After a resounding win Friday, the Florida State baseball team is one win away from its first College World Series berth in five years.
The Seminoles (46-15) will have their first of two chances to clinch that trip Saturday afternoon (11 a.m. on ESPN) at Dick Howser Stadium when they play Game 2 of the Tallahassee Super Regional against UConn (35-25).
UConn head coach Jim Penders admitted after Friday's loss that the smothering Tallahassee heat which exceeded 90 degrees during Friday afternoon's game affected his team. It's expected to be 85 degrees at first pitch Saturday, but will likely surpass 90 degrees during the game, even reaching 95 or so if the game goes past the projected three hours.
FSU is looking to clinch its 24th CWS appearance in program history. In the Super Regional era (since 1999), FSU has won six of the seven supers in which it won the opening game. Only two of those six series wins even reached the third game, with FSU sweeping the other four.
After winning with Saturday starter Carson Dorsey on the mound last week, FSU will throw its ace, sophomore lefty Jamie Arnold (11-3, 2.45 ERA) in Saturday's second game of the series. Arnold has posted a 2.73 ERA over his last four starts, striking out 45 batters over 26.1 innings while walking just five.
UConn is starting redshirt senior righty Stephen Quigley (6-3, 3.69 ERA) for Saturday's second game after using its other two weekend starters in Friday's 24-4 loss. Quigley has thrown 97.2 innings for the Huskies this season, most recently allowing one earned run over 9.2 innings across two appearances vs. Oklahoma last weekend in the Norman Regional. He's got 84 strikeouts to 24 walks this season, but has allowed 102 hits including 12 home runs and 18 doubles.
FSU starting lineup
1 | cf | 18 Max Williams | L | | .296 |
2 | 3b | 24 Cam Smith | R | | .402 |
3 | rf | 22 James Tibbs III | L | | .362 |
4 | dh | 43 Marco Dinges | R | | .327 |
5 | lf | 7 Jaime Ferrer | R | | .321 |
6 | 1b | 32 Daniel Cantu | L | | .312 |
7 | ss | 1 Alex Lodise | R | | .281 |
8 | 2b | 3 Drew Faurot | B | | .296 |
9 | c | 20 Jaxson West | L | | .260 |
UConn starting lineup
1 | cf | 9 Shpur, Caleb | R | | .270 |
2 | ss | 23 Tammaro, Paul | R | | .311 |
3 | 3b | 20 Broadhurst, Luke | R | | .291 |
4 | lf | 4 Morton, Korey | R | | .335 |
5 | 2b | 1 Padilla, Bryan | R | | .286 |
6 | c | 5 Garbowski, Matt | L | | .292 |
7 | dh | 32 Minick, Tyler | R | | .263 |
8 | 1b | 43 Dalena, Maddix | L | | .243 |
9 | rf | 11 Studley, Jake | R | | .282 |
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