Fresh off a Big East title, the high-powered Red Storm storm Tallahassee to challenge the Seminoles in a high-stakes regional clash featuring two of college baseball's winningest programs.
When it comes to making an appearance in the NCAA baseball tournament, two of the top teams in that category in college baseball history will face off against each other in the Tallahassee regional on Friday night.
Both No. 1 seed Florida State and the No. 4 seed St. John’s Red Storm combine to have made over 100 appearances in the tournament. St. John is making its second NCAA appearance in the last three seasons.
The Red Storm (33-24, 15-6 in Big East) are coming off a 5-3 victory over Creighton in the Big East Tournament Championship. The win was the Red Storm’s 11th conference tournament championship, and they are one of just 11 schools in D-1 to win double-digit championships in the same conference.
St. John’s is led at the plate by infielder Shaun McMillan and catcher/first baseman Adam Agresti. McMillan is second on the St. John’s team with a .320 batting average, and is No. 7 in the conference with a .590 slugging percentage. He also has hit 10 home runs and driven in 41 RBI.
Agresti earned first-team All-Big East honors after leading his team with 48 RBI, along with a .291 batting average, 17 home runs, and an OPS of 1.043.
St. John’s also has three players ranked in the top ten in batting average in the conference, and all three are batting over .350: Jon LeGrande (.360, No. 7 in Big East), Jayder Raifstanger (.352) and Jared Beebe (.352). The Red Storm is ranked second in the Big East in batting average at .303.
On the mound, Liam O’Leary leads the Red Storm. O’Leary has posted a 2.97 ERA with 68 strikeouts, a whip of 1.12 and opponents’ bat .236 against him.
This meeting will be the fourth all-time between the two schools, with Florida State holding a 2-1 advantage. The last time these two teams met was in March 2016 in a three-game series in Tallahassee.
The Seminoles outscored the Red Storm 26-11 to win the series, including a 10-run rule victory in game 1. In a game three loss, however, the Seminoles were held to just one run in a 5-1 loss.
The Seminoles are looking to win their regional at home, a venue where they have won 87 percent of their games, and reach their 20th super regional. But first, Florida State must get past the tough and talented Red Storm squad.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, May 29
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Dick Howser Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ACC Network
Radio: 100.7 FM WFLA
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