Update: FSU baseball falls in extras to top 5 Texas Tech
FSU loses lead in the 9th, falls in 11 to Texas Tech
Earlier story
Florida State pulled away from FAU in a rout during Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader
The Florida State pitching staff combined on a one-hitter in leading the Seminoles to a 5-1 victory Friday night against visiting FAU.
College baseball fans who love postseason tournaments should get a kick out of the action this weekend at Dick Howser Stadium.
Instead of playing a typical three-game series against Florida Atlantic -- as originally scheduled -- the Seminoles will be playing the Owls as well as Texas Tech during a very busy slate.
Florida State will play each opponent twice, while FAU and Texas Tech will face off against each other once.
"It's good for you in a lot of ways,'" FSU coach Mike Martin Jr. said of the unorthodox weekend. "Tournament time, you're not playing a three-game set -- in the ACC Tournament or a regional or whatever it may be. So you might as well go and get them prepared for it."
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The event essentially happened by chance.
It started with a phone call from Texas Tech coach Tim Tadlock last year, when the Red Raiders got dropped by an opponent late in the scheduling process. Martin Jr. told Tadlock he would be happy to play, but the Seminoles already were scheduled to host FAU this weekend.
"Tim and I go way back," Martin Jr. said. "And he just picked up the phone one day and said, 'Hey, someone backed out on me and I'm in trouble -- what do you got the third weekend?' And I said I've got FAU. He said, 'Let me jump in.'"
Once FAU coach John McCormack agreed, the expanded weekend series was set.
While no teams will be eliminated, as in normal tournament play, this weekend should featured some elevated intensity.
Florida State (6-1) comes in with a No. 14 national ranking, while Texas Tech (8-1) sports a No. 3 ranking. FAU is unranked, but the Owls are 7-0 so far this season.
All three teams made it to the postseason last year, and FSU actually squared off against both of them in the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles knocked off FAU in the Athens, Ga., Regional, 13-7, and they fell to Texas Tech in the College World Series, 4-1.
"FAU gave us all we wanted last year up in Athens, and it's a lot of the same guys," Martin Jr. said. "Same with Texas Tech. Texas Tech's got a few different arms in the mix for them. But all in all, it's the same group. And they're both very talented. It will be a great challenge."
Weekend Schedule
Friday, 2 p.m., FAU vs. Texas Tech
Friday, 6 p.m., FAU at Florida State (game will begin 30 minutes after earlier game)
Saturday, 2 p.m., FAU at Florida State
Saturday, 6 p.m., Texas Tech at Florida State (game will begin 30 minutes after earlier game)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Texas Tech at Florida State
Florida State's pitching rotation will feature RHP CJ Van Eyk (0-0, 1.04 ERA) on Friday; LHP Bryce Hubbart (0-1, 6.00 ERA) in the early game Saturday and LHP Shane Drohan (0-0, 3.52 ERA) in the late game; then RHP Conor Grady (2-0, 0.90 ERA) on Sunday.
Ticket Notes
Tickets will be scanned for the Florida Atlantic vs. Texas Tech game at 2 p.m. on Friday, but tickets for the Florida State vs. Florida Atlantic game will allow you to enter for both games.
On Saturday, fans will be allowed to enter for the Florida State vs. Florida Atlantic game and will be allowed to scan out and leave the stadium and then scan in again. This will allow fans the opportunity to leave and re-enter using the same ticket. Florida State will play Texas Tech after the conclusion of the Florida State vs. Florida Atlantic game.