When Max Williams took a pitch off the hand early in Wednesday’s game at Jacksonville, there was reason for concern about the severity of his injury and his availability moving forward.
FSU coach Link Jarrett said on Thursday that he feels good about Williams’ prognosis.
"He's ok. They're evaluating him right now. I think he actually took it off the top hand (left hand)," Jarrett said. "But it sounded like there was no serious injury. And now it's just a comfort thing. It was unusual that it actually got his top hand. We have to just see comfort in holding the bat, swinging the bat and throwing."
Williams has started all eight games for FSU, hitting .300 with two home runs, four RBI and eight runs scored. He’s a critical piece of FSU’s batting order, hitting third, while also covering plenty of ground as the Seminoles’ center fielder. When Williams left the game, Texas Tech transfer Gage Harrelson slid over from right to center at JU.
If he’s available to play for FSU (8-0) against Georgetown (3-5) in a three-game series that begins on Friday at 5 p.m. (ACC Network Extra), the Seminoles will have dodged a significant injury scare. But there’s the potential FSU could be without Max Williams as well as Chase Williams, who suffered an injury last Saturday and hasn’t played since.
BJ Gibson saw his most extensive playing time after Williams’ injury on Wednesday, going 2 for 4 with a single, double and two strikeouts. In previous games, Gibson had been inserted late into games and drew a walk as well as a hit by pitch.
Jarrett praised Gibson for how he played and how he is developed in a limited amount of time considering his focus was on football last fall as one of FSU’s wide receivers.
“He's very serious about this,” Jarrett said. “I will tell you that even in the recruiting process, he's very serious about his baseball work. And all of a sudden, you're in the middle of a very tight ball game, and there's BJ in right field. And he's at the plate, holding his own, and it's impossible for him to have the reps that most of the other players on any team have had up to this point entering the season, not to mention being a freshman.”
It was not an ideal set of circumstances for Gibson to play. But for a baseball player with truly limited practice and game experience it’s good to see a freshman perform well and do so on the road.
“I was very proud of him, and for a freshman who didn't have the whole fall to learn and grow with the program, it says a lot about his toughness, his desire to go out there and perform,” Jarrett said. “And I'm happy that he was in there and had some success and tasted what that was like.”
Join the Osceola for 30 days for free, using promo code Osceola30
Follow The Osceola on Facebook
Follow The Osceola on Twitter
Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple
