C.J. Van Eyk admitted he's going to miss being in the Florida State bullpen this season.
There was something about getting those late outs -- in high-leverage, high-pressure situations -- that he really enjoyed.
But as the Seminoles get set to open the 2019 season this weekend with a four-game series against Maine, the sophomore right-hander is expected to be one of the anchors of the starting staff.
The plan is for him to get the ball on Saturdays.
All-America candidate Drew Parrish will again handle Friday nights.
"I'm going to miss (being a reliever)," Van Eyk said. "That was definitely a big adrenaline rush, just getting thrown right out into it. But it's definitely going to be nice to be able to build a routine and just go ... week by week."
Van Eyk finished his freshman season with a 7-0 record and a 2.86 ERA in 19 appearances (five starts). He struck out 71 batters in 56.2 innings and allowed opponents just a .208 batting average.
The then-freshman became a weapon for the Seminoles out of the pen in the second half of the season. Among the highlights was a 6 1/3-inning relief effort against Clemson in which he helped FSU win in extra innings to give Mike Martin the all-time NCAA wins record.
Now he'll team up with Parrish to give FSU one of the most formidable 1-2 duos in the nation.
