After finishing the Tallahassee regional 3-0, the Seminoles are two wins away from returning to Omaha in Link Jarrett’s second season.
Technically they received a break as the No. 1 seed in the Norman regional (the Oklahoma Sooners) fell, but UConn is not an average No. 3.
The Huskies fended off elimination on Monday night, winning two games against Oklahoma and one against Duke to advance to their second super-regional in three years. Jim Penders, in his 20th season at the helm in Connecticut, led his team to its sixth straight NCAA tournament and a Big East regular-season title. While only 41st in RPI, his team has impressive victories over UC Irvine, St. Johns, and Kansas State, all NCAA tournament teams.
Offense
UConn looks a lot like UCF on paper. It's not a team that hits for average; only two players are batting over .300, but a veteran lineup that grinds out at at-bats and finds ways to pass the baton. Seven of the nine starters in the Husky lineup Monday night were seniors. Like the Knights, the Huskies lineup does not have much power, with only three players that hit ten or more home runs on the season, but they are beginning to find the long ball in the postseason. In four games in Norman, the Huskies hit six round-trippers, including two in the regional final that put the game out of reach. Those are where the similarities end, as UConn presents the FSU pitching staff with a different type of lineup.
The Huskies have between seven and eight right handed bats in the order depending on the matchup, including the first six in every game last weekend. Florida State’s lefty-heavy approach on the mound, including both their starters, does not present a good matchup for the Seminoles. However, Dorsey and Arnold found ways to throw their back-foot slider to right-handed hitters over the weekend, which will be a difficult pitch for the Big East team to handle.
Players to know: Paul Tammaro, Luke Broadhurst, and Korey Morton, all seniors, hit 2-3-4 in the Huskies lineup and are the straw that stirs the drink for the lineup. Tammaro, a fifth-year senior shortstop who started every game this year, hits .309 with a .444 OBP. He sets the table for the pop in the lineup behind him. Broadhurst plays on the hot corner and transferred in from D-III two years ago. He made 1st team all Big-East this season, hitting .288 with 14 home runs, the most on the UConn roster. Morton went with the Huskies to the Supers in 2022 and is the best hitter on the roster this season. He earned 1st-team all Big-East honors as well, had three RBIs in the regional final, and has the highest BA on the team at .335. He does not walk much with only 12 on the season and an OBP of .380.
Pitching
The Connecticut pitching staff heads in to the Super Regional against Florida State with a team ERA of 4.80, which is good for 37th Nationally (FSU comes in at 49th with a 4.91 ERA). Friday night starter LHP Garrett Coe carries a 4.70 ERA and is tied for 5th place all-time at UConn in appearances (73) but did struggle in Norman, allowing three runs in 2.1 innings against Oklahoma. The other three starters for the Huskies were a different story.
Ian Cooke (5-1, 3.97 ERA) tossed 5.2 innings against Duke, allowing just one run. The right hander picked up as many strikeouts as hits allowed against the Blue Devils with four. Stephen Quigley was brilliant with 8 IP and just one run against Oklahoma. The right hander is 6-3 on the season with a 3.59 ERA. And finally, left-hander Gabe Van Emon (3-5, 5.88 ERA) tossed 7.1 scoreless innings against the Sooners in the regional clincher. The Seminoles offense can explode in a moment’s notice, but this veteran staff will pose a stiff challenge for the bats.
The pen is led by RHP Brady Afthim, who has recorded eight saves on the season to go with his 2.08 ERA. The Seminoles will also see left-hander Braden Quinn who had 64 Ks in 42.1 IP
Friday, June 7th: 12 PM
FSU: LHP Carson Dorsey (6-4, 4.92 ERA) vs UConn: RHP Ian Cooke (5-1, 3.97 ERA)
How to watch: ESPN
Saturday, June 8th: 11 AM
FSU: LHP Jamie Arnold (11-3, 2.45 ERA) vs UConn: TBD
How to watch: ESPN
Sunday, June 9th: 12 PM (if necessary)
FSU: TBD vs UConn: TBD
How to watch: ESPN2
