A Look Ahead: Boston College and the Red Bandana

    The #14 Florida State Seminoles travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this weekend to take on the Eagles of Boston College. FSU enters this weekend series with a 24-4 record (5-4 in ACC play), and BC enters this weekend series in the middle of a five game win streak. The Eagles are 16-11 overall and 5-7 in ACC play. 



    Friday's game will be the 52nd meeting all time between these two teams, and FSU leads the all-time series 40-11. BC took this series a season ago two games to one at Dick Howser Stadium. Boston College will be sporting their Red Bandana uniforms to honor Welles Crowther and his heroics during the 9/11 attacks. The Red Bandana uniforms always seem to give the Eagles some juice across all sports so this weekend could be challenging.

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Batting Average - FSU: .335 (#5 nationally) vs. BC: .300 (#50 nationally)

Slugging % - FSU: .581 (#6 nationally) vs. BC: .495 (#51 nationally)

On Base Percentage - FSU: .424 (#34 nationally) vs. BC: .419 (#41 nationally)

ERA - FSU: 3.64 (#7 nationally) vs. BC: 6.92 (#211 nationally)

NOTABLE BATS:

FSU

James Tibbs III, RF: AVG - .421, OPS - 1.383 (leads team), HR - 13 (leads team), RBI - 45 (leads team)

Cam Smith, 3B: AVG - .424 (leads team), OPS - 1,179, HR - 8, RBI - 28

BC

Kyle Wolff, LHP/1B: AVG - .346 (leads team), OPS - 1.095, HR - 7, RBI - 31 (leads team)

Cameron Leary, OF: AVG - .341, OPS - 1.233 (leads team), HR - 9 (leads team), RBI - 27

Head Coach Link Jarrett
Photo Cred: Seminoles.com

POTENTIAL PITCHERS:

FSU

Friday - Cam Leiter, RHP: 5-1, IP - 35.0, ERA - 4.63, WHIP - 1.54, SO - 56, BB - 22

Saturday - Jamie Arnold, LHP: 5-1, IP - 40.2, ERA - 0.66 (#1 nationally), WHIP - 0.84 (#8 nationally), SO - 60, BB - 9

Sunday - Conner Whittaker, RHP: 4-0, IP - 34.0, ERA - 5.03, WHIP - 1.18, SO - 33, BB - 8

BC

The BC weekend rotation has changed a bit throughout the season, but I believe that the three arms that will start this weekend for the Eagles are John West, A,J, Colarusso, and Michael Farinelli.

John West, RHP: 1-1, IP - 38.2, ERA - 4.66, WHIP - 1.53, SO - 33 (tied for most on team), BB - 17

A.J, Colarusso, LHP: 3-2, IP - 34.1, ERA - 5.50, WHIP - 1.53, SO - 33 (tied for most on team), BB - 14

Michael Farinelli, RHP: 0-2, IP - 24.0, ERA - 5.63, WHIP - 1.54, SO - 27, BB - 9

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

    As noted earlier, Boston College will be wearing their Red Bandana uniforms this weekend. When FSU played BC in football this wear, the Eagles sported their Red Bandana uniforms and only lost by two to a top 10 nationally ranked football team. This is more just superstition, but a team coming off of a five game win streak is dangerous no matter what.

    Boston College is yet another aggressive base running team the Noles will face. They are number two in the ACC in stolen bases, and this was evident in their win against Harvard earlier this week. FSU will have to keep up their defensive awareness and continue to make the routine plays in order to keep the bases clean. However, FSU is a sneaky good base running team themself. Since the return of DeAmez Ross and the continuing involvement of Jordan Williams have made immediate impacts in stealing bases. FSU has a 94% steal success rate this season.

Andrew Armstrong
Photo Cred: The Osceola

    The area of this game that stands out the most to me is strikeouts. BC strikes out the most out of any team in the ACC by 14, and FSU is number two in the nation in Ks per nine innings (12.7). If the FSU pitchers can go out and handle their control early in the game, then they will give the BC batters fits the entire weekend. Leiter, Arnold, and Whittaker all have the stuff to miss bats and they will be pivotal to the Noles' success.

    Coach Link Jarrett has discussed bat discipline a few times in post game interviews as of late. He's felt that, overall, there have been too many uncompetitive at bats and just wants the execution to be better. Definitely something to watch this weekend, as well.

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