No. 16 Florida State (4-2) struggled mightily in its final game in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, falling to Nebraska 10-1 with only two hits.
Almost nothing went FSU’s way on Sunday as Link Jarrett received only one out from his starter, Payton Manca, the offense continued to sputter, and the defense lacked the savviness the head coach expects. Today was an example of what the worst version of Seminole baseball could look like this year: an unproven team that lacks high-end talent struggling
against veteran rosters that punish mistakes.
The Noles immediately fell behind the eight-ball in the top of the first, as Payton Manca recorded only one out in his second start of the week while allowing three earned runs. After Chris Knier settled the game down with a 1-2-3 second, the Cornhuskers tacked on two more in the third, putting Florida State behind 5-0.
Jarrett’s team did not record a hit the first time through the lineup and had only one baserunner, Noah Sheffield, who was hit by a pitch. Myles Bailey finally put FSU in the hit column and on the board in the bottom of the fourth as he blasted his second home run of the year to left-center, but the homer did not provide the spark FSU hoped it would, as the HR was Florida State’s only extra-base hit of the game.
The only silver lining from Sunday’s finale in Texas was the season debut of Trey Beard. Beard fell ill last weekend and was scratched from his start. Jarrett said on Saturday he would be available in some capacity today, and the FAU transfer entered the game in the fourth. The lefty needed just eight pitches to retire Nebraska in order before posting a strikeout as part of a 1-2-3 top half of the fifth. Unfortunately, his outing came apart in the sixth as NU tagged him for three runs and chased him after 2 1/3 IP out of the bullpen, but his struggle may have come from fatigue. Beard provided enough positives to see why the coaching staff was so high on him, mainly his ability to use multiple secondary pitches, including the devastating changeup.
Trailing 8-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the top of the FSU lineup, Brayden Dowd, Sheffield, and Bailey each struck out as the awful day at the plate continued. Nebraska pushed out in front 10-1 in the seventh and locked the game down by allowing only one hit in the latter innings. Florida State fell 10-1 on Sunday and will have multiple questions to answer heading into a season-long nine-game homestand.
