If there was ever a good time for No. 25 Virginia Tech to play No. 9 Florida State, it’s this weekend’s series at a chilly, rainy English Field — foreign territory for the visitors from Tallahassee. But it goes deeper than the weather.
The Seminoles (25-7, 8-4 ACC) are coming off three straight losses, two to Wake Forest — with a combined score of 29-2 — and one to Florida on Tuesday (5-4). However, the Hokies (23-10, 9-6) enter the series on a high. They beat No. 20 Troy 3-1 on Wednesday and have won each of their last three ACC series, which included a sweep over the Demon Deacons. They’ve won 11 of their last 14.
The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra, followed by a 1 p.m. start on Saturday (no TV broadcast) and then a noon first pitch on Sunday (ACC Network Extra). All three games, but specifically Saturday’s with no TV coverage, will have radio coverage on the Virginia Tech Sports Network from Evan Hughes.
Even before their aforementioned losing streak, the Seminoles’ identity as a national powerhouse was thrown into question. They won all their ACC series before facing Wake Forest, but those victories came against the conference’s bottom three teams: Boston College, Notre Dame and Miami. The latter two even won a game off FSU. The Seminoles’ early ease of schedule is a large reason they sit at No. 23 in RPI — fourteen spots below their national ranking.
So, are they pretenders? There’s an argument for that. What isn’t debatable, though, is that Florida State harbors a wealth of MLB-level talent that can quiet any team in any game. That may become apparent as early as Friday, when projected top-three pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, Jamie Arnold (2.62 ERA), gets the start across from Brett Renfrow (2.25 ERA).
The junior lefty harbors a fastball that routinely hits 97 mph or slightly higher. That alone makes most batters miss, but it moves in a way that no pitcher in the country can replicate — and that break shows in his slider, too. In the Seminoles’ lone win against Wake Forest last weekend, Arnold tallied 10 strikeouts and allowed just two hits across five innings. But their rotation doesn’t get much easier after him, if at all.
Florida State’s Saturday starter, lefty Joey Volini, has a slightly better ERA (2.56), 11 ⅓ more innings pitched and 66 strikeouts, ranking third in the ACC in the category. Another left-handed arm, Wes Mendes (4.15 ERA) goes on Sundays. He’s in the top 11 in the league in batting average against (.215) and strikeouts (55).
But even with their start-studded rotation, the Seminoles (4.58 ERA) rank below Tech (4.43) in team ERA. A floundering bullpen is to blame — and forcing them to use it will be imperative for the Hokies this weekend.
Every Florida State reliever with nine or more appearances this year — Christopher Knier, Peyton Prescott, Joe Charles, John Abraham, Maison Martinez and Ben Barrett — holds an ERA of 4.32 or higher, and batters are hitting a combined .256 against them.
Offensively, the Hokies and Seminoles have been similar, each averaging 8.2 runs per game. Tech’s production has relied on timely walks and doubles, while Florida State is backed by its 60 home runs — 18 more than the Hokies — and a .319 batting average compared to Tech’s .295.
Like their pitching staff, the Seminoles’ offense is anchored in key players who rank as some of the most productive in the nation. No better example exists then D1Baseball’s national midseason player of the year, Alex Lodise. At his current pace — 12 home runs, 40 RBI and a 1.321 OPS — the junior shortstop may win the national award, too.
Only his cousin, Georgia Tech’s Kyle Lodise (1.360 OPS), and Wake Forest’s Kade Lewis (1.349) top him in conference OPS. In ACC play, Alex (1.462) stands above Kyle (1.378) and slugs a league-topping .932 rate.
Lodise typically bats second in FSU’s lineup, between leadoff man Gage Harrelson (.931 OPS) and Max Williams (1.058), who’s second in the ACC in home runs with 14. Along with cleanup hitter Bailey Myles (1.105 OPS), the Seminoles might have the most formidable top of the order Tech has faced all year — and that’s considering previous matchups against Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Louisville.
As threatening as FSU’s power is, Tech — who’s allowed the third-fewest home runs in the ACC — may be able to contain it. Wake Forest allowed just one (to Lodise, of course) last weekend. Renfrow and Arnold have each given up just two homers this year, so winning Friday’s game at a rainy, but not particularly windy English Field may require some effective small ball — though the Seminole’s power certainly doesn’t rely on wind.
All of that said, the biggest threat to the Hokies this weekend is their own health. Catcher David McCann, outfielder Treyson Hughes, first baseman Garrett Michel and reliever Andrew Sentlinger are all dealing with injuries and may not see the field.
So, Virginia Tech will have to take the field on Friday (6 p.m. ET, ACCNX) with another unorthodox defensive look, doing what it can to keep its stretch of winning baseball alive.