Prediction and odds for FSU Baseball vs Tennessee in the College World Series

No. 8 seed Florida State (49-16) baseball was one hit away from beating No. 1 seed Tennessee (57-12) in the opening game of the College World Series on Friday.

FSU has a second chance against the Volunteers in Wednesday's semifinals after eliminating ACC opponents Virginia 7-3 and North Carolina 9-5.

It is the first time since 2012 that the Seminoles reached the semifinals.

The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on ESPN at Charles Schwab Field.

While the Seminoles have to beat the Vols twice to advance to the championship series for the first time since 1999, a rested Tennessee team only needs one win.

FSU coach Link Jarrett is looking forward to playing against the Vols again and is also aware that there is no room for error.

“I'm so excited,” Jarrett said. “I know how difficult it is to beat this team. You have to give it your all. You have to finish. You have to defend. You have to make the shots. And you have to be versatile and be able to compete offensively to find a way to do that.”

If FSU emerges victorious, it will return to Charles Schwab Field on Thursday for an elimination game against Tennessee. FSU is one win away from a 50-win season. It would be the first time FSU has reached 50 wins since 2012.

FSU baseball has hit well but needs its best hitters

Hitting and scoring were no problem for the Seminoles. The batting team was excellent throughout the tournament.

FSU is in the top 10 in hits (No. 5) and home runs (No. 7). The Seminoles have a batting average of .315 (No. 9). Jaxson West believes FSU has the best batters in the country.

West led the Seminoles with four hits, a home run and two RBIs in Tuesday's win over the Tar Heels.

“Our identity as an offense is to keep scratching and stealing,” West said after having the best night of his career. “And we've kind of evolved into that.”

“I think it just keeps growing. We've just kept doing it. I think that's been a big contributor to our success.”

There's no doubt that Cam Smith and James Tibbs III have a big game to play. The problem is, we haven't seen it throughout the CWS.

Tibbs and Smith have combined for 4 of 18 at-bats over the last three games. Neither has hit a home run since the Super Regional.

Tibbs, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, leads the Seminoles with 28 home runs (6th in the NCAA) and 95 RBI (2nd nationally). Smith is second in the country with 104 total hits.

The stage could be set for the two projected first-round picks in the 2024 MLB Draft.

“We have a good mix of left- and right-handed hitters,” Jarrett said. “I don't think it's easy to plan a game and match them up when we stagger it the way we do. The lineup is long.”

With Brennan Oxford on the hill, the game could be decided

After the win against Virginia, relief pitcher Brennan Oxford admitted to the press that he had watched the checked swing play many times, which he thought was unhealthy, but he eventually got over it.

“I mean, it's just the game,” Oxford said. “Things don't always go according to plan, so I think it was important to go out there again today and put in a good performance.”

Oxford could likely be the Seminoles' closer against the Vols.

After the game against North Carolina, Jarrett said he saw improvements in pitching execution and didn't expect his staff to make any mental errors Wednesday afternoon.

“I had a feeling it wasn't going to happen again,” Jarrett said. “But I think the overall execution of the pitch was just better.”

Jarrett has not yet announced his starting pitcher. He could lean on Jamie Arnold, especially after he struggled in his last start against the Vols.

Jarrett could also bravely stop him on Thursday against Tennessee,

This could also be an opportunity for Conner Whittaker, who didn't even last a third of an inning after allowing a game-changing home run.

He could have a comeback game similar to Connor Hults' against the Tar Heels, either as a starter or relief pitcher.

No matter who it is, Jarrett will have to use his bullpen and FSU's defense to play nearly flawlessly against Tennessee's offensive power.

“We'll find out,” Jarrett said. “They're really good. There's no wiggle room in the lineup. They have a lot of different pitchers. They're talented. They've been here before. They've played in this stadium a lot.”

Prediction for FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee in the NCAA College World Series Brackets

Tennessee 11 FSU7: Both teams have two of the most offensive teams in the CWS and it could likely be a high scoring game.

The Volunteers are in full swing and come to Charles Schwab Field fresh and rested. FSU can expect better pitchers from Tennessee than they did in the last game on Friday when they went to the bullpen early.

According to the Tennessean, the Volunteers plan to start Zander Sechrist (4-1), who had a strong postseason, allowing two earned runs in his last 24 innings pitched.

AJ Causey will probably also be used as a relief pitcher for the Seminoles. Causey is the Volunteers' best pitcher with 120 strikeouts.

FSU can't afford to leave runners on base like they did last time. Tennessee is ranked 6th with a 3.90 ERA. There was a chance FSU would score more runs with two outs, but they didn't do it.

Christian Moore could also be a problem against the Seminoles. On Friday, he recorded a cycle, which was the second time in CWS history, and played a major role in the Vols' walk-off victory.

The game can go either way, but the Vols would find a strong inning or two and could end FSU's postseason run.

FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee odds in the 2024 College World Series

FSU-200

Tennessee +150

FSU Baseball Odds to Win the 2024 College World Series

According to BetMGM, FSU is a +1700 favorite to win the College World Series.

How can I watch the FSU vs. Tennessee baseball game on Wednesday?

TV: ESPN (Channel 206 on DirecTV, Channel 140 on Dish)
Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription required), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)

How can I listen to FSU baseball on the radio?

Radio: WFLA FM 100.7
Streaming: Seminole Sports Network

Tickets for the College World Series can be purchased at CWSOmaha.com.

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him via email at [email protected] or at X @_Da_pistol.

csibon

Prediction and odds for FSU Baseball vs Tennessee in the College World Series

FSU baseball has hit well but needs its best hitters

With Brennan Oxford on the hill, the game could be decided

Prediction for FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee in the NCAA College World Series Brackets

FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee odds in the 2024 College World Series

FSU Baseball Odds to Win the 2024 College World Series

How can I watch the FSU vs. Tennessee baseball game on Wednesday?

How can I listen to FSU baseball on the radio?

Anna Harden

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

FSU baseball has hit well but needs its best hitters

With Brennan Oxford on the hill, the game could be decided

Prediction for FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee in the NCAA College World Series Brackets

FSU Baseball vs. Tennessee odds in the 2024 College World Series

FSU Baseball Odds to Win the 2024 College World Series

How can I watch the FSU vs. Tennessee baseball game on Wednesday?

How can I listen to FSU baseball on the radio?

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