It was a productive 3-game series for Florida State at Dick Howser Stadium as the Seminoles took two of three from a top-20 Louisville team.
After a 9-4 victory on Thursday and an 8-7 win on Friday capped with a 2-run pinch-hit walk-off home run by Jonathan Foster, the Cardinals avoided the sweep on Sunday with a 6-1 victory over FSU. It may have been worse however, had it not been for the relief efforts of freshman C.J. Van Eyk.
“I’m very, very proud of C.J. and the way he took charge of the ballgame,” FSU head coach Mike Martin said after the game.
Van Eyk, a freshman right-hander, allowed just a run on two hits and three walks in six innings of relief on Saturday. Van Eyk took over for another freshman Austin Pollock, a lefty who took the loss for the Seminoles on Saturday.
After a strong start, Pollock has struggled since the beginning of ACC play. In four ACC starts, Pollock is 0-2 with a 9.60 ERA in 15 innings of work.
As for Van Eyk, he’s 1-0 on the season with a 2.66 ERA. Van Eyk’s only win came last Sunday as he threw 4 1/3 innings of shutout baseball in place of an ineffective Pollock during a 9-4 victory over North Carolina.
In 20 1/3 innings, Van Eyk has allowed just 11 hits and 13 walks while striking out 20. Opponents this season are hitting just .166 against Van Eyk, who also has a save. Following Saturday’s loss, one reporter asked Martin if a move to the rotation was in the cards for the freshman.
“He’s in the conversation, yes,” Martin said of Van Eyk. “He’s a young man that enjoys competition and is in control of his emotions. He doesn’t put undue pressure on himself. He’s a battler; he’s a winner.”
Martin’s decision will need to come within the next week. The Seminoles will host Jacksonville on Wednesday before traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech for a 3-game series, beginning on Friday.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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