Big inning propels FSU baseball past Virginia and into the ACC Tournament semifinals

Florida State baseball has made it out of Pool D after defeating Virginia 12-7 on Friday afternoon.

The Seminoles will advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament at Truist Field. On Saturday at 1 p.m., FSU will face the winner of the North Carolina-Wake Forest game.

With FSU one step closer to the ACC Championship, the Seminoles have more to gain than just the conference title. FSU remains in the mix of hosting a regional next week and a super regional, as well.

Another big day for FSU baseball's top slugger, James Tibbs III

James Tibbs III continues to show why he is the ACC's Player of the Year. For the third time this season, he recorded a five-RBI game.

Tibbs finished the day with two of three at-bats. Those two hits include an RBI single that led to a two-run score and a solo home run in the eighth inning.

"We were going put some good swings on the balls and take advantage of some opportunities," Tibbs told to the ACC broadcasters after the game.

His solo homer would be his 25th of the year. His five RBIs puts him at 84 for the season.

FSU, UVA baseball have big-hitting innings in the seventh

Just when it looked like a low-scoring defensive game, the bats started to get hot late in the game for both teams.

The Seminoles picked its largest lead of the day with an 11-2 score. Tibbs hit his fourth RBI on a sacrifice fly after the bases were loaded, sending Drew Faurot to home.

Marco Dinges and Jaime Ferrer added back-to-back RBI singles. Daniel Cantu followed up with an RBI triple for FSU to add two more runs.

Alex Lodise hit an RBI double, and Faurot returned to the plate with an RBI single and gave FSU its 11th run of the day.

Virginia refused to go down, especially when Arnold was done for the day. With Carson Dorsey on the mound, The Cavaliers would then pounce on the relieved pitcher.

UVA overcame an 11-2 deficit by hitting three home runs in the bottom seventh. The first two homers led to two-run scores for the Cavaliers. The next one was a solo. UVA will only trail 11-7 after scoring five runs and four hits.

FSU pitcher Jamie Arnold puts on another gem performance

Just 48 hours after pitching his first career save that beat Georgia Tech on Tuesday, FSU's ace pitcher Jamie Arnold put on another spectacular performance on the mound.

In six innings, the left-handed pitcher finished the day with nine strikeouts, allowing four hits and two runs, including a solo home run in the bottom six.

The first three innings became a pitching dual between Arnold and UVA's right-hander, Joe Savino. Both pitchers were exchanging strikeouts until Arnold took control by striking out five straight batters in the second and third innings.

“I only have two pitches and like him play most of the time, and today I used them both well,” Arnold said after the game. “I think they were attacking the heater early on, and I figured that out.

"So (I) tried to move the slider around, and once I started doing that, I think it got him off time with a heater and kind of off-time everything, and I think that was honestly the biggest thing today.”

What's next for FSU baseball

As Florida State will focus on its future opponent in the ACC semifinals on Saturday, the Seminoles are still in play to make the top eight seed of the NCAA Tournament.

FSU is looking to host its regional, and a win over UVA brings the Seminoles one step closer to accomplishing that goal. The Seminoles are projected to be the last team to host a regional.

FSU coach Link Jarrett said after the game that he absolutely believes the Seminoles deserve to host a regional. He also reflected on the challenges of playing teams during mid-week before preparing for the conference series.

“It's not easy. And to be in that conversation, you need to have done that from the start of the season to this point, and these guys have done that," Jarrett said.

"Those games are challenging and difficult, and when you stack them with the demand to win in this league, few people can understand what it's like to have to manage those midweeks mixed with this. These guys have done more than enough."

FSU can continue to boost its resume and force the committee's hand if the Seminoles win their 15th ACC Championship. The selection show will be on Monday at noon.

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball: Takeaways from win vs. Virginia in 2024 ACC tournament