Florida State’s bats were hot from the start. But they were also productive with two outs.
The Seminoles matched a season high with five home runs, jumping on UConn’s pitching early and cruising to a 24-4 win on Friday afternoon. Jaime Ferrer hit two home runs, the first with two outs, while DeAmez Ross hit a three-run shot.
Marco Dinges and Max Williams added two-out home runs as FSU scored its most runs in an NCAA Tournament game since a 37-6 rout of Ohio State in a 2008 regional.
"Florida State flat-out outplayed us, outcoached us, out-pitched us, out-caught the ball," UConn coach Jim Penders said. "They did everything right. It was 24-3. I thought we were next door at Doak Campbell. Thought I saw Charlie Ward running around around. 24-3 looks more like a football score."
Penders' nightmare wasn't at Doak. It was a mid-day sauna at Dick Howser Stadium.
FSU (46-15) hosted its first Super Regional since 2017 and officially doubled its win total from Link Jarrett’s first season in 2023. A year after not making the ACC Tournament, and now boasting a mix of effective pitching and red-hot bats, Jarrett and the Seminoles are a win away from a 24th College World Series appearance.
Carson Dorsey wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was a week ago, but he was plenty good enough. The left-hander scattered four hits and walked three over 5.1 innings, allowing just an earned run and striking out six.
Dorsey tossed 3.1 no-hit innings before he got behind in counts and began to labor in the middle innings. He departed in the sixth, giving up a one-out double and a single as UConn had runners in scoring position in the sixth. But Joe Charles then hit a batter and recorded a strikeout (swinging) before Connor Hults came in to get a strikeout (swinging).
But FSU had plenty of pop — and patience — at the plate, much to the approval of 5,243 fans. Cam Smith and James Tibbs drew two-out, bases-loaded walks to extend FSU’s lead to 8-0. Smith hit the 100-hit mark in 2024, while Tibbs recorded his 200th career hit on Friday.
Ferrer later added a two-run homer in the sixth as the Seminoles led 11-1, but without a mercy rule the game continued with FSU on cruise control. Cam Smith added an RBI single, James Tibbs had a two-run single as the Seminoles’ bats stayed hot.
McGwire Holbrook added a bases-clearing double in the seventh to open up a nine-run inning. Tibbs added a bases-loaded walk, Marco Dinges a two-run single and then DeAmez Ross blasted a three-run homer.
FSU hit 7 of 14 with two outs and 12 of 26 with runners on base in one of the more impressive hitting displays from the Seminoles in 2024 — as well as the program's postseason history.
"I thought we had some at-bats that extended innings," FSU coach Link Jarrett said. "And then clearly the capabilities of these guys to hit the extra-base hit and the home run. It matters. And it helps, and it was a big piece of the offense today."
FSU amassed runs early against two of UConn’s top starters, pitchers who were part of the Huskies' upset of Oklahoma that led to a regional win. The Seminoles chased right-hander Ian Cooke in the second, pushing across five earned runs, and they greeted Garrett Coe by recording seven earned runs over his 3.2 innings.
Since the Super Regional format was introduced in 1999, FSU has advanced seven times. Most recently, FSU won the first two games at LSU to advance to Omaha in 2019.
Up next
FSU will start Jaime Arnold in Saturday’s game 2 at 11 a.m. (ESPN).
UConn (35-25) could now turn to RHP Stephen Quigley (6-3, 3.59 ERA) or LHP Gabe Van Emon (3-5, 5.88 ERA) on Saturday.
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