The 2026 ACC Tournament opens on Saturday as the Florida State Seminoles, the No. 3 seed, meet the No. 14 seed Pitt Panthers in a quarterfinal showdown at Truist Field in Charlotte, with the first pitch expected at 3 p.m.
Both teams arrive with strong credentials; the Seminoles enter at 38‑16 overall and 19‑11 in ACC play, having completed a sweep of Pitt during the regular season, while Pitt advanced by edging Wake Forest 7‑4 in their previous contest.
Weather forces early start
A sudden shift moved the originally scheduled 7 p.m. first pitch to 3 p.m. to avoid a forecast that calls for a 50% chance of rain at that hour and 60% later in the afternoon, and a brief weather delay was already in effect before the game began.
The contest will be televised on the ACC Network and streamed on ESPN+, giving viewers multiple ways to follow the action from the Charlotte ballpark.
Florida State will hand the ball to starter Wes Mendes, while Pitt counters with AJ Nessler on the mound; the lineups also feature hitters such as John Stuetzer and Brayden Dowd for the Seminoles, and Caden Dulin and Eddie Smink for the Panthers.
The victor will advance to the semifinals, where they are set to meet the No. 2 seed North Carolina at 5 p.m. on Saturday, a potential next test for the Seminoles' depth.