TALLAHASSEE, Fl. — Due to expected weather Tuesday in Macon, Ga., FSU’s game against Mercer will now take place in Tallahassee. The game will be played Tuesday, March 3, at 4 p.m. in Dick Howser Stadium.
The Fan Appreciation Game will be free to everyone, though the FSU Clear Bag Policy will still remain in place. The game will not stream through the ACC Network Extra, so fans are encouraged to either attend the game in person or listen to Eric Luallen on the FSU Gameday App.
This is the second consecutive midweek game for the Noles that has been impacted due to weather. Last week’s game at Jacksonville was postponed to May 12. FSU was scheduled to make its first trip to Macon since 1997.
No. 14 Florida State (8-3) is coming off a 2-2 weekend against FAU and No. 3 Texas Tech. Mercer (11-0) is one of six remaining undefeated teams nationally and receiving votes in the USA Today poll. FSU swept Mercer in Tallahassee March 1-3, 2019, and the two teams were in Athens Regional in the NCAA Tournament but did not end up facing each other.
GAME 12 – Mercer at Florida State
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
FSU: LHP Bryce Hubbart (0-1, 8.31 ERA) vs. MU: RHP Josh Farmer (1-0, 1.04 ERA)
4:00 p.m.
FSU vs. MERCER HISTORY
FSU is 63-8 all-time against the Bears, including a three-game sweep in Tallahassee in 2019.
Led by four homers from Drew Mendoza (2), Elijah Cabell, and Cooper Swanson, Florida State completed the three-game sweep of Mercer with a 5-1 triumph in the last meeting between the Seminoles and the Bears on March 3, 2019. Shane Drohan started on the mound and tossed a career-high (at the time) 3.1 innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts. Conor Grady (2.2 IP, 3 K) earned the win out of the pen, backed up by Clayton Kwiatkowski (1.0 IP, 2 K), Chase Haney (1.0 IP, 2 K) and J.C. Flowers (1.0 IP, 1 K) in relief.
WEEKEND RECAP
Florida State split its four-game weekend at Dick Howser with a two-game sweep of FAU, and two tightly-contested losses to No. 3 Texas Tech.
On Friday night, the Noles took down the Owls, 5-1, behind by dominant outings from starter CJ Van Eyk (season-high 6.0 IP, 8 K), Chase Haney (1.0 IP, 2 K) and Antonio Velez (2.0 IP, 2 K) who combined to allow just one FAU hit. Van Eyk improved to 1-0 and tied the team’s season-high in strikeouts, matching his total from the season opener against Niagara. All nine of FSU’s starters reached base safely via a hit, walk, or hit by pitch.
In the first game of the Saturday doubleheader, Florida State’s explosive offensive outing propelled the club to a 16-6 win over FAU with a season-high tying 14 hits, 10 walks, and four hit by pitches. Jack Anderson (1-0) earned the first win of his career, tossing a career-high 4.2 innings in relief. The sophomore allowed just two hits and one unearned run while tying his career-high of four strikeouts. Robby Martin was 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of two-run doubles. With two hits in the fourth inning, Martin was the first Seminole with two hits in the same frame since Quincy Nieporte in 2017.
On Saturday evening, the Seminoles fell 6-5 to the Red Raiders in extra innings after Texas Tech tied the game up in the ninth inning on a home run and took the final lead in the 11th inning on a throwing error. Drohan struck out a career-high nine batters in 4.2 innings pitched, while Haney, Jonah Scolaro and Davis Hare each threw a scoreless frame in relief. The Seminole staff combined to record 19 strikeouts and at the plate, FSU knocked 13 hits and drew four walks.
In Sunday’s finale, Elijah Cabell gave FSU a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning with a three-run moon shot, but Texas Tech would come back to top the Noles again by just one run, 5-4. FSU had only two hits in the game but reached based in each of the first eight innings. Nander De Sedas and Robby Martin each set a career high with three walks, combining for all six Seminole walks on the afternoon. Haney made his third appearance of the weekend on the mound and eighth of the season. His 103 appearances are eighth in FSU history; he is seventh in relief appearances (all 103).
OF NOTE
- Elijah Cabell was hit by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday afternoon’s game for his 13th HBP of the year. He has been hit by a pitch in 9 of the past 10 games and has matched his freshman year total of 13 in just 11 games (played 58 games as a freshman).
- Sophomore catcher Mat Nelson has reached base in 23 consecutive games. He was hit by a pitch twice on Sunday, the fourth time in his career he has been plunked multiple times in a game.
- Freshman Tyler Martin leads the Seminoles in on-base percentage with a .563 mark. He has hit the most doubles (4), is tied with Robby Martin in triples (1), is tied with Elijah Cabell for the most runs scored (13) and is tied for the team-lead in walks with Nander De Sedas (11).
- The Seminoles have thrown double-digit strikeouts in 10 of 11 games this season.
UP NEXT
No. 14 Florida State heads to Durham, North Carolina to face off with No. 12 Duke for a three-game series in its first weekend of conference play. FSU holds the all-time series advantage against the Blue Devils, 78-24, and is 4-3 against Duke teams in the Top 25.
