Two consensus top five teams met on Thursday night in Atlanta for the first time since 2024, and it did not disappoint. Coming into this ranked ACC match-up, these are the final two teams yet to have dropped a series in conference play thus far in 2026. Not to mention, Georgia Tech entered the series working on a nine-game winning streak and undefeated in series openers.
The draw for this series was the fact that Georgia Tech’s lineup, widely regarded as the best in the country, was going to be tested in a big way against a Florida State starting rotation that is also one of the best in the country at what they do. Early on in this one, it looked like Florida State was getting the best of Georgia Tech’s offense as Seminoles junior left-hander Wes Mendes appeared unphased by the moment.
In fact, Mendes was the story in this game through the first five innings. He gave up a single and a walk in the first inning, but escaped unscathed before surrendering a run in the bottom of the second via a Will Baker solo home run, just the second given up by the lefty all season. Between the second inning home run and the sixth inning, Mendes managed to dice up the Jackets as he was looking like he had tamed the beast, something not a lot of pitchers can say they have done this year. In the third, fourth, and fifth inning, Mendes gave up just two base runners on a single and a walk while striking out five.
Following the fifth inning, Mendes was nearing 100 pitches on the night, but Florida State’s Link Jarrett trusted him to go out and deliver one more inning. He opened the inning with a strikeout of Kent Schmidt, but then gave up back to back singles to Ryan Zuckerman and Will Baker. That would bring Mendes’s night to an end, but his line wasn’t closed as he still had two base runners charged to him out on the bases. Right-handed junior John Abraham who has been one of the best relievers in the country came in to replace Mendes in what looked like would be a multi-inning save opportunity. A balk call on Abraham advanced the runners to second and third with one out before Carson Kerce legged out an infield single to drive in a run. That was then followed by a wild pitch that scored Baker to tie the game as Kerce advanced all the way to third from first. Parker Brosius then struck out which brought Drew Burress to the plate who hit a bloop single to score Kerce and give the Jackets the lead. In what was the most important inning of the game, it was Carson Kerce who put his stamp on the inning, manufacturing a couple of runs with a desperation two-strike swing that turned into an infield hit and some super aggressive base running. Following the sixth inning, Mendes’s line closed with three earned runs on six hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts on a career-high 114 pitches.
Tate McKee was a bit spotty early on, but managed to match Mendes through six innings. After a scoreless first inning in which he struck out two, the Seminoles got to McKee, putting up a three spot to jump out to an early 3-0 lead. A lead-off walk and a single put runners at first and third with nobody out, but Vahn Lackey did gun down the speedy Chase Williams trying to steal second. However, the freshman John Stuetzer came through with an RBI-single shortly after. On the very next batter, junior shortstop Cal Fisher launched his second home run of the season to extend the lead to 3-0.
While it looked like McKee could have been facing a quick hook, he managed to settle in as the third inning was the only frame in which the Seminoles were able to score. In fact, McKee closed out his night retiring the last 13 batters he faced. He made it through six innings, allowing the three earned runs on a total of four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. It was the third game this season in which McKee made it through six innings, all of which he has allowed three earned runs or less.
With a 4-3 lead entering the seventh, Mason Patel entered the game for the Jackets. Patel hadn’t been a stranger to multi-inning saves at this point with two under his belt in ACC play, and he delivered yet again. He issued a free pass via hit by pitch in the seventh, but put up a zero. He gave up a lead-off double in the eighth, but escaped yet again as Florida State left their runner stranded on third base. It was the ninth inning that brought some drama, but Patel still managed to hold Florida State scoreless and bring this one home. With one out and nobody on, Chase Williams got a rally started with a single before John Stuetzer followed with a single of his own, putting runners on first and second with one out. A successful double steal put the two runners in scoring position, giving the Seminoles an excellent chance to at least tie the game. However, Cal Fisher hit a ground ball back to Patel who checked on Williams at third before throwing to first to get the second out. After Patel released the ball, Williams took off for the plate, but not before first baseman Kent Schmidt could deliver a strike to Vahn Lackey at the plate who tagged out Williams, completing your everyday 1-3-2 double play to end it. There were certainly a few standouts in this one, and Patel’s three scoreless innings to end it solidified himself as arguably the most important piece in this win.
Georgia Tech’s 4-3 win over Florida State was a big one not just because it extended their win streak to 10 games, but because it proved the Jackets can win in more ways than just out-slugging their opponent. Aside from Will Baker’s solo home run, the Jackets didn’t have a single extra-base hit, and most of their run-scoring was done through taking advantage of Florida State’s mistakes and aggressive base running. In order for a team to have legitimate Omaha aspirations, there are times they have to get the job done in a way that doesn’t always look pretty, and that was the case for Georgia Tech on Thursday night. It was a true grind of a win and one that truly tested the resilience of this team.
Their win on Thursday brings them to 28-5 on the season and 13-3 in ACC play while Florida State falls to 24-9 and 9-4 in ACC play. Georgia Tech’s 10-game win streak is the longest the program has seen since their 12-game win streak to start the season in 2016, a campaign in which the Jackets saw their last super regional appearance, a spot they are hopeful to return to 10 years later.
Check back here tomorrow for a recap on game two of this series and subscribe below to be notified of new posts!
Georgia Tech Wins Extra-inning Thriller Over Duke in Series Opener
On senior weekend and Georgia Tech’s final home series of the season, they squared off with the Duke Blue Devils, a team that has underperformed all year, but looking to end their season on a high note. For Georgia Tech, it’s an opportunity to secure their postseason positioning and another step toward winning a consecutive…
Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State Meet For Their Second Mid-week Match-up of the Season
They’ll look to improve it to seven games on Tuesday evening as they hit the road to make the quick trip up I-75 to take on the Kennesaw State Owls of Conference-USA.
Georgia Tech Completes Series Sweep Over Wake Forest in Another One-run Game
they managed to complete the series sweep, this time in the same fashion they did on Friday night, winning 6-5 in a back and forth one-run contest
Leave a Reply