Power surge: JUCO transfer Aplin creating instant impact for FSU

Only two weeks into the season, and Rhett Aplin already is creating a reputation for being a dangerous hitter in the middle of the Florida State baseball team’s lineup.

Aplin, who went 4-for-5 with four RBIs against Samford on Friday, was at the plate Saturday with runners on first and second base when the the Bulldogs decided they would rather face senior first baseman Quincy Nieporte than Aplin in that situation -- especially with a right-handed pitcher on the mound.

So, Samford issued a free pass to the lefty-hitting Aplin, and the right-handed Nieporte blasted a grand slam to help power the Seminoles to an 8-0 victory.

“I guess all I can just say is, ‘Sorry,’ to opponents,” Nieporte said. “Because you walk one guy and another guy behind him is going to be able to do the same exact job that you’re afraid of.”

Entering this season, FSU (5-2) was expected to have one of the nation’s stronger and more dynamic lineups. In Aplin, a junior college transfer, it appears the Seminoles have found another potential power bat.

Aplin is hitting .400 with two home runs and eight RBIs through seven games. He’s second on the team in batting average and home runs and third in RBIs. He leads the Seminoles with a .933 slugging percentage. Aplin’s three strikeouts is tied for the second fewest among the team’s everyday players.

After starring at Fleming Island (Fla.) High, about 25 miles south of Jacksonville, Aplin was named the Florida Class 7A Player of the Year in 2014. He played the next two years at Seminole State College of Florida in Sanford, where his .443 average in his final season ranked second among all junior college players in the state. He also hit nine home runs and recorded 34 RBIs.