Florida State baseball witnessed its season come to an end on Saturday afternoon in heartbreaking fashion, as Elijah MacNamee of the Mississippi State Bulldogs blasted a 3-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to win it, 3-2.
The blast came off FSU starting pitcher Drew Parrish, who takes his first loss of the season as the Seminoles are eliminated, finishing 43-19. Parrish was sent back out after a two and a half hour rain delay. After not walking a batter through eight innings, Parrish walked a pair before giving up the decisive shot. Mississippi State will continue the Tallahassee Regional against the loser of Samford and Oklahoma on Sunday.
The Good: The most obvious selection here is MacNamee’s home run. Mississippi State did almost nothing at the plate for the entire game, with just three hits until MacNamee approached the plate. With two strikes, two outs, and the season on the line, he sent it over the left field wall for the victory.
The Bad: Mike Martin’s decision to let Drew Parrish go back out after a 2-hour rain delay will be debated for years to come. Parrish had gone eight innings and allowed zero earned runs, but the delay has to be considered. It’s going to be a long time before fans are able to get over this decision.
The Ugly: This was, in all likelihood, Mike Martin’s last game as head coach for Florida State. The winningest coach in college baseball history will walk away after going 0-2 in the hometown regional. The Seminoles have no one but themselves to blame, as their sloppiness and poor attention to detail put them in a disadvantageous spot. They should never have been in the elimination part of the bracket.
Studs of the Game: Elijah MacNamee is the first choice. Drew Parrish was the biggest reason FSU had a lead into the ninth inning, so he still earns a stud nomination. Rhett Aplin sneaks in to this category by hitting the lone RBI of the game for Florida State.
Duds of the Game: Much of the Bulldogs’ lineup could fit here. In particular, Rowdey Jordan possessed Mississippi State’s best slugging percentage, but went 0-for-4 from the plate. For FSU, Jackson Lueck fits the same bill after not getting a single hit for the second straight game.
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