Right on Cue.
I've been following the Florida State baseball team pretty closely this season, so maybe this is my own fault. The annual post season choke job is currently WELL under way... FSU blasted its way through the regular season, compiling a 48-9 record. The only teams to win a series against them were Miami and North Carolina, who happen to be the #1 and #3 teams in the nation, respectively (FSU was ranked #2).
The cracks began to appear in the ACC tournament. FSU had dominated and swept Virginia during their regular season series with them, and yet somehow Virginia was able to dominate FSU in the tournament and sent the Seminoles home without an ACC title yet again. BUT - FSU still had a good enough record to be selected as a national seed and host their own regional tournament in Tallahassee. The four seeds:
#1 Florida State
#2 Florida
#3 Tulane
#4 Bucknell
The selection of Florida raised a few eyebrows (do you really want to play your biggest rival with everything on the line? Yikes), but the chances were good that the Noles wouldn't even face the Gators. Tulane sent the Gators to the losing bracket with a 7-4 win early on Friday, and then FSU settled in to take on Bucknell, a 29-22 team that advanced to the regional by winning the Patriot League (?) with a 10-10 record. A team that had never won an NCAA postseason game - ever. A team that got blasted by the only decent team it faced this year, 14-3.
You all see what's coming, right? Final score: Bucknell 7, Florida State 0.
W.
T.
F.
So! NOW Florida State is in the losers' bracket in its own regional, and faces Florida today at 1. How's THAT for a scenario? Coming off the most embarrassing loss in years and facing the possibility of being eliminated by our biggest rival... How nice! It's freaking unbelievable that this happens EVERY YEAR. The regular season record proves that the team has the talent... I just don't understand it! :-/
UPDATE: FSU 17, Florida 11 Final. FSU must win two games tomorrow to force a championship game - one rematch against Bucknell, and one against Tulane. Must... Not... Get... Hopes up!
UPDATE #2: FSU 24, Bucknell 9 Final. That's how Friday's game was supposed to go! FSU faces unbeaten Tulane next and must beat them twice in order to advance.
UPDATE #3: FSU 17, Tulane 8 Final. FSU forces a championship game with Tulane on Monday night - winner advances; loser goes home. I am reminded of the following comic strip:
UPDATE #4: FSU 16, Tulane 7 Final. FSU advances to face the Wichita State Shockers in a Super Regional! Pretty impressive to come out of the losers' bracket like that! I hope the Noles can keep it up!
The cracks began to appear in the ACC tournament. FSU had dominated and swept Virginia during their regular season series with them, and yet somehow Virginia was able to dominate FSU in the tournament and sent the Seminoles home without an ACC title yet again. BUT - FSU still had a good enough record to be selected as a national seed and host their own regional tournament in Tallahassee. The four seeds:
#1 Florida State
#2 Florida
#3 Tulane
#4 Bucknell
The selection of Florida raised a few eyebrows (do you really want to play your biggest rival with everything on the line? Yikes), but the chances were good that the Noles wouldn't even face the Gators. Tulane sent the Gators to the losing bracket with a 7-4 win early on Friday, and then FSU settled in to take on Bucknell, a 29-22 team that advanced to the regional by winning the Patriot League (?) with a 10-10 record. A team that had never won an NCAA postseason game - ever. A team that got blasted by the only decent team it faced this year, 14-3.
You all see what's coming, right? Final score: Bucknell 7, Florida State 0.
W.
T.
F.
So! NOW Florida State is in the losers' bracket in its own regional, and faces Florida today at 1. How's THAT for a scenario? Coming off the most embarrassing loss in years and facing the possibility of being eliminated by our biggest rival... How nice! It's freaking unbelievable that this happens EVERY YEAR. The regular season record proves that the team has the talent... I just don't understand it! :-/
UPDATE: FSU 17, Florida 11 Final. FSU must win two games tomorrow to force a championship game - one rematch against Bucknell, and one against Tulane. Must... Not... Get... Hopes up!
UPDATE #2: FSU 24, Bucknell 9 Final. That's how Friday's game was supposed to go! FSU faces unbeaten Tulane next and must beat them twice in order to advance.
UPDATE #3: FSU 17, Tulane 8 Final. FSU forces a championship game with Tulane on Monday night - winner advances; loser goes home. I am reminded of the following comic strip:
UPDATE #4: FSU 16, Tulane 7 Final. FSU advances to face the Wichita State Shockers in a Super Regional! Pretty impressive to come out of the losers' bracket like that! I hope the Noles can keep it up!