Florida State has played 10 games since Myles Bailey’s season-ending injury.
There have been a few certainties: Brayden Dowd will start in center field and Eli Putnam will start at first base. But the rest of the defensive alignment has been juggled from game to game, including three starters at second base (Cal Fisher, Noah Sheffield and Kelvyn Paulino Jr.).
The lineup has also been in flux:
Dowd has led off five times, Chase Williams four times and John Stuetzer once
Sheffield has hit second in five games, with Stuetzer hitting there three times, Hunter Carns once and Paulino once.Dowd and Carns have split who hits third.
Carns and Paulino have also split who hits cleanup.
Putnam has hit fifth in five games, with Paulino slotted there three times, Stuetzer once and Nathan Cmeyla once.
As FSU (25-11, 9-6 ACC) begins a three-game series with Notre Dame beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. (ACC Network Extra), the experimentation continues.
“You're trying to find the right matchup and flow to things,” FSU coach Link Jarrett said. “And we've had a few guys that have been fairly consistent this year. I think Dowd’s at-bats have been fairly consistent. I think Carns, coming off some of the things he was battling, you can think through the at-bat and appreciate the pitch selection and the quality of contact, and don't always result in hits but you can appreciate how they've gone about it.”
As Jarrett continues his answer, his right hand makes a roller-coaster motion as he discusses the ups and downs of many of the younger hitters.
“There's flashes here and there,” Jarrett said. “You can go through the whole lineup, and it's creating that consistency, so it's not so sporadic. It's been a roller-coaster ride for some of the players. Some of the kids (like freshmen) Stuetzer, Paulino, (Will) Bavaro, to walk out of what they’d seen out of pitching up to this point to be thrust into what I think is the best of run of pitching that I’ve seen at this level. That’s a lot. You do have some ups and downs.”
Dowd has been FSU’s most consistent hitter this season, batting .306 with seven home runs, 27 RBI and 36 runs scored.
Carns battled injury in the preseason and early half of the schedule, but he has been hitting well of late. The catcher / designated hitter leads the team with a .348 average and has three home runs, 18 RBI and 18 runs scored. He credits an increased focus on pitch selection.
“I feel really good,” Carns said. “Kind of just changed my approach a little bit. Helped me out. See better pitches.”
The lineup juggling took place before Bailey’s injury, but Jarrett has been trying out difference options over the last three weeks with mixed results as FSU is 4-6 in those 10 games. FSU has averaged 4.8 runs per game in that stretch.
Jarrett said one player, Fisher, has built up “credit” because of the success he had earlier in his career. Fisher is hitting .227 with two home runs and 20 RBI while starting all 36 of FSU’s games.
The lineups have changed with frequency in the last 10 games as some players have dealt with injuries and Jarrett experiments. But they also were shifting with Bailey in the mix, too.
“The up and down overall is difficult to watch,” Jarrett said. “And you want these guys to find a little more consistency. In playing with the lineup, you’re trying to figure out a way to get that.”
Jarrett said he often has weighed who has the hot bat and moved that hitter up in the lineup to potentially give him more at-bats, a philosophy he thinks aligns with that of some MLB managers.
Moore is TBD for Sunday
FSU right-hander Bryson Moore departed his last start after just three innings (67 pitches, two earned runs) at Georgia Tech on Saturday. After that game, Jarrett said Moore “was feeling something” and FSU went to the bullpen early.
On Thursday, Jarrett said Moore had a “mild, tender oblique” and will throw a bullpen session to see if he can remain on track to pitch Sunday.
Jarrett mentioned left-hander Cooper Whited (2-2, 3.04 ERA) as one option to start on Sunday. Whited threw 33 pitches in three innings against Stetson on Tuesday, a shortened start by design to save him for this weekend.
Right-hander John Abraham (1-1, 0.86 ERA) has often pitched in relief on Fridays but could be an option on Sunday, Jarrett said.
One thing that’s obvious: Left-handers Wes Mendes and Trey Beard could help the big picture by going deep in their starts on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Quick notes on Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish (17-15) are just 7-11 in the ACC after a series loss to Virginia. But Notre Dame also has a resume that includes a series win at Duke and a sweep of struggling Clemson.
One pitcher to watch is right-hander Jack Radel, who will pitch on Saturday afternoon. Radel is 4-2 with a 2.82 ERA.
“He can throw the fastball in multiple areas, and he's got three breaking pitches and a change-up. There's not anything more you can throw at anybody, unless you throw some pitches left-handed,” Jarrett said. “You're getting the whole kitchen sink. We have guys that do that, too, but he's had some very deep, good starts recently. And there's just so much coming at you, and he does command it well.”
Thanks for reading the Osceola. Subscribe now for 40 percent off to enjoy a full year of coverage of FSU athletics. You’ll also earn a $15 gift card at the Osceola’s merch store.
