Bitter rivals will meet in Gainesville with a trip to the College World Series on the line as Florida State takes on No. 1 overall national seed Florida.
Florida will look to knock out its rivals for the second straight season and advance to the College World Series while FSU is hoping to make its first trip to Omaha since 2012. To say the Seminoles have a tall task in front of them is an understatement. FSU is not only facing the nation’s No. 1 overall seed, but its facing a team that has had its number in recent years.
In last season’s Gainesville Super Regional, the Seminoles were absolutely manhandled by their rivals by 13-5 and 11-4 scores. Florida homered five times in the two games and neither FSU starter, Boomer Biegalski or Mike Compton, could make it out of the third inning.
Florida’s domination of FSU continued this season as the Gators swept the season series, winning the three contests, 6-0, 3-2 and 8-2. Overall, Florida has won five straight and nine of 11 against its rivals.
For Florida State, there is reason for optimism. The Seminoles have been red hot of late, winning seven of eight. During the span, the home run ball has been an ally for the Seminoles while quality starting pitching has allowed FSU to preserve its deep and usually dependable bullpen.
While FSU has been playing excellent baseball since the regular season finale against rival Miami, the same was true last season heading into the Super Regional. Florida State had won seven straight by sweeping through the ACC Tournament and Tallahassee Regional before meeting its match against the rival Gators.
If there’s any consolation for Florida State fans in that statistic, it’s that the Seminoles were much more dominant in regional play this time around. FSU outscored opponents Alabama State, Southern Mississippi and South Alabama by a combined 43-14 margin.
In last year’s regional, FSU won in its final at-bat against Mercer and in the first meeting with College of Charleston. Josh Delph’s 10th-inning walk-off single lifted the Seminoles past the Bears 5-4 before Quincy Nieporte’s solo blast in the eighth inning the following day put FSU ahead for good against the Cougars, 3-2. That sort of drama wasn’t necessary this time around.
In addition to trying to end a skid against its biggest rival, Florida State will also attempt to do something it never has over the weekend — win a super regional outside of Tallahassee. Since the NCAA Tournament went to its current format in 1999, the Seminoles are just 5-9 in Super Regionals. They’re 0-5 when having to travel.
Recent history may not be on Florida State’s side heading into the Super Regional, but some streaks are meant to be broken. FSU hopes that time is sooner rather than later. The Gainesville Super Regional will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. EST.
Larry Novey/FSU athletics
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