FSU: TBA vs. CU: TBA
The three game series against the Tigers will be the final regular season home games for the Seminoles this year. Freshman Bryce Hubbart will make his first series-opening start of the year in place of ACC Pitcher of the Year frontrunner Parker Messick, who will miss his regularly-scheduled start. Hubbart ranks in Top 10 in the ACC in ERA, strikeouts (79) and opponent batting average (.201).
The last time FSU and Clemson played, the Seminoles swept the Tigers in Tallahassee. All-time, FSU is 79-69-1 against Clemson.
The Seminoles enter the weekend after a split against Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday. After losing the first game on a ninth-inning solo home run, FSU won the nightcap 2-1 on Elijah Cabell’s walk-off home run.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 13 Florida State won its fourth road series against a ranked team, splitting Saturday’s doubleheader at No. 2 Notre Dame after beating the Irish Friday night. The Seminoles are now 25-17 and 17-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Notre Dame falls to 25-10 overall and 22-10 in the ACC.
Notre Dame won the first game Saturday, 5-3, before FSU won the nightcap, 7-1.
Elijah Cabell had three hits Saturday, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Nico Baldor, who made his first start of the season in the second game Saturday, reached base in all five plate appearances with three doubles, four runs batted in, a walk and a hit by pitch.
FSU: RHP Conor Grady (4-2, 3.91 ERA) vs. ND: TBA
FSU catcher Mat Nelson continues to lead the nation in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. The third-year sophomore hit his 20
th home run of the season Sunday, the first Nole with at least 20 in a year since Buster Posey hit 26 in 2008. Nelson has 57 runs batted in and an .867 slugging percentage.
Messick, from Plant City, Florida, ranks second in the ACC with a 2.45 earned run average and 91 strikeouts. Messick has won three consecutive decisions and has 10 consecutive games with at least 5.0 innings pitched and two or fewer earned runs allowed.
Hubbart and Grady both set career highs in strikeouts last weekend against Troy. Hubbart retired 12 Trojan batters via K in 6.1 innings, also a career best. Grady needed just 5.0 innings to strike out 13 batters, the most for a Seminole this season.
May 2, 2021 ⚾: Hare, Nelson Power Noles in Comeback Win vs. Troy
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Davis Hare and Mat Nelson each hit late-inning home runs, and the FSU bullpen continued its strong weekend, as No. 20 Florida State (23-16) rallied from an early deficit for a 4-2 win over Troy (21-21) Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. The win clinched the series for the Seminoles.
Each team scored just seven runs over the three-game series, which FSU won two games to one. Conor Grady continued FSU’s strong starting pitching Sunday, with a career-high 13 strikeouts with no walks. He did give up a pair of runs (one earned) over 5.0 innings.
FSU: RHP Conor Grady (4-2, 4.14 ERA) vs. TU: RHP Bay Witcher (4-2, 4.53 ERA)
The Seminoles will throw the same rotation for the ninth consecutive weekend. Parker Messick, the Atlantic Coast Conference leader in earned run average at 2.41, has won two consecutive starts and is second in the league with 82 strikeouts. The redshirt freshman allowed just three hits over 6.0 innings in FSU’s 9-0 shutout last week at Georgia Tech.
Bryce Hubbart has also won his past two starts and leads the Noles with five victories on the year. Hubbart ranks in the Top 10 in the ACC in ERA, opponent batting average and strikeouts.