Dominant pitching and clutch hitting fuel FSU's quest for a national seed. See how a trio of stars leads the Seminoles' charge.
On the baseball diamond, Florida State has been impressive more often than not. While the 2026 season has not been without its hiccups, the Seminoles have gotten the job done with a lethal combination of baseball fundamentals: command of the strike zone, extra base hits and defense.
According to Baseball America, No. 8 Florida State (29-11, 12-6 ACC) is projected as a No. 11 national seed and will host a regional in the college baseball postseason. In the Tallahassee regional, the Seminoles would host Missouri State, Tennessee and a familiar foe, North Florida.
As of this writing, Florida State is one of eight ACC teams projected to receive postseason bids.
That bodes well for the Seminoles as they are 20-3 at Dick Howser Stadium this season, with an .869 winning percentage and home-field advantage. In conference play, Florida State has won five of its six series, including sweeps of Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
After losing power-hitting first baseman Myles Bailey to an ankle injury in late March, the Seminoles have had to pick up the slack -- prior to his season-ending slide into second base against the Duke Blue Devils on March 28, Bailey had contributed 13 home runs on the season -- and continue to win ballgames.
Bailey underwent surgery on March 30.
The Seminoles had to change their entire approach and rely on their short game, i.e. bunts, stealing bases, extra-base hits, and throwing strikes.
On their journey to the postseason, Florida State will be led by a trio of stars consisting of a dominant pitcher and two consistent hitters with speed on the base paths.
Pitcher Wes Mendes
One of the top pitchers in college baseball, Mendes mows down hitters with authority. A transfer from Ole Miss, the left-hander has a 7-2 record and the second-lowest ERA in the ACC at 2.05. He also has the second-most strikeouts in the conference with 81, against only 18 walks.
Mendes has allowed opposing hitters a .192 batting average against him. Mendes was recently named a semifinalist for the National Pitcher of the Year.
Center Fielder Brayden Dowd
Leading the team in batting average at .309, Dowd has hit seven home runs with 28 RBI. In addition, Dowd has been perfect so far at swiping bases, going 6-for-6 in that category. In addition to his home runs, Dowd has also collected 10 doubles.
With Dowd’s outstanding defensive prowess in the outfield, the opposition is finding it increasingly difficult to produce consistent hits. Through 40 games this season, Dowd boasts a .964 fielding percentage.
Right Fielder John Stuetzer
A true freshman, Stuetzer is batting .299 and has an .886 OPS. Stuetzer has parked five home runs over the outfield fences and plated 28 RBI. On the base paths, Stuetzer uses his speed to his advantage, stealing 11 bases in 14 attempts. Right field is where opponents’ extra-base hits go to die, as Stuetzer has a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) and has committed zero errors.
Winners of five consecutive games heading into their weekend series at Stanford, Florida State needs to keep the momentum going and focus on getting what coach Link Jarrett has described as quality at-bats.
A trip to the postseason now shifts into overdrive and a series win against the Cardinal (17-19, 7-11) would be a great start.
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