{"id":217808,"date":"2026-04-03T18:55:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/217808\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T18:55:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:55:26","slug":"top-10-matchup-up-next-as-no-7-fsu-travels-to-no-10-virginia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/217808\/","title":{"rendered":"Top-10 Matchup Up Next as No. 7 FSU Travels to No. 10 Virginia"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. \u2013 The No. 7 Florida State baseball team faces its third top-12 opponent in the last four weeks with a weekend series at No. 10 Virginia from April 2-4 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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\nThe series commences on ACC Network on Thursday, April 2, at 5 p.m. ET. Friday’s first pitch at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park is at 2 p.m., with Saturday’s finale at 11 a.m.
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\nThursday’s opener will be broadcast live on ACC Network<\/a>, with Karl Ravech and Devon Travis on the call. Friday and Saturday’s games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra<\/a> (Friday<\/a> | Saturday<\/a>), accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM. Each game also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App<\/a> and Seminoles.com<\/a>. Live stats are at FSU.Statbroadcast.com<\/a> (Thursday<\/a> | Friday<\/a> | Saturday<\/a>). Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com\/Baseball<\/a>. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates all weekend are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter\/X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram<\/a> (@NoleBaseball).
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\nThursday, April 2 \u2013 5 p.m. ET
\nWatch: ACC Network<\/a>
\nListen: WFLA 100.7 FM | Seminoles Unconquered App<\/a> | Seminoles.com<\/a>
\nLive Stats<\/a>
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\nFriday, April 3 \u2013 2 p.m. ET
\nWatch: ACC Network Extra<\/a>
\nListen: WFLA 100.7 FM | Seminoles Unconquered App<\/a> | Seminoles.com<\/a>
\nLive Stats<\/a>
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\nSaturday, April 4 \u2013 11 a.m. ET
\nWatch: ACC Network Extra<\/a>
\nListen: WFLA 100.7 FM | Seminoles Unconquered App<\/a> | Seminoles.com<\/a>
\nLive Stats<\/a>
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\nTwo left-handers will square off on both Thursday and Friday followed by a right-handed matchup on Saturday. Two juniors will go in the opener, with FSU’s Wes Mendes<\/a> (6-1, 1.33 ERA) up against UVA’s Kyle Johnson (0-1, 6.00 ERA). Friday will see the Seminoles’ junior Trey Beard<\/a> (2-0, 3.58 ERA) face the Cavaliers’ sophomore Max Stammel (2-2, 7.14 ERA). In Saturday’s right-handed finale, junior Bryson Moore<\/a> (4-1, 5.12 ERA) toes the rubber against freshman John Paone (1-1, 5.02 ERA).
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\nFSU is 22-6 on the season, 7-2 in the ACC, 16-2 at home, 5-1 on the road, 1-3 at a neutral site and 5-3 against ranked opponents. The Seminoles are coming off a 6-3 win at Stetson on Tuesday night to begin the four-game-in-five-day roadtrip. Last weekend, the team notched a home series win against Duke, their third series victory in three weekends to begin ACC play and sixth overall to start the 2026 season. Florida State is off to a 7-2 start or better in the ACC in back-to-back years for the first time since a five-year stretch from 2012-16.
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\nAs a team, Florida State is hitting .290 with 265 hits, 36 home runs, 59 doubles, five triples, 159 walks, 230 runs scored and 190 RBI. The pitching staff has a 3.98 ERA with 104 earned runs allowed on 185 hits with 308 strikeouts and 109 walks in 235.0 innings.
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\nFreshman designated hitter Kelvyn Paulino Jr.<\/a> leads the team with a .366 batting average with 26 hits. Sophomore infielder\/outfielder Noah Sheffield<\/a> and freshman outfielder John Stuetzer<\/a> both have seven doubles, while junior outfielder Chase Williams<\/a> has nine stolen bases in 11 attempts. On the mound, junior lefty Wes Mendes<\/a> is 6-1 with a 1.33 ERA, having struck out 58 and given up six earned runs on 23 hits in 40.2 innings. Junior right-hander John Abraham<\/a> has made 11 appearances, all but one out of the bullpen, and has 37 strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA in 25.1 innings.
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\nNATIONALLY RANKED SEMINOLES
\nFlorida State moved up three spots to No. 7 in D1Baseball top-25. FSU is No. 5 according to Perfect Game, No. 6 by Baseball America, No. 7 in the NCBWA rankings and the Coaches Poll and No. 8 in The Athletic top-25.
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\nSERIES HISTORY VS. VIRGINIA
\nFlorida State is 62-34 all-time against Virginia, including 30-10 at home, 20-16 on the road and 12-8 at a neutral site. The series commenced with two games in 1972 but took a 20-year hiatus until 1992, when FSU joined the ACC. The Seminoles won eight in a row in the series and 11 of the first 12. Florida State also took nine consecutive from 1997-2000, and 20 of 22 from 1997-2004. The last six meetings have all come away from home, as UVA took all three in a 2023 series in Charlottesville and FSU posted ACC Tournament wins in 2022 and 2024 and a victory in the College World Series in 2024. That 7-3 win in the CWS was the last matchup between the two programs.
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\nSCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
\nVirginia is 23-7 on the season, including 14-2 at home, 5-5 on the road and 4-0 at a neutral site. The Cavaliers are in fifth place in the ACC with a 7-5 record. UVA is coming off a 16-2, seven-inning win over Old Dominion on Tuesday night. That followed a series loss at Boston College, where Virginia suffered 5-3 and 17-0 defeats before a 3-1 win in the finale. UVA owns ACC series wins at No. 8 North Carolina, vs. Virginia Tech and against No. 24 Wake Forest.
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\nIn the national polls, Virginia is in the top-20 in each major ranking, including No. 10 by D1Baseball and The Athletic. The Cavaliers are No. 12 by Perfect Game, No. 14 in the Coaches Poll and No. 19 according to the NCBWA and Baseball America.
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\nLAST TIME OUT: ROADTRIP-OPENING MIDWEEK WIN
\nFSU began its roadtrip with a 6-3 win at Stetson on Tuesday night in DeLand, Florida. The Seminoles used back-to-back two-run innings, in the sixth and seventh, to down the Hatters. Sheffield hit his third home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth inning that gave Florida State the lead for good. Junior right-hander Brodie Purcell<\/a> earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. In 2.0 no-hit innings, he struck out four and walked two. Senior right-hander Gabe Nard<\/a> pitched a perfect ninth inning, with two strikeouts, and earned his second career save, both coming in the last three games. Florida State improves to 71-26 all-time against Stetson and 26-15 in DeLand. The Seminoles have won three in a row and eight of the last 11 in the series.
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\nA recap and box score can be found here<\/a>.
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\nUP NEXT: RIVALRY ON ESPN2
\nFlorida State returns home for a nationally-televised matchup against in-state rival Florida on Tuesday, April 7. First pitch on ESPN2 is at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are sold out, but fans can purchase tickets on SeatGeek<\/a>. Tickets remain for FSU students, and admission is free with their FSUID, with the student entrance at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza. All gates at Dick Howser Stadium will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch for every game in 2026.
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\nFor more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter\/X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram<\/a> (@NoleBaseball).