Florida State’s season came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday night in Corvallis, as Oregon State powered past the Seminoles with a dominant 14-10 victory in Game 3 of the NCAA Super Regional. The Beavers’ explosive offense, highlighted by five home runs, propelled them to Omaha, securing a spot in the College World Series.
Oregon State’s offensive onslaught began early, with a seven-run first inning setting the tone. The Beavers added six more runs in the second and third innings, overwhelming Florida State’s defense. Despite the Seminoles’ best efforts to battle back, they couldn’t overcome the early deficit, leaving 10 runners stranded on base and ending two innings with the bases loaded.
FSU outhit Oregon State 17-12 but struggled to convert in key situations. The Beavers’ power display accounted for 11 of their 14 runs, including a grand slam from Trent Caraway in the third inning. Six of those runs came with two outs, as Oregon State capitalized on Florida State’s defensive lapses.
Wes Mendes, who had a career-long eight-inning outing just a week earlier, started for FSU but was knocked out in the first inning. He gave up seven runs on five hits, including two home runs, before exiting the game. FSU used six pitchers in total, with Chris Knier going the deepest, throwing 3.2 innings in relief. Florida State’s hopes were further dashed when Peyton Prescott, who had been a key contributor in Game 2, exited after appearing to injure his throwing arm in the seventh inning.
Despite the loss, Florida State’s offense showed sparks of life. Max Williams, Myles Bailey, and Chase Williams all hit home runs for the Seminoles. Williams’ two-run shot in the first inning gave FSU its only lead of the game, but it was quickly erased by Oregon State’s seven-run barrage. Bailey’s two-run blast in the sixth inning helped cut the deficit, and FSU tacked on a pair of runs in the ninth from a C. Williams fielder’s choice and Gage Harrelson’s double.
The Seminoles finished with four players recording three hits, including Hunter Carns, Harrelson, Bailey, and C. Williams, who combined for 12 of FSU’s 17 hits. Despite only striking out nine times—compared to 29 combined strikeouts in the first two games of the series—Florida State couldn’t put together the runs needed to complete the comeback.
With the win, Oregon State advances to the College World Series in Omaha, while Florida State’s season comes to a close at 42-16.
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