After being upset by St. John’s on Friday, No. 10 seed Florida State is attempting to fight its way out of the loser’s bracket in the Tallahassee Regional to make a return trip to the super regional stage.
The Seminoles, in a game that took nearly 24 hours to complete due to weather delays and a postponement, took down Coastal Carolina 2-1 on Sunday to keep their season alive.
Florida State will now face off against Northern Illinois at approximately 7:15 p.m ET (ESPN+) to try to advance to the Tallahassee Regional championship, where St. John’s awaits after going 2-0. The Seminoles will serve as the away team in the matchup, hitting first.
The Huskies led 5-0 after three innings, but a nine-run fourth inning and a six-run fifth propelled the Red Storm to a blowout 21-8 win. NIU was forced to use eight pitchers after rolling out four in its Friday win over Coastal Carolina, including its ace Max Vaisvila.
No. 3 Northern Illinois (35-17) is making its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first in 44 years, earning a bid after winning the MAC, with its win on Friday serving as its first-ever NCAA Tournament win. The Seminoles have faced off against Northern Illinois just once before this weekend, a 7-1 victory in Tallahassee on April 8, 1971.
2026 Tallahassee Regional: Schedule
Game 3: No. 1 Florida State 2, No. 2 Coastal Carolina 1
Coastal Carolina eliminated
Game 4: No. 4 St. John’s 21, No. 3 Northern Illinois 8
Game 5: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 3 Northern Illinois
Game 6: No. 4 St. John’s vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7: No. 4 St. John’s vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)