The Daily Nole

CWS: FSU, Cal State Fullerton Both Try to Get Up Off the Mat

Mark Kuhlmann/FSU athletics

One team’s season will end on Monday and one’s will go on with the first elimination game of the 2017 College World Series.

Florida State and Cal State Fullerton will meet at 2 p.m. EST on Monday with both coming off devastating defeats on Saturday. Both led late in the game, only to lose by one run to nationally seeded teams.

Cal State Fullerton let a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning slip away against No. 1 Oregon State on Saturday. The Titans gave up four runs in the sixth on just two hits before allowing the Beavers to take the lead in the eighth on an RBI single by Adley Rutschman.

For FSU, the Seminoles were their own worst enemy on Saturday night in a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to No. 4 LSU. LSU’s first run was gift-wrapped as Antoine Duplantis scored all the way from first on a strikeout that would have ended the inning. Unfortunately for FSU, catcher Cal Raleigh was unable to block the ball and it rolled to the backstop. With no one covering home, Duplantis came all the way home.

Despite that, Florida State took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning when the Tigers went ahead for good with two runs. LSU tied the game on a Duplantis single that was misplayed in right field by FSU’s Steven Wells, Jr. Wells’ throw into the infield skidded away and Cole Freeman took off for home.

The throw to the plate beat him easily, but Raleigh was unable to handle it. Greg Deichmann singled home Duplantis through a drawn in infield the very next hitter to drive in the game-winning run.

For Florida State, resiliency has been a theme in 2017. It’s worth noting that FSU was in an identical situation during the Tallahassee Regional and managed to win four straight games to advance. The competition in Omaha however, will be much stiffer.

Throwing for the Seminoles on Monday will be freshman left-hander Drew Parrish. Parrish struggled for the early parts of the year, but has been lights out of late. In his last 21 innings of work, Parrish has allowed just two runs on eight hits while striking out 29 and walking just five.

John Gavin, a junior lefty, is likely to get the start for the Titans. Gavin is 8-2 this year with a 2.67 ERA in 101 innings.

During its runs to Omaha, Cal State Fullerton has been no stranger to having the odds against it. After beating No. 8 national seed Stanford twice in the regional round, the Titans were forced to win two straight at Long Beach State after dropping the Super Regional opener.

With both teams losing heartbreakers in their College World Series openers, the Seminoles and Titans are each tasked with winning four straight to advance to the championship series. For that to happen, the schools will need to avoid dwelling on the past and looking too far into the future on Monday. Unfortunately for one of the teams Monday, looking ahead will pertain to next season.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

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