To borrow a line from the great American poet laureate David Lee Roth, "Heard you missed us. We're back!" That's right. The Diamond Dawgs are headed back to Tallahassee and the Florida State campus for another NCAA regional. To say, State knows their way around the place would be to understate the obvious. This will be the Bullies' fifth regional trip to Tallahassee.
Dick Howser Stadium has been the backdrop for some magical maroon moments. Who could could forget Elijah MacNamee's dramatic walk-off home run to eliminate Florida State from their own regional back in 2018?
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Long before the Bulldogs and Seminoles can face off in a rematch, both teams have to win first round games. FSU's first round opponent is somewhat familiar. Bethune-Cookman and Florida State met earlier this season in a midweek affair back on March 5th. The Wildcats did not go quietly, but the Noles won 9-7.
Northeastern is no stranger to Southeastern Conference programs despite their New England locale. The Huskies have made somewhat frequent trips south as part of their non-conference and post season history. The last meeting with an SEC program came back in 2020 at Alabama. This Friday night's match-up will the first ever between State and Northeastern.
Pitching match-ups are unknown at this point, but whoever the Huskies throw against the Diamond Dawgs will be experienced and talented. Northeastern leads the nation in several pitching statistical categories and boasts a nation best's 27-game winning streak.
Northeastern likes to run the bases and put pressure on the defense, so there is a good chance that State interim coach Justin Parker opts for southpaw Pico Kohn. A lot of skippers elect to save their ace for game two of a regional, but State may simply have to play the match-up and send Kohn out.
Dick Howser Stadium has been known to be a hitter friendly park, especially for left handers. There is a shorter right field porch that has an extended fence that makes it a little more difficult to overtake, but it can also lead to more doubles.
While there is no official poll to refer to, it is safe to assume that the Diamond Dawgs are happy to continue playing on. That understood, no one involved with State baseball is simply happy to be in the field. Regionals are foundational standards here even in down years. When they are not met, then things change.
The fun gets underway on Friday in Tallahassee. FSU and Bethune-Cookman will play the afternoon game with Mississippi State and Northeastern scheduled for the night cap. First pitch for the Bulldogs and Huskies is currently scheduled for 6:30 CT. All games can be streamed on the ESPN App. There is some wet weather in the Friday forecast in the greater Tallahassee area, so fans should be prepared for any potential schedule changes.