The FSU Seminoles beat the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2-1 on Sunday to extend their season at the Tallahassee Regional. Florida State will have to play a second game later in the day against the winner of St. John’s and Northern Illinois.
If FSU can win that game, they will advance to the regional final on Monday, where they will need to win two more games to win the regional and advance to the Super Regional round. Winning four games over two days is not easy to do, and FSU’s pitching options will be limited.
The entire starting weekend rotation has already been used, with Bryson Moore throwing 5.0 innings and 88 pitches on Friday, Wes Mendes throwing 4.0 innings and 51 pitches on Saturday, and Trey Beard throwing 4.0 innings and 67 pitches on Sunday to close out the game against Coastal Carolina. That will put the pressure on the rest of FSU’s pitchers, who will have to step up with the top three starters limited moving forward, and the offense struggling.
Up first will be winning on Sunday, where head coach Link Jarrett and pitching coach Micah Posey will have to decide who should start. FSU’s top two midweek starters this year are Cooper Whited and Payton Manca, who have yet to pitch in the regional. One of them seems likely to get the start, with the rest of the bullpen being tested.
The good news is that most, if not all, of Florida State’s relievers should be ready. Chris Knier and John Abraham both threw 38 pitches on Friday, and Brodie Purcell threw 15 on Saturday. Both Knier and Purcell should be good to go on Sunday. Abraham’s status is a lot more uncertain after he threw 38 pitches on Friday, his first time pitching since May 8, after he suffered an injury.
If FSU can win on Sunday, that could open the door for some of the starters to return on Monday due to their limited pitch counts. Moore might be the one exception, as he has been on a tight leash all season after suffering several injuries earlier in his career.
FSU’s game against either St. John’s or Northern Illinois is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET at Dick Howser Stadium. They have not announced a TV channel for the game, but it will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Breaking down FSU’s pitching options for the Tallahassee Regional
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
