3/2/2023 baseball Edit

FSU baseball set to host FGCU for three-game weekend series

Link Jarrett is 4-0 at home to start 2023. (Bob Ferrante)

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

Less than 48 hours after Wednesday night's 13th-inning marathon win over South Florida, the 16th-ranked Florida State baseball team (7-1) will start a three-game series against another in-state team, Florida Gulf Coast (8-1) on Friday at 5 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium.

Saturday's game is set for a 3 p.m. start while Sunday's game will be played at 1 p.m. All three games this weekend will air on ACC Network Extra.

While there was little uncertainty about FSU's weekend rotation entering the first two weekend series of the season, there's much more entering the FGCU series. FSU coach Link Jarrett said Wednesday night that Jackson Baumeister (1-0, 0.93 ERA) will start Friday's series opener. Beyond that, though, he had no clarity.

Jamie Arnold (0-0, 4.32 ERA) threw three scoreless innings to start Wednesday's win after pitching Saturday at TCU. Jarrett confirmed Arnold will pitch this weekend, but didn't clarify if he would start or be used as a reliever. Carson Montgomery (0-0, 2.00 ERA) started Sunday's loss and will likely stay in the weekend rotation, but Jarrett didn't share in what spot.

Making things trickier for the Seminoles this weekend is the fact that they will likely be without both of their top two long relievers in Wyatt Crowell and Connor Whittaker, at least for the start of the FGCU series. Crowell threw 58 pitches and Whittaker threw 71, knocking both of them out for likely at least Friday's game and possibly Saturday's as well.

"We'll deal with Friday and Saturday when we get to Friday and Saturday," Jarrett said on FSU's usage of the key relievers vs. USF after the win.

Injury updates

FSU freshman center fielder and leadoff hitter DeAmez Ross missed his second straight game Wednesday after hurting his finger while bunting in FSU's Saturday win over TCU. His loss has been felt as Ross was hitting .423, second on the FSU roster behind only Jordan Carrion, before suffering his injury. Jarrett provided an update on Ross' status after the USF game, but he didn't have much in terms of a definitive timeline except to say he won't play this weekend.

"I don't (have a timetable). Once that finger cleans up," Jarrett said of Ross. "Those things, sometimes it's a feel. Basically when he's capable of feeling like he can throw and hit, he'll be back. It's not like a standard injury that you have a template for. It's one of those things with his finger where once it heals, he'll be good. But it's not going to be this weekend. It's going to be a little while."

In better injury news, it seems like West Virginia transfer McGwire Holbrook is nearing his return to action. Holbrook injured the hamite bone in his wrist before the season, sidelining him for each of FSU's first eight games. However, he took batting practice before Wednesday's game and caught some warmup pitches between innings, positive signs towards his return.

"The catching is there. We could put him in the game to catch. it's the swinging, when you have a hamite bone (injury), the healing of that part of the hand and the comfort of the torque that's delivered," Jarrett said of Holbrook. "He took some good BP today, which is nice. He's mentally ready. Clearly when you go watch him catch, go watch him take infield-outfield, he's defensively absolutely ready. You just have to have the offensive piece in check."

When he's able to return, Holbrook will contend for playing time immediately, either at catcher or designated hitter. He hit .318 over two seasons at WVU with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 48 runs batted in.

FSU notes

Baumeister is set to make his third start of the season to start the series against the Eagles on Friday night. The right hander struck out eight against TCU and allowed only one hit in 5.2 innings, setting career-highs in innings and strikeouts.

Junior Jordan Carrion continues to lead the FSU offense with a .424 batting average through eight games. Wednesday against USF he added two additional hits, including his second triple of the season, to bring his total to a team-high 14.

Redshirt senior Colton Vincent looks to keep his career and team-high 12-game hitting streak going after singling in Wednesday’s game against the Bulls. Jaime Ferrer also seeks to further his on-base streak past his career-high 21 games.

FSU leads the all-time series with FGCU, 11-5, and has won two straight, including a 10-4 win last season in Tallahassee.