Florida State University Athletics
Friday, March 27
Tallahassee, Fla.
6:00 PM
Florida State
20-5, 6-1
3
vs
1
Duke
17-11, 4-6
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Duke
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
7
1
Florida State
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
X
3
4
1
No. 7 FSU Edged in Opener at No. 10 UVA
4/2/2026 9:01:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 7 Florida State baseball team opened a top-10 series at No. 10 Virginia with a 4-3 loss on Friday evening at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Seminoles (21-7, 7-3 ACC) suffered just their second road loss of the season and first ACC defeat away from home. The Cavaliers (24-7, 8-5 ACC) benefited from a four-run fourth inning and withstood a three-run answer by FSU in the top of the fifth.
Florida State scored its three runs on four hits with no errors and four runners left on base. UVA's four runs came on nine hits with two errors and eight runners stranded.
Sophomore catcher Hunter Carns was one of four players with a hit, a two-run single in the fifth inning. Sophomore second baseman Noah Sheffield also had a hit with an RBI and a run scored.
Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes suffered his second loss of the season and falls to 6-2. In 5.0 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two while throwing 99 pitches. Junior righty Chris Knier pitched the final 3.0 innings in relief of Mendes and did not allow a run. He held UVA to two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
FSU put two on in the first, on a hit batter and an error, but the visitors could not take the early lead. Mendes followed with a perfect bottom of the first and added a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless second. The southpaw fanned two more in the third.
A two-out double was Florida State's first hit of the day in the fourth.
Virginia took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back base hits scored the first two runs before a two-run home run with two outs.
The Seminoles quickly answered with three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to one, at 4-3. The rally began with two outs when senior shortstop Carter McCulley singled, and an error put two on. Sheffield then doubled in McCulley, and Carns followed with a two-RBI single to plate junior center fielder Brayden Dowd and Sheffield.
Mendes followed with a scoreless bottom of the fifth, again striking out two and leaving a runner on third.
Knier began the sixth on the mound and left two on. He fired a perfect seventh and worked around a leadoff single in the eighth.
Florida State was retired in order in the ninth to prevent a rally in the final inning.
The series continues on Friday at 2 p.m. ET, with Saturday's finale at 11 a.m. Both games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (Friday | Saturday), 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 (Thursday | Friday | Saturday). 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).
The Seminoles (21-7, 7-3 ACC) suffered just their second road loss of the season and first ACC defeat away from home. The Cavaliers (24-7, 8-5 ACC) benefited from a four-run fourth inning and withstood a three-run answer by FSU in the top of the fifth.
Florida State scored its three runs on four hits with no errors and four runners left on base. UVA's four runs came on nine hits with two errors and eight runners stranded.
Sophomore catcher Hunter Carns was one of four players with a hit, a two-run single in the fifth inning. Sophomore second baseman Noah Sheffield also had a hit with an RBI and a run scored.
Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes suffered his second loss of the season and falls to 6-2. In 5.0 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two while throwing 99 pitches. Junior righty Chris Knier pitched the final 3.0 innings in relief of Mendes and did not allow a run. He held UVA to two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
FSU put two on in the first, on a hit batter and an error, but the visitors could not take the early lead. Mendes followed with a perfect bottom of the first and added a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless second. The southpaw fanned two more in the third.
A two-out double was Florida State's first hit of the day in the fourth.
Virginia took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back base hits scored the first two runs before a two-run home run with two outs.
The Seminoles quickly answered with three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to one, at 4-3. The rally began with two outs when senior shortstop Carter McCulley singled, and an error put two on. Sheffield then doubled in McCulley, and Carns followed with a two-RBI single to plate junior center fielder Brayden Dowd and Sheffield.
Mendes followed with a scoreless bottom of the fifth, again striking out two and leaving a runner on third.
Knier began the sixth on the mound and left two on. He fired a perfect seventh and worked around a leadoff single in the eighth.
Florida State was retired in order in the ninth to prevent a rally in the final inning.
The series continues on Friday at 2 p.m. ET, with Saturday's finale at 11 a.m. Both games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (Friday | Saturday), 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 (Thursday | Friday | Saturday). 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: Mendes, Wes (6-1)
L: Weaver, Aidan (4-3)
S: Abraham, John (3)
Batting:
2B: Albright, Tyler 1 ; Lambdin, Jake 1 ; Perez, Brooks 1
3B: Perez, Brooks 1
RBI: Albright, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perez, Brooks 1
CS: Albright, Tyler 1
HBP: Smith, Kaden 1
PO: Albright, Tyler 1
Batting:
2B: Bailey, Myles 1 ; Carns, Hunter 1
RBI: Williams, Chase 1 ; Paulino Jr., Kelvyn 1
SH: Stuetzer, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bailey, Myles 1 ; Carns, Hunter 1 ; Fraser, Gabe 1
SB: Williams, Chase 2 ; Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Bailey, Myles 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballFSU Baseball | HC Link Jarrett Postgame Press Conference (3/29/26 vs. Duke)
Sunday, March 29
FSU Baseball | HC Link Jarrett Postgame Press Conference (3/27/26 vs. Duke)
Saturday, March 28
FSU Baseball | LHP Wes Mendes Postgame Press Conference (3/27/26 vs. Duke)
Saturday, March 28
FSU Baseball | HC Link Jarrett Press Conference (3/26/26)
Thursday, March 26