Coming off one of the most emotional victories in recent program history, the Seminoles must bury that emotion and return their focus to the challenge that lies ahead. There is no better feeling than launching a walk-off grand slam to beat your bitter rival in front of a sold-out crowd in your home state. But now the Noles must take their first trip outside of the state of Florida this season to face the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Link Jarrett’s former team has not gotten off to the best start with a 13-9 record, 1-8 in ACC play, and 2-3 at home. Now, they face the challenge of taking on the fourth-ranked Seminoles. Can FSU put the emotions of Tuesday’s big win behind them and take care of business on their first long road trip of the season? The emotion and crowd surely won’t be what it was against Florida or Miami, so FSU must stay focused and create their own energy. Let’s examine the team they will face in this weekend’s series.
Game 1: Friday, March 28th at 4:30 pm ET.
Game 2: Saturday, March 29th at 2 pm ET.
Game 3: Sunday, March 30th at 1 pm ET.
Frank Eck Stadium. South Bend, Ind.
The Seminoles will travel to South Bend to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who most recently secured a 9-6 victory against Michigan State on Wednesday night. This win is crucial for the Irish, as they have struggled out of the gate this season with a 3-8 record against Division I schools and 1-8 in conference play.
So far, Notre Dame has faced three ranked opponents in conference series. Against Clemson, they managed to win one game in the series. However, they were swept by Wake Forest with two run-rule defeats, and just last weekend, they were also swept by Georgia Tech, being outscored 37-14 across all three games.
As the Irish continue their 14-game homestand, this weekend poses the toughest challenge this season as they welcome the Florida State Seminoles (21-3, 5-1 ACC). The Seminoles enter the matchup ranked No. 4 in the country and boast one of the top offenses and pitching staff in the nation.
For Notre Dame’s offense to succeed against the Seminoles’ starting trio of left-handed pitchers, they will need to perform significantly better than they have throughout the season. The Irish offense has struggled this year, as reflected in their current statistics. Although not performing at the same level they did under Coach Jarrett, the team still has key players who can make an impact.
The Seminoles should pay close attention to two dynamic freshmen: first baseman Parker Brzustewicz and designated hitter Bino Watters, who have shown promise this season. Brzustewicz leads the offense in batting average (.378), hits (28), and doubles (5). Yet, he’s not hit a single home run to date, nor has he accounted for a stolen base. Watters is third in batting average (.304), second in hits (24), and leads the team in home runs (5) and RBI (23). He also has a keen eye, drawing a team-high 21 walks this season. In total, the Irish only have three hitters with a batting average over .300.
The Fighting Irish have faced challenges this season with their pitching staff, which currently ranks 181st in team ERA at 6.49 and is allowing an average of 6.28 runs per game. A significant concern has been their starting rotation, which has a combined ERA of 5.81. This rotation has given up 70 hits and allowed 50 runs over 66.1 innings pitched.
On Friday, the Irish will start their normal Friday night starter in sophomore RHP Jake Radel, who has a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 7.65 with only 16 strikeouts. Radel could give the FSU bats issues as he throws with an over-the-top motion and has a good four pitch mix of fastball (90-94), curveball (77-79), change-up (83-86), and a nasty slider, which has been the Seminoles’ Achilles heel all season. For the Seminoles, Jamie Arnold will return to his normal Friday spot in the rotation as he looks to bounce back from a rough outing in Miami.
On Saturday, it will be much of the same as the Irish will start their senior RHP Jackson Dennies, who has a record of 2-3 and an ERA of 6.41 with 23 strikeouts. The biggest difference from Radel to Dennies is Dennies will give the FSU bats a different look in means of his arm slot as he throws from the 3/4 slot position, which is almost completely side arm. Dennies also brings an almost identical pitch mix as Radel with a fastball (89-92), change-up (83-85), and a back-foot slider. The only difference is that instead of a curveball, Dennies throws a sinker, which he will utilize mainly on left-handed hitters. Joey Volini will take the mound for FSU on Saturday as he looks to continue his streak of dominant performances.
On Sunday, the Seminoles will face the Irish’s ace in junior righty Rory Fox, who was 106th in the Top 150 starting pitchers list and is the best arm the Seminoles will see out of the three weekend starters. Fox holds a 0-1 record but still has a 3.66 ERA and struck out 27 batters while only walking 8. Fox will be tough on right-handed batters with his four-pitch mix of fastball (90-94), curveball (77-79), change-up (85-88), and a gyro-style slider. Fox throws with an over-the-top arm slot and is the best arm the Irish have in their rotation. It’ll be Wes Mendes closing out things on the mound for FSU on Sunday as the Noles return to their normal order of operations.
To be frank, this is a series that Florida State should win. They have a decided statistical advantage in almost every major category. However, there are a few factors to consider. Notre Dame has played a tougher schedule to date, with three teams currently ranked in the D1 Baseball Top 25 compared to zero for FSU. Now, they haven’t exactly fared well against those teams, but it means their record can be a little deceiving. FSU has plenty of tough tests coming down the road, with four ranked series on the horizon. FSU also must make the long trip north to face the Irish coming off an emotional win.
Baseball is the kind of sport that any team can beat any team on any given day, so it’s hard to call for a sweep, however, when you’re the fourth-ranked team in the country going against a team that is 13-9, you should at least get the series win and that’s what matters. A sweep would be the cherry on top. If FSU’s pitching staff holds the line and the bats stay hot like we’ve seen the past few games, they should take care of business against Jarrett’s old squad. All three games can be viewed on ACCNX, or follow along with the radio call on WFLA 100.7 FM. Thanks for reading, and Go Noles!
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