After a 4-game skid that saw Florida State score a grand total of four runs, the Seminoles seemed to have turned things around. FSU has won five straight, scoring 41 runs over that stretch to improve to 31-12. How Florida State closes the season however, might tell us a lot about how the Seminoles could fare in the postseason.
With a home set against a Coastal Carolina team that just dropped out of the polls in between, Florida State’s final three ACC series will come against the top three teams in the conference, aside from the Seminoles, with two coming away from Tallahassee.
On Friday, Florida State will open a 3-game series against rival Miami in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes are a Coastal division-leading 15-6 in ACC play and were ranked third in the RPI earlier this week.
The Seminoles will close the regular season with back-to-back series against ACC-leading Louisville and Clemson. The Cardinals are 19-2 in conference and come in as high as No. 3 in the human polls. Clemson is third in the Atlantic behind Louisville and FSU.
The Seminoles will visit Louisville May 8th through 10th before concluding the year at home against the Tigers.
Versus teams currently ranked in the Coaches Poll, Florida State is 4-2 this season, but Miami and Louisville may be the two highest ranked teams the Seminoles will face this year. FSU will need to play well to earn a national seed or at the very least, host a Regional.
Florida State seems to be hitting its stride of late with ace Mike Compton back in the rotation, which has allowed freshman Cobi Johnson to serve as a long reliever. Fellow freshman Drew Carlton has also made the most of his role as a starter while Billy Strode has been lights out all season long at the back of the FSU bullpen.
In the lineup, Florida State is providing protection for reigning ACC Player of the Year, D.J. Stewart while Chris Marconcini is finally looking like the player who earned second team All-ACC honors a season ago at Duke.
Another important area where the Seminoles can stand to improve down the stretch is on the road. FSU is just 6-9 away from Dick Howser Stadium this season compared to a remarkable 25-3 at home. Unless the ‘Noles can capture one of the eight national seeds, a trip to Omaha might require the Seminoles to win on the road.
The Seminoles entered the season with a very young roster and in some respects, have overachieved this year. Expectations entering the year weren’t as high as they had been in the past and when all is said it done, the 2015 campaign might end up being one of head coach Mike Martin’s better coaching jobs.
Florida State is still considered a long shot to finally take home that coveted first College World Series title, but as Fresno State proved in 2008, anything is possible. Upcoming contests against two of the nation’s best teams might give fans a glimpse of how the Seminoles could fare in the NCAA Tournament.
