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Quote:FSU's ACC fate still up in the air
By Steve Ellis
<a href='http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/sports/colleges/florida_state_university/11681607.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee...ty/11681607.htm</a>
Mike Martin has been preaching that his Florida State baseball team controls its own destiny. Not quite.
When it comes to earning a No.2 seed in next week's ACC tournament, the Seminoles will need some help even if they sweeps North Carolina State this week. FSU, ranked 10th nationally, begins its three-game series against North Carolina State today tied for third place with Clemson. FSU and Clemson each boast 18-9 ACC records and trail Georgia Tech
(21-6) and Miami (19-7-1).
FSU and Clemson, which hosts Miami today through Saturday, have an opportunity to leapfrog the Hurricanes. And both teams could tie Georgia Tech (21-6) for first place if the Yellow Jackets are swept by North Carolina. In a scenario in which Georgia Tech is swept and Miami loses two games, FSU could earn the No.2 seed in the ACC tournament. Georgia Tech swept FSU and would win the tiebreaker for the No.1 seed. FSU won its series with Clemson, which would give the Seminoles the tiebreaker for the No.2 seed. That's quite an opportunity for an FSU team that at one point in the season lost six consecutive ACC games.
FSU is 6-6 on the road against league teams.
"This will be a great challenge," Martin said. "Playing in the ACC on the road is very difficult."
This weekend's series is also important for FSU and the postseason. The Seminoles have made a good case for hosting an NCAA regional with a late-season charge of 11 consecutive wins.
"We have a very good chance of hosting a regional," FSU athletics director Dave Hart said. "But we still have work to do."
A good showing against N.C. State would certainly help. FSU also needs to avoid a two-and-out effort in the ACC tournament, which begins for FSU on Wednesday.
"Everybody's fighting and everything is coming together," reliever Kevin Lynch said. "We need to just keep that going. We've got a good ball club we're playing in North Carolina State. We can't afford to stop doing what we've been doing."
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05-19-2005 10:37 AM |
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