Florida State University Athletics
Friday, March 20
Tallahassee, Fla.
6:00 PM
Florida State
17-4, 3-1
4
vs
6
NC State
18-4, 3-1
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
NC State
0
1
0
1
0
3
0
0
1
6
10
0
Florida State
0
0
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
4
5
2
No. 11 FSU Drops Opener to No. 10 NC State
3/20/2026 10:49:00 PM | Baseball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida State baseball team suffered a 6-4 loss to No. 10 NC State on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium.
In the opening game of a three-game series, the Seminoles (17-4, 3-1 ACC) suffered their first ACC loss of the season and first defeat in 13 games at home. FSU scored four runs on five hits with two errors. The Wolfpack (18-4, 3-1 ACC) scored six runs on 10 hits with no errors.
Sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey hit his 10th home run of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth inning that gave Florida State a 4-2 lead. However, NC State, after leading 1-0 in the second and 2-1 in the fourth, rallied with three in the sixth to regain a 5-4 lead before adding an insurance run in the ninth.
Bailey had a game-high three RBI and was one of four FSU players with a hit. Junior center fielder Brayden Dowd had two hits with an RBI and a run.
Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 5-1. In 5.1 innings, he allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Junior righty John Abraham pitched the final 3.2 innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
The Seminoles and Wolfpack will return to Howser for game two of the three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The finale is Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets, and admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID.
NC State took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out double that scored a run after an error allowed the leadoff batter to reach.
Florida State tied the game at 1-1 in the third. Freshman third baseman Will Bavaro drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch and was on third after a sac bunt. He scored on a groundout by Dowd.
The Wolfpack answered to regain the lead 2-1 in the fourth on a sac fly.
Bailey's home run in the fifth gave FSU a 4-2 lead, its first of the game. The two-out shot to the opposite field in left followed a one-out walk and a single.
The visitors answered with three of their own in the top of the sixth to regain a 5-4 advantage. Three consecutive singles scored the first run, and Abraham relieved Mendes with two on and one out. With two down, a double scored two runs. Abraham got a groundout to end the inning and leave two on.
FSU put two on in the eighth, on a leadoff walk and single, but two strikeouts and a groundout prevented the Seminoles from tying the game.
In the ninth, NC State added an insurance run on a two-out error to make it 6-4. Florida State was retired in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID, with the student entrance at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza. All gates at Dick Howser Stadium will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch for every game in 2026.
Each regular-season Saturday home game is Military Saturday Presented by VyStar, with military recognitions and the playing of God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch. Members of the 1986 College World Series team will be recognized on the field pregame. Every Sunday regular-season home game is Sunday Funday, where Kids Club members and youth wearing their little league jerseys will be admitted free, and kids 12 and under will be allowed to run the bases postgame.
Both games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (Saturday | Sunday), accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM. Each game also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App and Seminoles.com. Live stats are at FSU.Statbroadcast.com (Saturday | Sunday). Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates all weekend are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
In the opening game of a three-game series, the Seminoles (17-4, 3-1 ACC) suffered their first ACC loss of the season and first defeat in 13 games at home. FSU scored four runs on five hits with two errors. The Wolfpack (18-4, 3-1 ACC) scored six runs on 10 hits with no errors.
Sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey hit his 10th home run of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth inning that gave Florida State a 4-2 lead. However, NC State, after leading 1-0 in the second and 2-1 in the fourth, rallied with three in the sixth to regain a 5-4 lead before adding an insurance run in the ninth.
Bailey had a game-high three RBI and was one of four FSU players with a hit. Junior center fielder Brayden Dowd had two hits with an RBI and a run.
Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 5-1. In 5.1 innings, he allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Junior righty John Abraham pitched the final 3.2 innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
The Seminoles and Wolfpack will return to Howser for game two of the three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The finale is Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets, and admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID.
NC State took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out double that scored a run after an error allowed the leadoff batter to reach.
Florida State tied the game at 1-1 in the third. Freshman third baseman Will Bavaro drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch and was on third after a sac bunt. He scored on a groundout by Dowd.
The Wolfpack answered to regain the lead 2-1 in the fourth on a sac fly.
Bailey's home run in the fifth gave FSU a 4-2 lead, its first of the game. The two-out shot to the opposite field in left followed a one-out walk and a single.
The visitors answered with three of their own in the top of the sixth to regain a 5-4 advantage. Three consecutive singles scored the first run, and Abraham relieved Mendes with two on and one out. With two down, a double scored two runs. Abraham got a groundout to end the inning and leave two on.
FSU put two on in the eighth, on a leadoff walk and single, but two strikeouts and a groundout prevented the Seminoles from tying the game.
In the ninth, NC State added an insurance run on a two-out error to make it 6-4. Florida State was retired in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID, with the student entrance at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza. All gates at Dick Howser Stadium will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch for every game in 2026.
Each regular-season Saturday home game is Military Saturday Presented by VyStar, with military recognitions and the playing of God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch. Members of the 1986 College World Series team will be recognized on the field pregame. Every Sunday regular-season home game is Sunday Funday, where Kids Club members and youth wearing their little league jerseys will be admitted free, and kids 12 and under will be allowed to run the bases postgame.
Both games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (Saturday | Sunday), accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM. Each game also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App and Seminoles.com. Live stats are at FSU.Statbroadcast.com (Saturday | Sunday). Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates all weekend are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Marohn, Ryan (4-0)
L: Mendes, Wes (5-1)
S: Nance, Anderson (1)
Batting:
2B: Bargo, Dalton 1 ; Johnson, Rett 2
RBI: Head, Ty 2 ; Bargo, Dalton 1 ; Johnson, Rett 2
SH: Johnson, Rett 1
SF: Head, Ty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fraasman, Brayden 2 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Head, Ty 1 ; Bargo, Dalton 1 ; Johnson, Rett 1
SB: McHugh, Chris 1
Batting:
2B: Dowd, Brayden 1
HR: Bailey, Myles 1
RBI: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Bailey, Myles 3
SH: Fisher, Cal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bavaro, Will 1 ; Fisher, Cal 1 ; Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Bailey, Myles 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
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