The losing streak is over, and Florida State looks ready for a big run in the NCAA baseball tournament.
The Seminoles opened regional play by drilling visiting Savannah State 10-0 at Dick Howser Stadium with 3,804 fans on hand. FSU, the No. 1 seed in the region and No. 7 seed nationally, skidded through four straight losses last week.
“I know one thing: I feel a heck of a lot better than I did last Saturday,” Florida State coach Mike Martin said. “But to think that we’re so-called ‘back on track …’ I’ll say this, we’re headed in the right direction.”
The Seminoles advance to face No. 3 seed Troy with a chance to take control of the regional today (5 p.m., ESPNU). Troy beat No. 2 seed Alabama 5-2, sending the Crimson Tide to an elimination game against No. 4 seed Savannah State (33-22).
Florida State (45-15) got all 10 of their runs off Savannah State starter Kyle McGowin in the first three innings. McGowin (12-2) exacerbated his problems by walking six and hitting two batters.
FSU experienced a brief scare in the top of the second inning when catcher Stephen McGee injured his hand. McGee, from Port St. Lucie, was called for catcher’s interference when Chris Arnold’s swing knocked the glove off his left hand.
McGee looked plenty healthy in the bottom half of the inning when he sent a towering two-run homer off the top of the left-field scoreboard.
“He squared up my hand pretty good,” McGee said. “It was shock at first, but then the adrenaline gets going. I felt good.”
Seminoles starting pitcher Scott Sitz cruised through 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Sitz (10-1) gave up seven hits, struck out eight and did not issue a walk.
D.J. Stewart, Marcus Davis and Jose Brizuela each had three hits for Florida State. Davis drove in a game-high four runs.
The winner of the FSU-Troy game will be in prime position to capture the regional and move on to next week’s super regional. The losing team would have to win twice Sunday just to force a deciding game Monday.
Miami 7, Oklahoma State 0: Chris Diaz struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, leading the second-seeded Hurricanes (37-23) to the shutout of the third-seeded Cowboys (39-18) victory in the Louisville, Ky., Regional.
“It was just a complete game. We played good defense, we pitched, we swung the bat and got some timely hits,” said assistant coach Gino DiMare, who served as head coach in place of Jim Morris, who is hospitalized with pneumonia.
Catcher Garrett Kennedy was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Hurricanes’ 12-hit attack. Left fielder Tyler Palmer also had three hits and scored two runs and right fielder Chantz Mack was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Hurricanes advance to face top-seeded Louisville at 5 p.m. today.
Austin Peay 4, Florida 3: Michael Davis hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the second-seeded Governors (46-13) over the Gators (29-29) in the Bloomington, Ind., Regional
The Gators trailed 1-0 in the sixth when Casey Turgeon and Taylor Gushue drew one-out walks and Justin Shafer followed with a three-run home run.
The Gators will face the loser of the game between top-seeded Indiana and fourth-seeded Valparaiso at 2 p.m. today.
Towson 7, Florida Atlantic 2: The third-seeded Tigers (30-28) snapped the second-seeded Owls' winning streak at 11 games in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Jeremy Strawn (5-3) allowed seven hits and five runs in five innings for the Owls (39-21). Tyler Rocklein and Brendon Sanger drove in the Owls’ two eighth-inning runs.
FAU faces fourth-seeded Canisius at 1 p.m. today.
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