FSU baseball hosts rival Miami for final regular season series

Yahoo Sports2h ago21 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

FSU baseball faces rival Miami in their final regular season series, starting May 14. Both teams are vying for better positioning in the ACC tournament, with FSU ranked No. 11 and Miami at No. 23.

Key points

FSU baseball hosts Miami for final regular season series
FSU is ranked No. 11 and Miami is No. 23
Both teams are competing for better ACC tournament positioning
The series starts on May 14
The games will take place at Dick Howser Stadium

Mentioned in this story

Dick Howser Stadium

Florida State SeminolesMiami HurricanesACC Baseball Tournament

FSU baseball hosts rival Miami for final regular season series

The rivalry needs little introduction.

Florida State baseball and Miami have little love for each other, and when you factor in the stakes for the regular season finale for the two ball clubs at Dick Howser Stadium, the typical tension and flare of the rivalry goes up a notch.

The No. 11 Seminoles (36-15, 17-10 ACC) sit in third place in the conference standings, tied with No. 23 Boston College and just one spot ahead of the Hurricanes (35-15, 15-12 ACC), and the weekend series, beginning on Thursday, May 14, will determine where the two ball clubs end up in the conference tournament.

"The magnitude of everything you do down the stretch is amplified, then when you have a rivalry series, the last two of the year, it builds a crescendo. It seems like that's where we are with this, and the guys are excited," FSU head coach Link Jarrett said on Wednesday, May 13.

"Everybody's a little worn down and beat up this time of year, not just us. You're coming off one of the most difficult road environments you'll play in, in a must-win situation. Now you're back at home, the guys feel good, we have our fans, they're excited for this. But it does continue to increase the ramifications of how you perform."

The top four in the ACC standings earn double-byes in the conference tournament, and that extra day of rest for a pitching staff can be the difference for a program that makes the championship game or flams out early. It's important for FSU to try to maximize rest as star reliever John Abraham recovers from an injury suffered against Clemson.