Tennessee vs. Florida State: Preview, keys to know ahead of CWS rematch
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee vs. Florida State brings a College World Series rematch to the forefront on Wednesday! It will be the second game of what is shaping up to be a wild and hectic day in Omaha.
After a Tuesday night game between Florida and Kentucky was rained out, Wednesday will feature a tripleheader with the Gators and Wildcats kicking things off with an 11 am ET start time. Tennessee and Florida State will follow at 3 pm while the winner of Florida vs. Kentucky will face Texas A&M in a nightcap.
As for the Vols and Seminoles, Tennessee is the favorite to win again and punch its ticket to the CWS Finals. The Vols are -195 to win at DraftKings while FSU is +150 to force a winner-take-all showdown on Thursday. Fans can utilize SDS’s Tennessee sports betting apps to get in on the action.
In their first matchup, the two teams combined for 23 runs and 31 hits. It was far from a clean game in the field as well with 5 total errors. Ultimately, Tennessee erased an early 9-4 deficit and an 11-8 deficit in the bottom of the 9th for a 12-11 walk-off.
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We’ll see if the pitching staffs can rebound or if it’s another day of offensive fireworks in Omaha. Here are the keys to watch on Wednesday:
3 keys
Tennessee brings well-rested pitching staff
Tennessee last played on Sunday, and that’s a great sign for the pitching staff of the Vols. Drew Beam covered 5 strong innings in that game while Tennessee needed just Kirby Connell (2 innings, 22 pitches) and Nate Snead (2 innings, 27 pitches) out of the bullpen.
Those performances allowed the Vols to rest some key arms after using 6 pitchers in the first game against FSU. The good news is a few of those arms were not taxed extensively with Chris Stamos throwing 8 pitches as the starter and Andrew Behnke throwing 7 pitches in relief.
Even the pitchers who were used extensively against the Seminoles (AJ Causey with 45 pitches and Aaron Combs with 60 pitches) should be fully available, and every arm could be needed to get past FSU’s offense.
In 3 games at the CWS, the Seminoles are averaging 9 runs, and that’s without some of the lack of production near the top of the order. Tennessee will need to throw multiple looks at the FSU lineup and it will be important to avoid the pressure of a winner-take-all on Thursday.
FSU looking for spark from Cam Smith, James Tibbs III
Cam Smith and James Tibbs III are 2 of the best offensive threats in the country. However, the 2 were limited to just 2-for-9 in the opening game against Tennessee though Smith did walk 3 times. Tibbs was particularly affected by the Vols, striking out 4 times in the loss.
Since then, the 2 have looked better, but the Seminoles are still looking for a true breakout game in Omaha from Tibbs. He was hitless with 2 walks against Virginia before going 1-for-4 against UNC.
So far, Tibbs is just 2-for-12 at the CWS with 4 walks, 4 runs scored, an RBI and 5 strikeouts. Even with Tibbs’ struggles, FSU has scored runs at an elite level, but the Seminoles will need his bat in a big way to pull of a major upset.
What does Christian Moore have in store for an encore?
One of the best right-handed bats in the country, Christian Moore was electric on another level in the first game against FSU. He led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a triple and never looked back.
Moore would hit for the cycle, just the 2nd in the history of the Men’s CWS, finishing off the feat with a majestic solo home run in the 6th inning. Not satisfied with that accomplishment, Moore would spark the 9th-inning comeback with a double before scoring the game-tying run on Blake Burke’s single.
Moore finished the game 5-for-6 with an RBI and 4 runs scored as the catalyst at the top of Tennessee’s lineup. In the game against UNC, he was otherwise subdued with just a 1-for-4 outing without an extra-base hit or a run scored.
It goes without saying, but it is unlikely Moore can replicate his first game performance. But facing FSU, the Vols will need him to deliver some run production at the top.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
