BLACKSBURG — Runs were again in short supply for the Virginia Tech baseball team Sunday.
Ninth-ranked Florida State beat the 25th-ranked Hokies 4-2 at Atlantic Union Bank Park to sweep the three-game series.
The Seminoles (28-7, 11-4 ACC) held Virginia Tech to four runs in the entire series. FSU had swept a doubleheader from Tech on Saturday, winning the first game 3-1 and the second game 12-1.
“That’s an Omaha team, easily,†said Tech coach John Szefc, referring to the Seminoles’ potential to make the College World Series in Omaha.
“They are very, very, very good. … You have $1 million players over there. That lineup, that team, is bought and paid for. You can read into it whatever you want to read into it.â€
It was the first time this year that Tech (23-13, 9-9) was swept in a series.
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“We scored four runs in three games. That’s the bottom line,†Szefc said. “We pitched pretty well today, … but you’ve got to score.â€
Virginia Tech banged out nine hits Sunday after being held to a total of eight hits in Saturday’s doubleheader.
But the Hokies struggled in the clutch Sunday, leaving nine runners on base.
“We just couldn’t get hits when it mattered,†Szefc said. “We didn’t play the game well enough when it mattered.â€
Tech had won three straight ACC series entering the FSU series, including two series against ranked foes.
But the Hokies could not measure up to FSU.
“Our at-bats were a lot better today,†said Tech left fielder Ben Watson, who went 1 for 5 on Sunday. “We had a lot more hits than yesterday. We didn’t have as much to show for it. We hit more right at guys — that’s just baseball sometimes.
“They just executed pitches when they needed to.â€
FSU’s Joey Volini (8-1) started Game 1 on Saturday, with fellow junior left-hander Jamie Arnold (4-2) starting Game 2 and sophomore left-hander Wes Mendes (5-1) starting Sunday. In late March, Baseball America rated Arnold the No. 1 prospect in the nation for this year’s Major League Baseball draft, with Volini No. 253.
“That was the best three starters we’ve seen probably as a group,†Watson said. “They had their best stuff.â€
“They commanded their spots with guys on bases,†said Tech first baseman Anderson French, who went 0 for 4 on Sunday. “They’ve got some highly ranked guys on the team. They knew what they wanted to go after … and exploited flaws. … Their arms are amazing.â€
The Hokies will host another ranked foe, No. 16 North Carolina, in a three-game series next weekend.
Tech is seeking to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022.
In its April 9 projection of the 64-team field, Baseball America had Tech safely in the field. Baseball America predicted the Hokies would be the No. 2 seed in a four-team regional hosted by Auburn.
The Hokies have been without injured first baseman Garrett Michel (.272) and injured pitcher Andrew Sentlinger (2-3) all month. Michel suffered a knee injury in late March and is on crutches. Sentlinger suffered a forearm issue in late March.
Does Szefc expect them back this month or this season?
“No,†he said. “They’re done for now. You see Michel, he’s on crutches, so you can read into that.â€
French, a freshman, started at first base in Michel’s absence in the FSU series.
“Some of my guys were playing high school baseball this time last year,†Szefc said. “They’re playing against Florida State in the ACC (now) — it’s a little different.â€
The Hokies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jared Davis singled, advanced all the way to third on a Watson single and scored on Sam Tackett’s sacrifice fly.
But later in that inning, David McCann struck out with men on second and third. After a walk, French struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Watson grounded into a double play with men on first and second to end the second inning, while French grounded out with men on first and third to end the third inning.
FSU tied the game at 1 on a Chase Williams sacrifice fly in the fourth.
The visitors grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a wild pitch by reliever Grant Manning (2-3).
FSU extended the lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth. Williams hit an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly.
With a man on second, French flied out and Jackson Cherry struck out to end the sixth.
The Hokies cut the lead to 4-2 in the seventh. Clay Grady tripled and scored on Davis’ RBI grounder. But Henry Cooke later flied out with a man on second to end the inning.
In the ninth, Watson grounded out with a man on third to end the game.
Davis had three hits and one RBI for Tech.
FSU 4, Va. Tech 2
FSU 000 112 000 — 4 11 1
Va. Tech 100 000 100 — 2 9 1
Mendes, Prescott (6) and Carns Eisenreich, Manning (4), LeJeune (8) and Cooke. W—Nelms (5-1). L—Manning (2-3). Sv—Prescott (2nd).
