Florida State Wins Regional Opener
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 9-seeded Florida State baseball team opened the NCAA Tallahassee Regional with a 6-2 win over Bethune-Cookman on Friday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
In a game that included a 2:19 delay in the bottom of the third inning, the Seminoles (39-14) scored one run in the first, another in the second and three in the third before a ninth-inning insurance run. The three-run third not only came directly out of the lengthy weather delay, but also half an inning after the Wildcats (37-22) tied the game at 2-2 in the top half.
FSU has won five consecutive opening games of NCAA Regional play. The Seminoles have won four consecutive regional games, all at home, and six postseason games in a row in Tallahassee. Florida State is now 208-134 all-time in NCAA contests and 156-63 in regional games.
With the Friday afternoon win, top-seeded FSU advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket game at 6 p.m. ET. The Seminoles will play the winner of Friday’s nightcap between No. 2 seed Northeastern and No. 3 seed Mississippi State.
Freshman first baseman Myles Bailey had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored with a pair of walks in his NCAA debut. He was one of three players to homer in the game, along with junior center fielder Max Williams and sophomore left fielder Chase Williams. The long ball for Chase Williams was the first of his career, while Max Williams’ was his team-leading 18th. Bailey’s blast came in the third, proving to be the eventual game-winning RBI, and was his 16th of the season and his fifth in the last four games.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Peyton Prescott got the win to improve to 4-0. As he came in to start the fourth after the rain delay, he held BC to two hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 2.2 shutout innings. Fellow sophomore right-handers Chris Knier and John Abraham closed it out and combined to allow just three hits in the final 3.1 innings. Redshirt junior left-handed starter Joey Volini’s rain-shortened outing was 3.0 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Defensively, Florida State turned three double plays, all on lineouts to double off a runner on the basepaths.
After the first double play ended the top of the first, which prevented the Wildcats from scoring a run, the Seminoles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half. It came thanks to Max Williams’ homer to right-center, as the first-pitch long ball came with two outs.
Chase Williams hit his first career home run in the second to double the FSU advantage. His one-out shot also came on the first pitch and went over the wall in right-center.
Bethune-Cookman tied the game in the third on a two-out single to left. A groundout ended the inning and left one runner on before the delay of more than two hours.
After the weather cleared, FSU quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third. The inning started with a walk to set up Bailey’s long home run to right-center. Back-to-back singles put two on for redshirt freshman designated hitter James Hankerson Jr., who grounded out to bring home junior second baseman Drew Faurot. That put the Seminoles back on top, 5-2.
The second double play lineout ended the fourth. Prescott stranded a runner on third in the fifth and Knier got a flyout to end the sixth on his first batter faced to leave two on. Knier struck out two in the seventh and became the latest to benefit from a lineout double play to finish the eighth.
Florida State added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, as Bailey scored on a wild pitch after he led off the inning with a walk.
Abraham finished off the win with a strikeout in the ninth with runners on first and second.
Florida State advances to play the winner of tonight’s second game between Northeastern and Mississippi State. First pitch on Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium is at 6 p.m. ET after an elimination game at 12 p.m. Sunday’s games also are at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. If necessary, the two regional finalists will play another game on Monday at a time to be determined. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets.
Every game of the regional will air live on ESPN+, with the potential for games to be elevated to a national TV broadcast. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM and around the world on the FSU Gameday App and Seminoles.com. Live stats can be found at NCAA.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates also are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball). Additional information about the regional is at Seminoles.com.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
In a game that included a 2:19 delay in the bottom of the third inning, the Seminoles (39-14) scored one run in the first, another in the second and three in the third before a ninth-inning insurance run. The three-run third not only came directly out of the lengthy weather delay, but also half an inning after the Wildcats (37-22) tied the game at 2-2 in the top half.
FSU has won five consecutive opening games of NCAA Regional play. The Seminoles have won four consecutive regional games, all at home, and six postseason games in a row in Tallahassee. Florida State is now 208-134 all-time in NCAA contests and 156-63 in regional games.
With the Friday afternoon win, top-seeded FSU advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket game at 6 p.m. ET. The Seminoles will play the winner of Friday’s nightcap between No. 2 seed Northeastern and No. 3 seed Mississippi State.
Freshman first baseman Myles Bailey had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored with a pair of walks in his NCAA debut. He was one of three players to homer in the game, along with junior center fielder Max Williams and sophomore left fielder Chase Williams. The long ball for Chase Williams was the first of his career, while Max Williams’ was his team-leading 18th. Bailey’s blast came in the third, proving to be the eventual game-winning RBI, and was his 16th of the season and his fifth in the last four games.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Peyton Prescott got the win to improve to 4-0. As he came in to start the fourth after the rain delay, he held BC to two hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 2.2 shutout innings. Fellow sophomore right-handers Chris Knier and John Abraham closed it out and combined to allow just three hits in the final 3.1 innings. Redshirt junior left-handed starter Joey Volini’s rain-shortened outing was 3.0 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Defensively, Florida State turned three double plays, all on lineouts to double off a runner on the basepaths.
After the first double play ended the top of the first, which prevented the Wildcats from scoring a run, the Seminoles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half. It came thanks to Max Williams’ homer to right-center, as the first-pitch long ball came with two outs.
Chase Williams hit his first career home run in the second to double the FSU advantage. His one-out shot also came on the first pitch and went over the wall in right-center.
Bethune-Cookman tied the game in the third on a two-out single to left. A groundout ended the inning and left one runner on before the delay of more than two hours.
After the weather cleared, FSU quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third. The inning started with a walk to set up Bailey’s long home run to right-center. Back-to-back singles put two on for redshirt freshman designated hitter James Hankerson Jr., who grounded out to bring home junior second baseman Drew Faurot. That put the Seminoles back on top, 5-2.
The second double play lineout ended the fourth. Prescott stranded a runner on third in the fifth and Knier got a flyout to end the sixth on his first batter faced to leave two on. Knier struck out two in the seventh and became the latest to benefit from a lineout double play to finish the eighth.
Florida State added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, as Bailey scored on a wild pitch after he led off the inning with a walk.
Abraham finished off the win with a strikeout in the ninth with runners on first and second.
Florida State advances to play the winner of tonight’s second game between Northeastern and Mississippi State. First pitch on Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium is at 6 p.m. ET after an elimination game at 12 p.m. Sunday’s games also are at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. If necessary, the two regional finalists will play another game on Monday at a time to be determined. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets.
Every game of the regional will air live on ESPN+, with the potential for games to be elevated to a national TV broadcast. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM and around the world on the FSU Gameday App and Seminoles.com. Live stats can be found at NCAA.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates also are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball). Additional information about the regional is at Seminoles.com.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
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