Florida State needed to play home run derby for one more sweltering afternoon. And now the Seminoles are on to Omaha.
James Tibbs hit three of FSU’s season-high six home runs, including a monster two-run shot in the top of the 12th inning, as the Seminoles defeated UConn 10-8 to claim the Super Regional title on Saturday.
A year after not making the ACC Tournament, Link Jarrett and the Seminoles (47-15) have now become the first team in 2024 to advance to the College World Series — the program’s 24th appearance in Omaha.
"Awesome day for these guys, for the program," FSU coach Link Jarrett said. "I can not say enough for the fans and how they supported. ... The game was a grind."
The Seminoles tacked on three solo home runs, one apiece by Max Williams, who continued his hot bat in the postseason, Marco Dinges and Jackson West. The Seminoles now have 123 home runs on the year.
But it was also Tibbs, in likely his final game at Dick Howser Stadium, who saved quite the performance. And a curtain call.
Slump? What slump? Tibbs went hitless in the three-game Tallahassee Regional but the junior built on a 2 for 5 day from Saturday with one of his best games in Garnet and Gold. He went a career-best 5 for 6 with a two-run homer in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth and, with his blast in the 12th now has 28 home runs this season.
Tibbs is the first Seminole with three home runs in a game since Stephen Cardullo in 2010. It was also the first time since a 2019 win over FAU in the Athens Regional that FSU had six home runs in the game.
But to extend the game and secure it in extras, FSU had to roll the dice by using Conner Whittaker in an prolonged relief appearance. A potential game 3 starter, the Seminoles badly needed the best version of Whittaker on Saturday.
Whittaker (5-0) tossed 3.2 innings of one-hit relief, striking out three batters without a walk.
"That was as good as he's thrown," Jarrett said.
A day after FSU routed UConn 24-4, the Seminoles played with fire and kept the door open for the Huskies (35-26) to claw back into the best-of-three series. Despite the home runs, the Seminoles were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
That only added to the drama. As did FSU ace Jamie Arnold battling UConn and the heat. Arnold tossed 121 pitches over 5.1 innings, giving up six runs (five earned).
UConn third baseman Luke Broadhurst had six RBI and drew an intentional walk in the eighth as FSU escaped a bases-loaded jam. Broadhurst had an RBI single in the first, two-run homer in the fifth, three-run homer in the sixth.
Since the Super Regional format was introduced in 1999, FSU has now advanced eight times. It’s the first trip to the CWS for FSU since taking two games at LSU in 2019.
Jarrett is now making his second trip to Omaha in three years. He guided Notre Dame to the 2022 CWS.
The Seminoles finished 2024 with a 32-4 mark at Howser.
Noteworthy
FSU's 123 home runs (in 62 games) is just behind the school single-season record 146 (in 82 games) in 1985 and the 131 (in 74 games) in 1982.
Williams now has four postseason home runs.
Up next
FSU will play its first game against the Tennessee-Evansville winner in Omaha, Neb., on Friday.
The Seminoles are the first team to advance to CWS in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
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