Florida State vs Central Connecticut State - NCAA Regional Baseball Recap

(1) Florida State 11, (4) Central Connecticut State 3

The NCAA baseball tournament consists of 64 teams divided into 16 regional tournaments.  Typically, the 16 top seeds host the regional.  The sole exception this season is the regional being played in Norwich, CT, which features the top seed Florida State Seminoles in addition to the University of Connecticut, the University of Oregon, and Central Connecticut State University. 

The Florida State Seminoles (43-17) likely earned the top seed by virtue of their ACC tournament championship.  However, the regional sites were announced prior to the result of the ACC Championship game result.  Whether that factored into the decision to send the top seed across the country is not clear at this point.  Regardless, by virtue or their top seed, the Seminoles earned a game against the number four seed Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (33-22). 

If Florida State came into the game expecting an easy win over a small school from an area that is not a traditional college baseball hotbed, they would quickly find out that the Blue Devils were up for the fight.  CCSU’s batters may not have been prepared to face a top-shelf pitcher, as Seminoles starter Brian Busch (5-1) held the Blue Devils without a hit through four innings.  CCSU pitcher Dave Krasnowiecki nearly matched Busch’s production through four innings, giving up only three hits during those frames and only one run on a James Ramsey infield hit.  The Florida State right fielder finished the game with two hits in four at bats for three RBIs

Central Connecticut State managed to take the lead on the nationally ranked Seminoles in the top of the fifth, as the Blue Devils took advantage of a Sherman Johnson error to score two unearned runs.  CCSU played small-ball perfectly to capitalize on a leadoff single by Mitch Wells.  Two bunts later, along with the Johnson error, the Blue Devils had men on second and third with only one out.  A Danny Hickey sacrifice fly and a Sean Allaire single scored the two unearned runs to give CCSU their only lead of the game at 2-1.

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Krasnowiecki began to lose control in the bottom half of the fifth, putting the first two Seminole hitters on base on a walk and a hit by pitch.  After a Tyler Holt bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Mike McGee knocked them in with a single up the middle to give the ‘Noles a 3-2 lead.  The following inning, Krasnowiecki walked the leadoff hitter, Stephen Cardullo and advanced him to second on a wild pitch.  FSU manager Mike Martin again decided to play small ball and called a sacrifice bunt to advance Cardullo to third.  That decision paid off as Jayce Boyd singled into left field for the final hit off the inning.  Cardullo would not have scored from second base, and the Seminoles took a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning. 

FSU’s Brian Busch began the inning on the hill, but gave up a single to Kyle Zarotney and an RBI double to Danny Hickey.  Martin called for Daniel Bennett out of the bullpen, who finished the game and earned a save by giving up no runs and only one hit in two and a third inning.

The 4-3 FSU lead would balloon to the 11-3 final margin as the Seminoles knocked around a pair of CCSU relievers for seven runs in the final two innings at the plate for the ‘Noles, including a Rafael Lopez solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning.  Thanks to the productive final two innings at the plate, the Seminoles broke open a closer than expected game to finish with 11 runs on 12 hits.  Florida State’s outstanding pitching performances held Central Connecticut State to only 6 hits and 3 runs, only one of which was earned.  Florida State will play the winner of the Connecticut-Oregon game tomorrow at 6:30 PM.  Central Connecticut State will play the loser in an elimination game at 2 PM. 

By: John Cary
DFN Sports Guest Writer