If these were the Florida State baseball team's final home games of 2022, the Seminoles can at least say they went out with a bang.
But based on what the No. 21 'Noles did this weekend against the No. 6 Miami Hurricanes -- and how Mike Martin Jr.'s club has played over the past month -- it's looking more likely that Dick Howser Stadium could be rocking into June.
Having wrapped up a pivotal weekend series win with a 6-4 victory on Sunday, FSU improved to 32-18 overall and 15-12 in the ACC. The Seminoles' RPI shot up to No. 16 by late Sunday afternoon, according to the live ratings on WarrenNolan.com.
And while there are challenging games ahead -- a road trip to rival Florida this Tuesday and a visit to North Carolina this weekend -- those battles also could serve to bolster the Seminoles' resume to host an NCAA Regional.
"We've got the Gators, we've got Carolina, we've got high RPI games. We've got the [ACC] tournament," Martin Jr. said. "So it's right in front of us. There's a very good chance we're going to see these great fans again."
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Including the 2-1 weekend against Miami, FSU has now won 14 of its last 19 games after a midseason slide that put into question whether the Seminoles would even reach the postseason.
"They're resilient. They're winners," Martin Jr. said, when asked what he has learned about his team recently. "We're using different guys, and nobody cares. ... They buy in, and they're resilient. What they've been through -- the schedule, injuries and this and that and the other, and slumps. They just keep going. I'm dang proud of them.
"I'm proud to say I'm a member of the club."
The Seminoles had to fight once again for this win.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on freshman Jaime Ferrer's two-run homer, FSU saw starting pitcher Carson Montgomery chased in the second. He gave up a single, a double and two walks before being pulled for senior reliever Jonah Scolaro.
Miami then seized momentum -- and the lead -- in the third inning with two more runs off of Scolaro. But it wouldn't last long, as FSU staged a rally in the fourth to claim a 5-3 advantage.
The Seminoles parlayed singles from James Tibbs, Colton Vincent and Ferrer, plus a walk from Tyler Martin and aggressive baserunning, into a three-run inning. Then they got an insurance run in the seventh when Logan Lacey delivered an RBI triple to score Jordan Carrion.
"We needed the fans," Martin Jr. said. "They showed up, they were loud, they got us going. We had a couple things go our way -- we got the 3-spot in the middle part of the game -- and that's what homefield advantage is. And we've definitely got it."
For the second straight game, the Seminoles got a great boost from a long reliever. One day after Wyatt Crowell pitched four strong innings, this time it was sophomore left-hander Ross Dunn allowing just one run on three hits in five innings.
Dunn, a former weekend starter, picked up the win to improve to 2-4 on the season. Senior right-hander Davis Hare struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth to earn his third save.
"This team is gonna battle when we need to," Dunn said. "This team is not gonna be done for awhile. I think we're gonna go really, really deep into the postseason. We've gone up and down, as the record shows this year unfortunately, but honestly I think that's just gonna make us tougher."
Martin Jr. is now 6-1 in seven games as head coach against the Hurricanes. The teams did not play during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but FSU went 4-0 against them last year.
After Sunday's game, Martin said he thinks as many as 12 to 15 future major-leaguers played in this year's series.
"If somebody can find a rivalry better than that one, I find it hard to believe," Martin Jr. said. "If you go back and look at the scores, and the evenness of the series, it's a special one. Proud of our guys."
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