On My Mind Monday: What’s the Fewest Number of Wins for FSU Baseball Entering the NCAA Tournament Under Mike Martin?

We’re just hours away from Florida State finding out its NCAA Tournament fate. Following a 1-1 showing at the ACC Tournament, FSU is 36-21 for the season.

Assuming that FSU is selected in the field of 64, the Seminoles will need to advance past the Regional round and maybe win at least one Super Regional game to win 40 games for a 42nd year in a row. This season’s struggles led one to wonder what the fewest number of wins was for FSU heading into the NCAA Tournament under legendary head coach Mike Martin.

The answer is 36 — this year. In fact, it’s only the third time in Martin’s 40 years that FSU has entered the NCAA Tournament with fewer than 40 wins. All three occasions have taken place in the last four years. Here’s a snapshot of those seasons:

2019

Record Entering Tournament: 36-21
End of Season Result: TBD
Overview: A young Florida State team started the season strong, winning its first 12 games. From there, FSU lost 13 of its next 19 games. The Seminoles were able to win 35 regular season games and earn the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament, but a loss to Wake Forest in their opener in Durham killed any chance of a 3-peat. FSU will find out later Monday if it is in the NCAA Tournament. If it is, it will be the first time that Florida State has played a regional outside of Tallahassee since 2010.

2016

Record Entering Tournament: 37-20
End of Season Result: 41-22, lost to Florida in Super Regional
Overview: The 2016 season saw Florida State enter the NCAA Tournament with just 37 wins, but with momentum. FSU won four straight games before falling to Clemson in the ACC Championship. The Seminoles swept through the Tallahassee Regional and won the first game of the Gainesville Super Regional over rival Florida, 3-0, behind a 2-hit shutout from pitcher Drew Carlton. Unfortunately for FSU, it was shut out over the final two games as the rival Gators reached the College World Series.

2017

Record Entering Tournament: 39-20
End of Season Result: 46-23, lost to LSU in College World Series
Overview: FSU was just 33-20 late in the regular season before a rain-shortened 2-game sweep of the ACC’s top seed in Louisville and rolling through the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles claimed the conference crown by going 4-0 in Louisville with wins over the No. 1 seed Cardinals and later No. 2 seed North Carolina for the ACC Championship. In the Tallahassee Regional, FSU bounced back from an upset loss to Tennessee Tech to win four straight elimination games and the regional. After rallying past Sam Houston State in the first game of the Tallahassee Super Regional, the Seminoles clinched a trip to Omaha with a 19-0 victory. FSU was eliminated with a pair of losses to LSU, sandwiched around a win over Cal State Fullerton.

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