The Daily Nole

Seminole Saturday Summary: FSU Baseball Hits 40 Wins, One Victory from Omaha

Ken Lanese/FSU athletics

Florida State baseball players and coaches don’t seem eager for legendary head coach Mike Martin’s tenure with the Seminoles to end.

Despite sneaking into the NCAA Tournament, the Seminoles are one win from a second College World Series appearance in three years. FSU closed out the Athens Regional on Sunday with a 10-1 victory over No. 4 national seed Georgia — its second triumph over the Bulldogs in as many nights.

FSU earned itself a spot in Baton Rouge for the Super Regional, which began on Saturday. Despite falling behind 4-0, the Seminoles rallied to score the game’s final six runs over the last four innings.

After an infield single from Matheu Nelson got FSU on the board in the sixth, Reese Albert tied the game in the seventh with a 3-run home run. Tim Becker’s sacrifice fly in the eighth put FSU ahead for good before Albert added some insurance with a solo home run to start the ninth.

With a 4-0 start to the NCAA Tournament, FSU sits at 40-21 for the season and has won at least 40 games in each of the last 42 seasons. The Seminoles will have two chances to get one win in Baton Rouge and advance to the College World Series in Omaha.

Football

Weekly Commitments: Melvin Jordan, Unraked 2020 LB (Unranked)
2020 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 8 nationally, third in ACC* (12 total commitments)

Men’s Basketball

Weekly Commitments: None
Weekly Decommitments: Naseem Khaalid, 4-star PG (No. 65 overall prospect)*
2020 Recruiting Class Ranking: N/A (0 total commitments)

Baseball

Record: 40-21
Ranking: No. 20 Collegiate Baseball
Past Week: (2-0), defeated Georgia, 10-1 (Athens Regional); defeated LSU, 6-4 (Baton Rouge Super Regional)
Upcoming: vs. LSU (Baton Rouge Super Regional, Sunday and Monday#)
Recognitions: Robby Martin, OF (Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American); Mike Salvatore, IF (Athens Regional Most Outstanding Player, All-Athens Regional); C.J. Van Eyk, P (All-Athens Regional); Drew Mendoza, 3B (All-Athens Regional); Carter Smith, 1B (All-Athens Regional); Nander De Sedas, SS (All-Athens Regional); Tim Becker, OF (All-Athens Regional)
Big Picture: Florida State notched a 40-win season for the 42nd straight year on Saturday. The Seminoles can clinch a spot in the College World Series with a win over LSU on Sunday or Monday.

Weekly Review

FSU 10, (4) Georgia 1
Sunday, June 2 (Athens Regional)

Florida State led 2-0 two batters into the Athens Regional finale and never looked back in a blowout win over No. 4 national seed Georgia. Reese Albert got the scoring started with a 2-run home run in the first inning before finishing with three RBIs. Mike Salvatore and Robby Martin each plated a pair of runs for FSU. Salvatore scored three times. On the mound, Conor Grady was outstanding, yielding just a run on six hits and two walks in seven innings. Tucker Maxwell homered to account for all the Georgia offense.

FSU 6, (13) LSU 4
Saturday, June 8 (Baton Rouge Super Regional)

Florida State erased a 4-run deficit and moved to within one win of the College World Series by scoring six runs over its final four innings to top LSU in the first game of the best-of-3 Baton Rouge Super Regional. Reese Albert tied the game at four with a 3-run home run in the seventh before adding a solo shot in the ninth. Tim Becker’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth put the Seminoles ahead for good. Josh Smith was 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Tigers in the loss. Antonio Velez stranded a pair of runners in the seventh to earn the win.

Track and Field

Ranking: Men No. 29 USTFCCCA; Women No. 3 USTFCCCA
Past Week: NCAA Championships
Recognitions: Bryand Rincher (All-American first team, two events); Jhevaughn Matherson (All-American first team, team event); Andre Ewers (All-American first team, team event); Michael Timpson (All-American first team, team event); Armani Wallace (All-American first team); Rougui Sow (All-American first team); Laura Paredes (All-American first team); Karimah Davis (All-American first team, team event); Shauna Helps (All-American first team, team event); Jayla Kirkland (All-American first team, team event); Cortney Jones (All-American first team); Ka’Tia Seymour (All-American first team, three events); Shanice Love (All-American first team); Jogaile Petrokaite (All-American second team); Veronika Kanuchova (All-American second team)
Big Picture: The season came to an end on Saturday in Austin for both the FSU men and women. The FSU men finished in 17th place at the NCAA Championships while the 10th place finish for the women is their highest since 2009.

Weekly Review

NCAA Championships
Wednesday, June 5 through Saturday, June 8

As a team, the Florida State men finished 17th at the NCAA Championships in Austin. The Seminoles claimed a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay. Earning first-team All-American honors for FSU was Bryand Rincher (100 meters) and senior Armani Wallace, who claimed a bronze medal in the triple jump. The FSU women finished in a 10th-place tie. Claiming first-team All-American honors for the Seminoles was Rougui Sow (long jump), Laura Paredes (javelin), the 4×100-meter relay team, Cortney Jones (100-meter hurdles), Ka’Tia Seymour (100 meters and 200 meters) and Shanice Love, who earned silver in the discus. The FSU athletes claiming second-team honors were Jogaile Petrokaite (long jump) and Veronika Kanuchova (hammer).

Other News

FSU baseball third baseman Drew Mendoza was selected 94th overall by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

FSU outfielder and pitcher J.C. Flowers was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft with the 124th overall pick.

FSU baseball pitcher Drew Parrish was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft with the 229th overall pick.

FSU baseball infielder Mike Salvatore was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the ninth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft with the No. 276 overall pick.

FSU baseball commitments Yordys Valdes (second round to Cleveland Indians) and Grant McCray (third round to San Francisco Giants) were each selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft.

FSU volleyball will open the 2019 season against Wisconsin and Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Aug. 30 and 31. The rest of the schedule for 2019 was also set.

FSU softball infielder Rock Benavides will transfer to Houston.

FSU hoops will take on Indiana in next season’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

FSU softball assistant Craig Snider is leaving the Seminoles for Texas A&M.

FSU soccer has released its 2019 schedule, which begins on Aug. 22 against TCU.

Former FSU quarterback E.J. Manuel will join the ACC Network as an analyst.

A memorandum of agreement was signed, making Seminole Boosters and the FSU athletic department part of the same organization.

Tennessee softball pitcher Caylan Arnold will transfer to Florida State.

*247Sports Composite rankings
#If necessary

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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