DeLamielleure's powerful hitting ignites Florida State's dominant win, silencing South Florida and setting the stage for a critical ACC showdown.
Florida State got back to playing winning baseball, holding South Florida to just one run in a 9-1 victory on Wednesday in Tallahassee.
The No. 17 Seminoles (30-14, 12-9 ACC) held South Florida (28-16, 7-11 American Athletic Conference) scoreless over the final five innings, pounding out eight hits in the game.
Seminoles right fielder Brody DeLamielleure collected three hits, including a home run, and plated three RBI in the victory. It was his fifth round-tripper of the season.
From a pitching standpoint, Florida State employed its usual strategy of utilizing multiple arms and emptying the bullpen to be successful in situational baseball. The Seminoles' pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts on the day. Cooper Whited got the win for Florida State and picked up his third win of the season.
This type of performance is exactly what the Seminoles needed to get their mindset right after being swept on the road by unranked Stanford, a series loss that bumped the Seminoles out of college baseball’s top 10.
Now Florida State will turn its attention to a talented and tough ACC opponent in Pitt (28-14, 10-11). The Panthers have slayed the giants of college baseball more than once this season, sending both No. 10 Virginia and No. 12 West Virginia down in defeat in back-to-back meetings.
From an offensive standpoint, Pitt is among the best in the ACC. The Panthers rank No. 2 in the conference in both batting average (.321) and home runs (86). And with six players batting .300 or better, the Panthers are more than adept at putting pressure on opposing pitching staffs.
When the Panthers are in the field and on the mound, they produce outs with a .971 fielding percentage. If the Seminoles get a runner on first, it is more than likely that runner will not advance past second base, as Pitt leads the conference in turning double plays with 43. On the mound, the Panthers are fourth in the ACC in opponents’ batting average (.274). A tough opponent, indeed.
If the Seminoles can repeat Wednesday’s performance against Pitt, it would create the momentum needed to carry Florida State through the series and the rest of the regular season.
With Wes Mendes on the mound for the Seminoles, and hitters like DeLamielleure, catcher Hunter Carns, first baseman Eli Putnam, outfielder John Stuetzer, and outfielder Brayden Dowd, the Seminoles can maintain their winning ways on the diamond by dispatching the giant killers from Pitt in dominating fashion.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, May 1
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Dick Howser Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ACC Network
Radio: 100.7 FM WFLA
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