{"id":137793,"date":"2025-05-24T21:50:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T21:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/florida-state-baseball-vs-unc-acc-semifinal-preview-and-viewing-guide\/"},"modified":"2025-05-24T21:50:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T21:50:33","slug":"florida-state-baseball-vs-unc-acc-semifinal-preview-and-viewing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/florida-state-baseball-vs-unc-acc-semifinal-preview-and-viewing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida State Baseball vs. UNC: ACC Semifinal Preview and Viewing Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div>\n<h2>Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels: ACC Semifinal Showdown<\/h2>\n<p>The Florida State Seminoles (FSU) baseball team, with a record of \u00a038-13\u00a0 and \u00a017-10\u00a0 in conference play, is set to square off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (UNC), who boast a stellar \u00a040-12\u00a0 record and \u00a018-11\u00a0 in the ACC, in the \u00a0ACC semifinal\u00a0 on Saturday in \u00a0Durham, NC\u00a0. This match marks the fourth encounter between the two fierce rivals in just one week, as the Tar Heels clinched the recent series victory, winning two out of three games against FSU.<\/p>\n<h2>A Glance at Recent Performances<\/h2>\n<p>Florida State showcased their offensive prowess in a \u00a0quarterfinal win\u00a0 over the Duke Blue Devils, triumphing decisively with a scoreline of \u00a014-7\u00a0. The Seminoles&#8217; offense exploded with a remarkable \u00a014 runs on 18 hits\u00a0, led by star player \u00a0Myles Bailey\u00a0, who had an outstanding \u00a04-for-5\u00a0 performance consisting of \u00a0two homers\u00a0. The third inning was particularly fruitful for FSU, as they managed to score \u00a0eight runs\u00a0, effectively pushing Duke out of contention.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, North Carolina needed some late-inning fireworks to secure their spot in the semifinals. After being down \u00a02-0\u00a0 entering the bottom of the seventh, UNC erupted for a \u00a0five-run inning\u00a0, ultimately finishing the game with a \u00a07-2\u00a0 victory. This kind of late-game resilience is a hallmark of their strong season, with the Tar Heels displaying their ability to respond under pressure.<\/p>\n<h2>Implications of the Matchup<\/h2>\n<p>Entering this crucial game, the Seminoles find themselves on the outside looking in regarding the \u00a0top-8 bubble\u00a0 in playoff projections. Despite the successful win against Duke, they will need another victory against UNC to significantly enhance their chances of securing a \u00a0NCAA tournament\u00a0 berth. Furthermore, the dynamics have shifted in their favor, particularly after an unexpected upset of \u00a0Oregon\u00a0 by \u00a0Nebraska\u00a0 in the \u00a0Big-10 tournament\u00a0. This shift has led experts to project Florida State at \u00a0#11\u00a0 in their latest \u00a0D1 baseball bracket\u00a0, while the Ducks hold the \u00a0#8 seed\u00a0.<\/p>\n<h2>Starting Pitching Changes<\/h2>\n<p>In a strategic move, FSU has announced a change in their starting pitching lineup. \u00a0Brett Nevitt\u00a0 has reported that \u00a0Wes Mendes\u00a0 will take the mound for Saturday&#8217;s matchup, following an impressive performance against UNC last weekend. Mendes, a sophomore left-handed pitcher with a record of \u00a06-2\u00a0 and an \u00a0ERA of 4.62\u00a0, will look to lead the Seminoles to victory.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, the Tar Heels are set to counter with their own sophomore pitcher, \u00a0Jason DeCaro\u00a0, who has posted a solid \u00a08-3\u00a0 record with an \u00a0ERA of 3.38\u00a0. This pitching duel promises to be a significant factor in determining the outcome of the game, as both teams rely heavily on their pitching rotation to maintain dominance.<\/p>\n<h2>Game Time and Viewing Options<\/h2>\n<h3>Saturday, May 24th, 5:00 PM EST<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Pitching matchup:<\/strong> FSU So. LHP Wes Mendes (6-2, 4.62 ERA) vs. UNC So. Jason DeCaro (8-3, 3.38)<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to watch:<\/strong> \u00a0ACCN\u00a0 (ACC Network)<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to listen:<\/strong> \u00a0WFLA 100.7 FM\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Players to Watch<\/h2>\n<p>As both teams prepare for this critical semifinal, several players stand out based on their performance throughout the season:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Luke Stevenson (Sophomore Catcher, UNC):<\/strong> With an impressive stat line of \u00a0.274 average\u00a0, \u00a0.437 on-base percentage\u00a0, and \u00a0.597 slugging\u00a0, alongside \u00a017 home runs\u00a0 and \u00a053 walks\u00a0, Stevenson has earned a spot on the \u00a0First-Team All-ACC\u00a0, showcasing his prowess at the plate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hunter Stokely (Graduate First Baseman, UNC):<\/strong> Stokely has been a cornerstone for UNC&#8217;s offensive success, recording a \u00a0.333 average\u00a0, \u00a0.406 on-base percentage\u00a0, and \u00a0.564 slugging\u00a0 with an astounding \u00a053 RBIs\u00a0. His determination and experience have significantly boosted the Tar Heels&#8217; lineup, securing him a place on the \u00a0First-Team All-ACC\u00a0 as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kane Kepley (Junior Outfielder, UNC):<\/strong> With a solid performance this season, Kepley holds a \u00a0.291 batting average\u00a0, \u00a0.462 on-base percentage\u00a0, and has accumulated \u00a040 walks\u00a0 against only \u00a022 strikeouts\u00a0. His savvy batting approach has made him a valuable asset for the Tar Heels, earning him a spot on the \u00a0Second-Team All-ACC\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>This ACC semifinal promises to not only be a fierce contest between two talented teams but also a showcase of some of the best talents in college baseball. Both teams hope to secure a spot in the final and make a statement as they gear up for a potential run in the NCAA tournament. Fan support will be crucial as the Seminoles and Tar Heels battle in what is sure to be a thrilling match in Durham, North Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" rel=\"dofollow\">Trends Breaking News<\/a><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomahawknation.com\/2025\/5\/24\/24436521\/link-jarrett-wes-mendes-scott-forbes-acc-semifinal-north-carolina-durham-ncaa-tournament-rpi\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels: ACC Semifinal Showdown The Florida State Seminoles (FSU) baseball team, with a record of \u00a038-13\u00a0 and \u00a017-10\u00a0 in conference play, is set to square off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (UNC), who boast a stellar \u00a040-12\u00a0 record and \u00a018-11\u00a0 in the ACC, in the \u00a0ACC semifinal\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[36071,24475,36073,1951,36074,12168,35560,1919,3873,36069,9012,24254,942,5,35554,6550,36070,36072,27436,8735,35557,3987],"class_list":["post-137793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-acc","tag-baseball","tag-college-baseball","tag-florida","tag-florida-state-seminoles-baseball-team-roster-schedule-jarrett-tallahassee-noles","tag-for","tag-front-page","tag-game","tag-guide","tag-how","tag-nation","tag-preview","tag-semifinal","tag-state","tag-the","tag-thread","tag-to","tag-tomahawk","tag-unc","tag-viewing","tag-vs","tag-watch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137793\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}