The season ended for three Florida State athletic programs over the weekend, but one other hopes to keep that from happening this week. Also, three others will begin play in the ACC Tournament.
As the week heads downhill, we tell you what to watch for as part of “What to Watch For Wednesday”:
1. FSU women’s golf pursuit of a spot in the NCAA Championships
Barring a Wednesday morning meltdown, Florida State women’s golf looks primed for another appearance in the NCAA Championships. The Seminoles have made it in each of the last three years and enter Wednesday in a tie for third place in the Auburn Regional at +4. The top five teams advance and FSU entered Wednesday nine strokes ahead of Auburn and Tennessee, who were tied for sixth place.
FSU is six strokes ahead of fifth-place East Carolina entering the day. Individually, junior Amanda Doherty is in the hunt to win the regional. Doherty is in fourth place entering Wednesday at -3. She enters a stroke behind Virunpat Olankitkunchai of Maryland, Auston Kim of Vanderbilt and Linette Holmslykke of Murray State.
2. FSU softball goes for six straight
For the first time since 2012, Florida State will not be the No. 1 seed in the ACC Softball Tournament, but the Seminoles are probably still the odds-on favorite. FSU has won each of the last five ACC titles and will have the luxury of hosting this year’s event. At 19-5 in conference, FSU still managed to win the Atlantic division, but Coastal division champion Virginia Tech will be the top seed.
The Seminoles and Hokies did not play during the regular season. While FSU has won the last five ACC Tournament titles, it’s worth noting that the last two championship wins came by a single run. FSU rallied from four runs down in the sixth to defeat Pittsburgh last season on a 3-run walk-off home run by catcher Anna Shelnutt. FSU opens the ACC Tournament on Thursday against either Georgia Tech or Virginia.
3. ACC Track and Field Championships
Florida State softball won’t be the only group of Seminoles with an ACC title to defend this weekend. The FSU men’s outdoor track and field team will try to do likewise at the ACC Championships, which gets underway on Thursday. Florida State claimed the outdoor title last season and shared the indoor title earlier this year.
A disqualification in the final relay kept the FSU women from sharing the ACC Indoor title earlier this year. The Seminoles finished third at the outdoor championships last year. The FSU women last won the event in 2016.
4. Final Home Series for Mike Martin, FSU Baseball
Unless Florida State can do the unthinkable and win a third straight ACC Tournament, this weekend’s series with Richmond will be the final appearance for legendary head coach Mike Martin at Dick Howser Stadium. The 3-game series begins on Friday and will last through Sunday. FSU will also say goodbye to a few seniors, including infielder Mike Salvatore and catcher Jonathan Foster.
5. Malik Beasley
Former Florida State and current Denver Nuggets’ guard Malik Beasley is hoping to become the first former FSU player to play in the NBA Finals since Charlie Ward in 1999. Now in his third season in the NBA, Beasley enjoyed a breakout year for Denver and has continued to play well in the playoffs.
Beasley averaged a career-high 11.3 points per game this season while shooting better than 47 percent from the field and better than 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. In the postseason, Beasley has averaged 9.3 points and shot better than 45 percent from deep. The Nuggets currently lead the Portland Trail Blazers three games to two in the Western Conference Semifinals. Denver is one win away from advancing to the conference finals for the first time since 2009.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.
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