Florida State baseball is back in the College World Series final four for the first time in 12 years.
The No. 8 Seminoles (49-16) face a rematch with No. 1 Tennessee (57-12) in the semifinals, five days after the two schools met in the opening game of the World Series, with the Volunteers coming back from down 11-8 in the ninth inning to win 12-11.
Because of the loss, FSU must beat Tennesee twice to advance to the National Championship series this weekend. The Seminoles are coming off wins over Virginia (46-17) and No. 4 North Carolina (48-16), scoring a combined 16 runs and surviving elimination in both games.
Seminoles head coach Link Jarrett knows the difficulty of beating Tennessee, and after the controversial loss to the Volunteers in the opener, he said his team is ready to go.
“So excited. I recognize the difficulty of beating that team,” Jarrett said. “It takes everything you’ve got. You have to finish. You have to defend. You have to execute pitches. And you have to be versatile and compete offensively to figure out a way to do it.”
“They’re really good. There’s no wiggle room in the lineup. They have a variety of arms. They’re talented. They’ve been here. They played in this stadium a lot.”
The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
Tennessee followed its win over the Seminoles with a 6-1 victory over North Carolina, sending the Tar Heels to the losers bracket where the team eventually lost to FSU 9-5 on Tuesday.
Zander Sechrist (4-1) will be on the bump for the Volunteers, and the senior has been on a strong run in the postseason for Tennessee, striking out 14 in his last three playoff starts, with his team 3-0 in those games.
On the season Sechrist holds a 3.26 ERA, allowing 65 hits and 28 runs.
Jarrett would not announce a starter after the victory against North Carolina, saying the pitching staff would be ready for the game.
“So they’re ready. We’ll figure out the pitching. If anybody wants to ask me who is starting just save it because I don’t know. We’ll figure it out,” Jarrett said.
Florida State baseball live score updates vs. Tennessee in College World Series
Florida State falls to No. 1 Tennessee 7-2, historic turnaround season ends in College World Series semifinal
FSU’s magical season ends in Omaha in the College World Series semifinals, falling to Tennessee 7-2.
Dinges started the ninth inning by working a full count and drawing a walk. Ferrer battled with Snead for a 10-pitch at bat, ultimately striking out on a 2-2 count after multiple foul balls.
A popout to short by Cantu gave Tennessee its second out of the inning.
Lodise worked a 3-2 count but lined out to the shortstop to end the game.
Link Jarrett’s second season ends at 49-17 for the Seminoles, a 26-win turnaround to mark the largest one-season win improvement in program history and the best win improvement in the nation. This was FSU’s first appearance in the College World Series semifinal since 2012.
Tennessee blast one, add to lead as Florida State enters 9th inning down five at College World Series
Whittaker replaced Charles to start the ninth inning for Florida State, and after working a 2-2 count, Burke blasted a solo home run to right center to give Tennessee a five-run lead.
Whittaker responded by getting three straight outs.
Florida State will send Dinges, Ferrer and Cantu to the plate with its national championship dreams down to the final three outs.
Dinges and Ferrer have both hit the warning track multiple times in the game and Cantu’s home run in the seventh got the Seminoles on the board. Tennessee replace Connell with Nate Snead.
Florida State go scoreless in 8th inning, enter the 9th down four against Tennessee in College World Series
Florida State started the inning with a scorching single from Williams, giving Smith a base runner to work with.
Smith battled with Tennessee’s Connell, and he connected on a fastball, sending it up the middle. A quick instinctive attempt at a catch from Connell deflected the ball and moved it off its path up the middle and right into the hands of the Volunteers second baseman, who turned the double play as Williams didn’t have enough time to react on the basepath and get back to first.
Connor Whittaker takes over on the mound from Charles in the ninth inning. Blake Burke, Billy Amick and Dylan Dreiling up for Tennessee.
Whittaker is pitching for the second straight day, throwing 20 pitches against North Carolina, giving up a three-run home run.
Charles works out of jam, Florida State go into bottom of 8th down four in College World Series game vs. Tennessee
Charles entered the game in the fourth and has kept Tennessee’s powerful offense quiet, giving FSU a chance to keep its Omaha dreams alive.
After back-to-back home runs in the seventh by Cantu and Lodise, the Seminoles offense finally broke through a strong outing from Tennessee’s Sechrist and defense.
FSU send Williams, Smith and Tibbs to the dish in the eighth inning.
Williams is 1-for-3 with a double.
Smith is 0-3 but he did reach on a fielder’s choice in the third inning.
Tibbs is 1-for-3 with a single.
So often this season the top three in FSU’s lineup have provided fireworks, is there one more show on the cards?
Florida State blast back-to-back home runs, cut into lead vs. Tennessee in College World Series
FSU’s offense has finally arrived against Tennessee with Cantu and Lodise hitting back-to-back home runs to the Volunteer bullpen, forcing a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh.
After Ferrer led off the inning with a deep fly ball to right field, Cantu laced a 2-1 fastball over the fence, a no-doubt home run off his bat.
Lodise worked a 2-2 count before making contact on a pitch high in the zone that flew just over the right field fence as Tennessee right fielder Reese Chapman looked on helpless to the two runs.
Sechrist was replaced after just over six innings of work with Kirby Connell taking the mound.
Connell retired Faurot and West on five pitches, but FSU cut the lead down to four heading into the eighth inning.
Florida State enters final three innings down six, looking for runs against Tennessee at College World Series
Charles gave FSU what it needed on the mound, retiring nine straight batters before allowing one to reach base after entering the game.
But a two-out double from Amick that skipped underneath the outstretched glove of Smith at third base allowed the Volunteers to add one more run when Dreiling singled to right on the next at-bat, scoring Amick.
The Seminoles send Ferrer, Cantu and Lodise to the dish. The trio have yet to record a hit in the game, with Lodise’s walk making him the only one to reach base.
FSU’s bats have been making hard contact, sending multiple balls to the deep parts of the ballpark, but have not been able to get any over the wall or get anything to fall for a hit.
Joe Charles tosses two strong, scoreless innings for FSU in College World Series game vs. Tennessee
After replacing Oxford in the third inning, Charles has quelled the Tennessee lineup, facing seven batters and retiring them all with three strikeouts and no runs allowed on 27 pitches as the Seminoles head into the bottom of the sixth.
Tibbs reached on a single off Zander Sechrist in the half inning, but Dinges grounded out to second to end the inning and keep Tennessee ahead 5-0.
Sechrist has struck out three on the mound, allowing three hits on 66 pitches.
Tennessee’s Christian Moore continues hot-streak, extends lead over Florida State in College World Series as Oxford departs
Tennessee’s Christian Moore, who hit for the cycle in the first game against FSU, hit a triple in the top of the fourth inning to score a runner, giving the Volunteers a 5-0 lead over the Seminoles.
Oxford struck out the following batter, but his relief outing came to an end after just over three innings of work, throwing 75 pitches and allowing two runs on four hits. Joe Charles replaced Oxford on the mound with Moore on third base.
Charles forced a pop-out to center field to end the inning.
FSU sends Marco Dinges, Jamie Ferrer and Daniel Cantu to the plate in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
A long fly-ball from Dinges looked like it might leave the ballpark off his bat, but it fell short on the warning track and was caught. A pop-out from Ferrer and Cantu strikeout ended the inning for FSU.
Base running errors cost Florida State runs in the third inning of College World Series matchup with Tennessee
Jaxson West continues to impress at the plate in Omaha, scorching a single up the middle on the second pitch of the inning to get FSU’s offense going. Max Williams followed up with a first-pitch double to left field.
Cam Smith hit a chopper to the shortstop Dean Curly, but West got a bad jump at third base as he broke towards the plate, allowing Curly to fire his throw to home and beat West to the plate by about five steps to prevent the run and get the Volunteers first out of the half-inning.
“I think he anticipated the pitcher might get that, and when he didn’t West found himself in trouble,” Link Jarrett said during a TV interview about West’s run home.
Tibbs grounded into a double play on the next at-bat, with Williams unable to reach home before the Volunteers tagged Smith at second base, preventing Williams’s run from being counted.
Tennessee remains 4-0 up on FSU heading into the top of the fourth inning.
After two quick outs, Tennessee adds one run to lead over Florida State at College World Series
Oxford retired the first two Tennessee batters he faced in the half inning, but a two-out single allowed to Christian Moore opened the door for Blake Burke.
Following a called balk on Oxford, an illegal motion by a pitcher during his setup, Moore advanced to second, which allowed him to score on Burke’s single to right field.
Facing runners on the corners, Oxford struck out Dreiling looking, locating a curveball on the edge of the zone that froze the Tennessee batter.
Seminoles send Jamie Ferrer, Cantu and Alex Lodise to the plate in the bottom of the second inning looking for a response.
The four-run deficit is FSU’s largest in the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee score three in the first inning, Seminoles go to the bullpen early at College World Series
Abraham’s start comes to an end after throwing 18 pitches and facing five batters in the top of the first inning.
Abraham allowed two hits and two runs to score for Tennessee, also walking two batters. Senior Brennen Oxford came in for relief in the first inning with runners on first and second for the Volunteers.
Tennessee scored on a ground ball to third that Cam Smith bobbled, forcing his throw to be late and allowing Billy Amick to reach first. Hunter Ensley, who is the designated hitter today following a lower-body injury, followed Amick with a single to right field, scoring another run for the Volunteers.
Oxford attempted a pickoff, but his throw to first baseman Daniel Cantu was wild on the and it allowed Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling to score from third base.
Volunteers end the top of the first inning up three.
FSU will have Max Williams, Cam Smith and James Tibbs III due up in the bottom of the first.
Smith reached on an error, and after Tibbs flew out, Marco Dinges hit a fly ball to deep center field, but an impressive over-the-shoulder catch by Tennessee center fielder Kavares Tears ended the inning.
Florida State’s pitching, bullpen face challenge against Tennessee’s powerful lineup
The Seminoles know what is in front of them, the top seed in the tournament Tennessee awaits FSU as it looks to keep its national championship hopes alive.
The Volunteers lineup has been one of the best in the country this season, with 177 home runs and five batters hitting over 19 long balls this season. FSU Freshman pitcher John Abraham will have to locate the zone well as the Tennessee lineup is quick to jump on any missed pitch and has shown the ability to draw walks at a good rate.
In the first game, Tennessee’s Christian Moore hit for the cycle. Expect to see a battle between FSU’s pitching staff and the Tennesssee lineup as the Volunteers look to book a spot in the national title series and the Seminoles hope to force a win-or-go-home game on Thursday.
Florida State game vs. Tennessee gets a 45-minute delay, John Abraham starts for the Seminoles
The initial 3 p.m. start time for Florida State’s matchup with Tennessee is set to be pushed back as the Florida vs. Kentucky game played before the Seminoles finished at 2:29 p.m. and NCAA rules state there must be 65 minutes in between games.
FSU’s showdown with the Volunteers is now scheduled for a 3:45 p.m. first pitch and freshman John Abraham (5-1) has been announced as the Seminoles starter.
Abraham last threw for the Seminoles on June 2., pitching an inning against UCF and recording two strikeouts. This will be his third start for the program and first since April 9. He holds a 4.24-era and has mostly been used in a bullpen roll in the last two months.
The Seminoles lineup remains the same as it did against North Carolina and will wear the school’s white pinstripe uniforms and be designated the home team, Tennessee will wear orange and be the away team.
Florida State baseball vs. Tennesse start time
Florida State baseball vs. Tennessee location
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Charles Schwab Field
Florida State baseball schedule
See Florida State’s baseball schedule here.
Florida State baseball roster
See Florida State’s baseball roster here
Tennessee baseball schedule
See Tennessee’s baseball schedule here
Tennessee baseball roster
See Tennessee’s baseball roster here
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
