the way around,” second-year Florida State head coach Link Jarrett said. “And on top of it, to score 11 runs — it’s hard to believe. It’s really cool. He’s looking down on us. That was for you (looking up toward sky). He would have been proud of this. This was his type of game.”
Aside from the final score, the story of the night was the shutout posted by the Seminoles’ pitching staff.
Sophomore UCF transfer Cam Leiter, who earned the right to be the opening day starter with an outstanding preseason, was simply sensational. The 6-foot-5 right-hander struck out a career-high 13 batters in five innings and allowed just one hit and two walks.
Leiter only allowed one Butler player to reach second base. And when that happened, after a walk and single in the fourth inning, he struck out the next three batters in order.
“It starts with the guy on the mound,” Jarrett said. “Leiter was good. We’ve seen that. We’ve seen it in the outings in the preseason. To see it with another team was clearly good.”
The Seminoles’ bullpen handled the job from there.
Junior left-hander Carson Dorsey struck out five and allowed two hits in two innings, and freshmen Hudson Rowan and Matt Sauser each struck out two in their lone innings of work. As a team, Florida State issued just four walks while recording 22 strikeouts.
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“It’s not just me — the whole staff went out there and showed out,” Leiter said, while giving praise to first-year pitching coach Micah Posey.
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The Seminoles were led offensively by outfielder James Tibbs, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBIs. All of those runs came on Tibbs’ sixth-inning grand slam, which blew the game open.
“That was clearly a huge moment,” Jarrett said. “Just to give us some breathing room.”
Leadoff hitter DeAmez Ross went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored, designated hitter Marco Dinges went 3-for-3 with a walk in his Florida State debut, and UCF transfer Drew Faurot went 2-for-5.
One more neat moment occurred in the eighth inning, as Alabama transfer Max Williams and freshman Cal Fisher hit back-to-back home runs in their first career at-bats.
“Just proud of the guys,” Jarrett said. “From top to bottom, first pitch to last, I’m proud of the way we played.”
Florida State and Butler will play Game 2 of the series on Saturday at noon. The game originally was scheduled for 2 p.m., but it was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather.
LHP Jamie Arnold will start for the Seminoles, while RHP Tyler Banks will start for Butler.
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