OMAHA, Neb. – For the first time since 1999, Florida State (42-21) won its first game of the College World Series, defeating No. 5 national seed Arkansas (46-19) 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel.
Drew Parrish (9-5) and Isaiah Campbell went toe-to-toe on the rubber all night as both aces had their best stuff rolling at TD Ameritrade Park in front 26,155 fans.
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It was the first loss to Florida State by the Razorbacks, as the two squads have met six in two school’s histories, all coming during postseason play.
Parrish struck out nine hitters in eight innings pitched, tying a season high for innings and working out of trouble multiple times in the game. Campbell struck out 10 batters in seven innings for the Razorbacks, but FSU scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning against reliever Cody Scroggins (3-1).
J.C. Flowers started in centerfield for the Noles, snagging a highlight-reel catch against the wall in the second inning; he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly; and pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth, his 13th save of the season.
In the top of the 2nd inning, Flowers and Mat Nelson both singled to give the Seminoles a pair of runners with just one out in the inning. However, Campbell struck out Nander De Sedas and Tim Becker to end the inning.
The Seminoles got runners on base in each of the first six innings, but each time Campbell shut the door on FSU. The second-round MLB draft pick exited after seven innings and 101 pitches.
Parrish wouldn’t be outdone as the lefty had perhaps the best outing of his career, given the stage. The lefty went eight innings of his own, giving up just five hits and no runs while striking out nine Razorbacks on the night.
“He was really tough, he had everything working on us,” Arkansas first basemen Trevor Ezell said on Parrish. “His off-speed was really good and you just have to tip your cap.”
In the bottom of the 8th inning, Christian Franklin doubled to right field and advanced to third base on a groundout. Parrish buckled down and got Casey Martin and Matt Goodheart to each strikeout with changeups to escape the jam.
“I’d say it’s one of the best performances of my life for sure,” Parrish said smiling after the game.
“Every kid dreams of pitching at the College World Series so this definitely ranks up there.”
In the top of the 9th inning, Flowers was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Carter Smith reached on a fielder’s choice after the ball was dislodged on a tag attempt from Martin to Flowers running to second base.
A sacrifice bunt from Nelson pushed both runners into scoring position, before De Sedas had one of the biggest plate appearances of his young Seminole career.
On the first pitch he saw from Arkansas’ flame-throwing closer, Matt Cronin, the freshman lifted the ball into right field. Flowers beat the throw home after the catch to give De Sedas a sac fly and score the only run of the game.
“This is a dream, you know. To play in Omaha at the College World Series,” De Sedas said after the game.
“As a kid you dream of having the game-winning RBI, this is just a crazy, cool experience. It’s emotional.”
Flowers entered to close the game as he recorded a groundout, a soft lineout and then struck out Jack Kenley to get his 13th save of the season and push the Noles into the winner’s bracket.
The win gives FSU a six-game winning streak in the NCAA Tournament, tying a school record. Five of those wins have come against SEC programs. The shutout is the Seminoles fifth all-time in the College World Series and first since 1987.
Florida State will play Michigan on Monday night at 7 PM ET and will be the home team against the Wolverines after winning a coin toss. CJ Van Eyk (10-3) will get the ball for the Seminoles on the mound.
TEAM NOTES:
- Florida State won its College World Series opener for the first time since 1999. It was also the programs first win against Arkansas (now 1-5 all-time).
- The Seminoles tied a school record with its sixth-consecutive NCAA Tournament victory. All six have come away from Tallahassee, also tying a school-record.
- The past five wins have come against the Southeastern Conference (2 at Georgia, 2 at LSU, 1 vs. Arkansas).
- The shutout was FSU’s fifth all-time in the College World Series and first since 1987. The previous three all came in 1970.
- FSU improved to 30-44 all-time in the College World Series.
- FSU has allowed just one first-inning run in the postseason, a leadoff home run against Georgia on June 1.
- FSU’s 1-0 win was its first since beating NC State in 2015 and its second ever in the NCAA Tournament/College World Series (Miami, 1975).
PLAYER NOTES:
- Starting pitcher Drew Parrish improved to 9-5, striking out nine and allowing just five hits in 8.0 innings. He now has 125 strikeouts on the season, three shy of his career high (128 in 2018). Three Noles now have at least nine wins (Parrish, CJ Van Eyk 10, Conor Grady 9).
- Parrish and Van Eyk, FSU’s Monday night starter, are the only teammates in the country with at least 120 strikeouts (Van Eyk – 120).
- His eight innings pitched tied a season high (Clemson, April 12). Parrish limited Arkansas’ 1-5 hitters to just 2-for-19 hitting (.105), well below their combined .322 average entering the game.
- J.C. Flowers singled in the second, was hit by a pitch and scored the games only run in the ninth inning and earned his 13th save of the season. Flowers now has 13 saves and 13 home runs on the year; his 13 saves lead the ACC and are tied for the sixth-most in FSU single-season history.
- Freshman Mat Nelson singled in his first two career College World Series at-bats and was the only Seminole with multiple hits. He is hitting .500 in the past three games (5-for-10). His ninth-inning sacrifice bunt was his ninth of the season and he has half of FSU’s 18 on the year.
- Nelson has reached base in 10 straight games, the longest active streak on the team – Drew Mendoza (14) and Robby Martin (13) both ended Saturday.
It was the first loss to Florida State by the Razorbacks, as the two squads have met six in two school’s histories, all coming during postseason play.
The Razorbacks will take on Texas Tech on Monday, June 17, at 1 p.m. on ESPN from TD Ameritrade Park in an elimination game.
>> Saturday marked the sixth time Arkansas and Florida State have squared off on the diamond, with all six coming during the postseason. The contest was the first matchup in the College World Series. The Razorbacks are 5-1 against the Seminoles after Saturday’s decision.
>> Arkansas moved to 5-2 in NCAA Tournament action this season. The Razorbacks swept the Fayetteville Regional, 3-0, and went 2-1 in the Fayetteville Super Regional. Overall in postseason play, Arkansas is 6-4 this season.
>> Arkansas is 15-19 in the College World Series and 5-5 in CWS openers.
>> The Hogs are 88-68 (.564) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 24 tournament wins in the last six years.
>> Isaiah Campbell reached five strikeouts with his first out in the third inning. It was the 14th time this season he’s recorded five or more punch outs in a game. Campbell’s final line was 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K.
>> Campbell’s 10 K’s broke his own school record for strikeouts in a College World Series game, set against Florida on June 22, 2018 (5.1 IP). He ranks fifth in the Arkansas record books in single-season strikeouts with 125 and is eighth all-time in career totals with 224.
>> With a single in the third inning, Trevor Ezell extended his hitting streak to eight games, including every game of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. This postseason, he is batting 16-of-32 (.500) with eight RBIs and eight runs scored.
>> Dominic Fletcher’s two-out single in the sixth inning pushed his hitting streak to five games. He is 8-of-20 at the plate during the stretch.
>> Christian Franklin posted his 16th multi-hit game of the season after recording a single and a double against the Seminoles. He ranks seventh on the team in multi-hit performances this season.
>> Cody Sroggins posted a clean eighth inning against Florida State on Saturday. Entering the ninth, he racked up 9.2 scoreless frames on the mound, dating back to Arkansas’ SEC Tournament opener vs. Ole Miss on May 22.
