Kassim: Why early end to Florida State baseball season could be a blessing in disguise

To understand the Florida State baseball season, it's easier to break it down into three different (uneven and arguably arbitrary) segments.

First 18 games: 12-6

Middle 25 games: 3-22

Final 11 games: 8-3

A 23-31 record was the overall result. The first losing season in program history and the end of FSU's 44-year NCAA Tournament streak that was tied for the longest in NCAA history.

The Seminoles started the season with high hopes under first-year head coach Link Jarrett with six straight victories, including a road series win at then-top-10 TCU.

If FSU even won two more in the middle 25 games, it likely is playing this week in the ACC Tournament.

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That is something to keep in mind when evaluating the season.

Even through the hot start, the flaws were apparent. The Seminoles were not very deep in pitching, something Jarrett had emphasized over and over again since the beginning of the season.

But the hot start blurred everyone to that truth, with the team peaking at No. 16 by the third week.

Then the bottom fell out.

Injuries halted any positive momentum, as Cam Smith, D'Amez Ross, and pitcher Wyatt Crowell, who had season-ending Tommy John Surgery, missed time.

FSU went through a historically tough stretch of winning just three games over a 25-game stretch. That resulted in the team falling to a season-worst 13-games below .500 following a loss to rival Florida on May 2.

But it's the final stretch of the season that should inspire hope for FSU fans.

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Full offseason for Link Jarrett and staff

Jarrett's hiring wasn't announced until June 24 and he finalized his coaching staff in mid-July. In baseball, commitments are made years out and don't see a lot of de-commitments and flips like in football.

The first-year FSU head coach was already behind the eight-ball before he started in Tallahassee.

This is why an early end to the season could be a blessing in disguise. FSU as a program had been trending in the wrong direction for a while. So Jarrett needs a chance for a complete rebuild, not a retooling.

The transfer portal will open on May 29, which will be a chance for Jarrett to flip the roster with his players and likely a lot of pitching.

However, to expect a major turnaround in Year 2 would be unwise. Jarrett is going to build FSU back into a perennial contender. But he needs time.

While fans have a "What have you done for me lately?" attitude toward coaches and are quick to pull the trigger on firings, it is important to remember FSU football coach Mike Norvell went 8-13 in his first two seasons. It was season three which saw the Seminoles go 10-3 and it will be Year 4 for him to return to national prominence.

Not saying it will take Jarrett that long, but his leash should be just as long to try and do so.

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Reasons for optimism and potential returners

Over the final 11 games, the Seminoles outscored opponents 64-45, with the majority of that damage coming in a 10-0 loss in eight innings to No. 1 Wake Forest. In fact, two of the three losses in the final stretch came to the top-ranked team in the nation.

Sophomore first baseman/outfielder James Tibbs, who announced he intends to return in 2024, finished the season on a tear with seven hits, seven runs scored, three home runs and three RBI in the final five games.

He led FSU with a .338 batting, .471 on base percentage, .682 slugging percentage, 17 home runs, 61 runs and 43 RBI.

Freshmen Smith and Ross showed promise throughout the season and are expected to return.

Smith earned a spot All-ACC All-Freshman team after hitting .258 with eight doubles, a team-leading five triples and 12 home runs.

He also became the first FSU player since Buster Posey in 2008 with back-to-back multi-home run games, doing so against North Florida and Virginia Tech (April 19 and 21).

Ross finished with a .287 average, .362 on base percentage and stole five bases in six attempts.

Jackson Baumeister finished with a 5-5 record with a 5.09 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 69 innings. He finished 21st nationally with 12.39 strikeouts per nine innings.

His 14-strikeout performance against Clemson on April 6 earned him ACC and National Pitcher of the Week.

Baumeister is draft eligible and could make a decision to return to further boost his stock next season.

Beyond that, expect Jarrett and his staff to hold exit interviews to figure out who will return and who will move on.

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball: Link Jarrett has offseason to rebuild program | Column