With both teams wearing green hats in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the luck ended up being in the hands of No. 21 Florida State after Friday’s series opener against Boston College baseball.
“We didn’t run the bases … as well as we normally do, we didn’t situationally hit as well as I would have liked and as we normally do,” BC head coach Mike Gambino said. “We had some chances to extend innings, but we didn’t capitalize.”
After the Eagles (12–3, 2–2 Atlantic Coast) erased a 5–1 deficit in the third inning—starting pitcher A.J. Colarusso earned five runs in two innings pitched—the Seminoles (12–6, 3–1) separated with 10 runs in the sixth inning and won by a final score of 19–8.
“I have full faith going forward in A.J., in West, Leake, and all of those guys,” Gambino said. “These guys are going to be really, really good for us. It’s just about getting the right pieces in the right spots.”
Florida State made waves in the offseason, hiring head coach Link Jarrett from Notre Dame, who led the Fighting Irish to a 86–32 record in three seasons. Under Jarrett, Notre Dame reached the College World Series in 2022 for the first time in 20 years, and he won the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
After Florida State starter Jackson Baumeister sat down the Eagles’ first three batters—outfielder Barry Walsh, outfielder Travis Honeyman, and first baseman Joe Vetrano—to begin the game, the Seminoles struck first with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Florida State third baseman Nander De Sedas connected with a Colarusso fastball, lining it off the wall in right center for a triple to score Jaime Ferrer from first base. Designated hitter Ben Barrett chopped a ground ball into the left side of the infield and ran it out for a single, scoring De Sedas and making it 2–0 Seminoles after one inning.
BC got a run back in the top of the second inning, as catcher Peter Burns lined a fastball into right field for a double, scoring Cameron Leary from second base. Shortstop Vince Cimini nearly added two more runs, hitting a flyball to the warning track in center field on the first pitch he saw, but Florida State’s Treyton Rank made the catch to end the inning.
After Florida State’s James Tibbs III blasted a home run in the bottom of the second inning, making it 5–1, BC answered in the top of the third with four runs of its own. After singles from Walsh and Honeyman, and a walk from Vetrano, second baseman Patrick Roche lined a double into center field, scoring two runs. Burns added his second and third RBIs of the day with a two-run single to center, tying the game 5–5.
“You’re seeing the numbers offensively,” Gambino said. “Everyone on this ballclub knows how much it means.”
Barrett regained the lead for the Seminoles with a home run to left field off relief pitcher Eric Schroeder in the bottom of the third inning, however, and in the sixth inning, Florida State posted 10 runs, sending 15 batters to the plate. RBI hits from Jordan Carrion, Colton Vincent, Tibbs, and Ferrer bolstered the Seminoles’ fiery inning, and Barrett and Titan Kamaka homered in the inning as well, pushing Florida State’s lead to 16–6.
Each team added runs in the last three innings, and BC freshman pinch hitter Kyle Wolff homered on a 3–1 count to left field in the eighth inning.
“[Wolff] hit a ball to the moon,” Gambino said. “We think [he] can really, really hit and he’s going to be a good player here.”
Gambino said he remained optimistic for the club after the loss and is hoping to replicate last week’s comeback series win at then-No. 8 Virginia Tech after losing the first game 13–3.
“Right now, we’re going to worry about winning a baseball game tomorrow,” Gambino said. “We’re excited to have [Chris Flynn] on the mound.”
Flynn has been the Eagles’ ace this season with a 4–0 record and a 0.79 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched.
