Florida State’s baseball squad edged past Northern Illinois 7‑4 in ten innings on Tuesday, securing a spot in the regional final and setting up a showdown with St. John’s tomorrow.
A Test of Resilience
The Seminoles entered the game with a shaky start, falling behind early as Northern Illinois tied the contest at three in the fourth inning on a Gavin Baldwin home run, and they also endured three defensive miscues that kept the pressure on.
However, a combined effort from relievers Chris Knier and Brodie Purcell turned the tide, as the duo logged 6.2 innings, fanned 12 batters and surrendered just one unearned run, keeping the Seminoles within striking distance.
The offense finally clicked in the tenth frame, where Ben Barrett launched a two‑run homer that pushed the lead to 7‑4, while earlier contributions from Hunter Carns and Nathan Cmeyla had knotted the game at four in the eighth.
Despite a rough outing from starter Cooper Whited, who allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings, the Seminoles’ bullpen steadied the ship and the lineup delivered clutch hits when it mattered most.
With the regional title on the line, Florida State will now face St. John’s in a doubleheader tomorrow, a matchup that could determine the path to the next round of the NCAA tournament.