It's hard to imagine the first two games of Florida State baseball's weekend series vs. North Carolina could have gone any worse.
In a critical home series vs. the Tar Heels, the No. 2 Seminoles lost Game 1 8-3 Thursday night and lost game 2 11-1 (in seven innings) Friday night. FSU will look to avoid being swept for the first time this season in its regular-season finale vs. No. 4 UNC Saturday at 2 p.m. (ACC Network Extra) at Dick Howser Stadium.
FSU will turn to sophomore left-handed pitcher Wes Mendes (6-2, 4.81 ERA) as it looks to avoid the sweep and salvage its spot in the ACC standings as well as the NCAA Tournament hosting picture. Mendes is coming off perhaps his best start of ACC play, allowing one run on three hits over five innings last weekend at Cal.
UNC is starting senior RHP Aidan Haugh (4-4, 3.66 ERA) in the series finale. He had been the Tar Heels' Saturday starter, but has struggled a bit recently, allowing 14 earned runs over 10.2 innings in his last three starts. He started last year's FSU-UNC game in the College World Series, allowing three runs over 2.1 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
FSU lineup
UNC lineup
I'll have updates from Howser once the game gets started. Lots on the line for both teams today. UNC would win the ACC regular-season title with a win Saturday while FSU would finish somewhere between first and third in the ACC with a win and between fourth and seventh with a loss.
In a critical home series vs. the Tar Heels, the No. 2 Seminoles lost Game 1 8-3 Thursday night and lost game 2 11-1 (in seven innings) Friday night. FSU will look to avoid being swept for the first time this season in its regular-season finale vs. No. 4 UNC Saturday at 2 p.m. (ACC Network Extra) at Dick Howser Stadium.
FSU will turn to sophomore left-handed pitcher Wes Mendes (6-2, 4.81 ERA) as it looks to avoid the sweep and salvage its spot in the ACC standings as well as the NCAA Tournament hosting picture. Mendes is coming off perhaps his best start of ACC play, allowing one run on three hits over five innings last weekend at Cal.
UNC is starting senior RHP Aidan Haugh (4-4, 3.66 ERA) in the series finale. He had been the Tar Heels' Saturday starter, but has struggled a bit recently, allowing 14 earned runs over 10.2 innings in his last three starts. He started last year's FSU-UNC game in the College World Series, allowing three runs over 2.1 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
FSU lineup
| 1 | rf | 9 Gage Harrelson | L | .343 | |
| 2 | ss | 1 Alex Lodise | R | .424 | |
| 3 | cf | 18 Max Williams | L | .311 | |
| 4 | 1b | 12 Myles Bailey | L | .296 | |
| 5 | 3b | 4 Cal Fisher | R | .331 | |
| 6 | 2b | 3 Drew Faurot | B | .315 | |
| 7 | lf | 5 Chase Williams | B | .367 | |
| 8 | dh | 51 James Hankerson Jr. | B | .273 | |
| 9 | c | 25 Hunter Carns | R | .270 |
UNC lineup
| 1 | cf | 27 Kane Kepley | L | .299 | |
| 2 | 2b | 6 Jackson Van De Brake | R | .316 | |
| 3 | c | 44 Luke Stevenson | L | .270 | |
| 4 | 3b | 5 Gavin Gallaher | R | .280 | |
| 5 | 1b | 45 Hunter Stokely | L | .335 | |
| 6 | ss | 1 Alex Madera | L | .335 | |
| 7 | rf | 11 Tyson Bass | R | .297 | |
| 8 | dh | 25 Rom Kellis | R | .235 | |
| 9 | lf | 18 Carter French | L | .238 |
I'll have updates from Howser once the game gets started. Lots on the line for both teams today. UNC would win the ACC regular-season title with a win Saturday while FSU would finish somewhere between first and third in the ACC with a win and between fourth and seventh with a loss.
