The 5-game losing streak Florida State endured to conclude the regular season has been all but forgotten over the last two weeks as the Seminoles sit just two wins away from the College World Series.
Not even the rain or the NCAA’s perceived inability to schedule through it could stop the Seminoles from sweeping the Tallahassee Regional. After a pair of dramatic 1-run victories and a series of weather-related postponements and delays, FSU punched its ticket into the Super Regionals with an 8-1 victory over College of Charleston on Monday.
For head coach Mike Martin and some of the more veteran players on the roster like senior Josh Delph and redshirt junior Mike Compton, going deep into the NCAA Tournament isn’t brand new, but during Florida State’s recent hot streak, the club has ridden the right arms of first-year Seminoles, Boomer Biegalski and Drew Carlton.
In seven games since the start of the ACC Tournament — all FSU victories — Biegalski and Carlton have combined to collect four wins and allow a grand total of two runs earned runs in 31 1/3 innings.
Over that stretch, the two have combined to allow just 21 hits and 7 walks. They’ve also combined for 33 strikeouts.
After working seven scoreless innings in a de facto ACC semifinal against Louisville more than a week ago, Carlton was nearly as dominant on Monday. In an 8-1 victory over College of Charleston, Carlton tossed 6 2/3 shutout frames, allowing six hits and a walk while tying a career-high with nine strikeouts.
Biegalski earned two wins during the ACC Tournament by throwing 11 scoreless innings and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Biegalski ran his scoreless innings streak to 18 2/3 on Saturday before running into trouble in the eighth by allowing a double and a 2-run home run to College of Charleston’s Carl Wise.
Though the scoreless streak was over, Biegalski left the game in a 2-2 tie and the Seminoles went ahead for good the following inning with a solo home run by Quincy Nieporte.
Biegalski has served as Florida State’s ace of late and he will likely toss the opener of the Super Regional against Florida. Biegalski leads FSU with 7 wins, 119 strikeouts and his 2.80 ERA is tops among Seminole starters.
Carlton recently has grown up before Seminole fans’ very eyes and has the potential to be the team’s ace in the years to come. Carlton hasn’t allowed an earned run in 13 2/3 innings since the start of the ACC Tournament and has gone at least five innings without allowing a run on four occasions this season.
Biegalski has at least one season left in Tallahassee and Carlton has two, giving the Seminoles a very bright future. The two however, have been the catalyst for Florida State’s turnaround after a dismal finish to the regular season and if the Seminoles are to make a run at that coveted first College World Series crown, the future will need to be now.
